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Having highly skilled and compassionate nurses at the bedside can make a positive difference in your hospital stay. As part of our Patients First mission Northwestern Memorial Hospital works to ensure that the best nursing care is available for you and your family.
Our goal is to attract, develop and retain the Best People as our employees. Individuals who apply for employment as nursing caregivers at Northwestern Memorial undergo a strict screening process. Once hired, all members of the nursing staff complete a day-long hospital orientation. In addition, new nursing employees also undergo a four-day professional nursing orientation and a four-day orientation for nursing assistants so that all nursing caregivers receive consistent basic training and understand the expectations at Northwestern Memorial. New nursing caregivers also must undergo a four-week to three-month on-the-job orientation program tailored to their roles, experience levels, clinical specialties and departmental assignments. They are assigned to experienced members of our nursing staff, who oversee, mentor and evaluate performance during the orientation period as part of our preceptor program. Once the nursing caregiver successfully completes orientation, he or she begins to practice independently.
Northwestern Memorial is committed to providing our patients with nursing professionals who embrace our quality standards and are dedicated to the best in nursing care. During the hiring process, we look for nurses with the appropriate skills, knowledge and abilities to meet our high standards of care in an environment that advances quality, safety and patient satisfaction. Learning is ongoing and enhanced through continuing education opportunities and training programs offered by our educational component, the NM Academy. Nursing caregivers are evaluated at least once every year and we also conduct a yearly evaluation of the following areas:
This information is used to update staffing plans and tailor them to the patients on each unit.
The number of nursing caregivers assigned to each patient care unit is carefully determined based on specific patient needs, including the medical need, or acuity, of each patient. Prior to each change of shift, the charge nurse determines the unit’s staffing requirements, which are dictated by each patient’s nursing care plan as well as the total number of patients on the unit and their medical conditions. Decisions to increase or adjust staffing are made accordingly.
If you require additional information or would like to see the hospital’s written staffing plan, please contact the Patient Representative Department at 312-926-3112 during normal business hours or Hospital Operations Administration after hours at 312-926-4659.
