You Are #NotJustaNurse

It is predicted that by the year 2025, the United States will have a shortage of more than 12,000 nurses at the bedside. This national nursing shortage has been the impetus for GBMC to think outside the box in our recruitment and retention of nurses. With so many choices for healthcare employment in the Baltimore area, and more volume in our system than ever before, it was time to get creative.

Two years ago, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, JoAnn Ioannou, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, created the Art of Nursing recognition program, which celebrates nursing as the art of science, knowledge and caring. The program culminates in a formal celebration, held annually at the end of Nurses' Week in May. Nurses who are nominated by their peers receive awards for excelling in various areas such as evidence-based practice and patient- and-family-centered care.

This year, GBMC has elevated its commitment to nurses again by forming a partnership with former Ravens Super Bowl Champion kicker Matt Stover. Dr. Ioannou engaged Stover to lead four training sessions with nursing leaders. These open discussions were 'lunch-and-learns,' centered around themes such as team-building and accountability during which nursing managers had honest conversations about issues facing their units. Stover connected with nurses by relating his own experience being labeled "just" a kicker to the caveat nurses often feel is placed on their role.

These trainings are just one part of the career development GBMC is providing for its nurses. Nursing leadership is encouraging staff to take advantage of our tuition reimbursement program so we can continue to train the best and brightest new graduates and foster their careers. Dr. Ioannou has instituted the Professional Excellence Model (PEM) with the goal of creating clear pathways for growth.

Since these retention and recruitment efforts have been instituted, we've been able to dramatically move the staffing needle and fill vacant positions. As our community's healthcare needs increase at a rapid rate – whether it's the opioid epidemic, chronic disease or our aging baby boomer population – it's imperative GBMC nursing leadership continues to think creatively. We want our nurses to be trained, mentored and become leaders who have a voice in influencing the strategic goals of GBMC HealthCare as subject matter experts.

If you would like to be a part of our efforts to grow the nursing profession, please contact Director of Major Gifts, Rachel Ladenson, at rladenson@gbmc.org.