TJUH Video Library Transcripts

Jenny Cherian, R.N.

Critical Care Nurse at Jefferson University Hospital

I'm Jenny Cherian and I'm a registered nurse. As a critical care nurse, I knew I wanted to practice at a hospital where I could make a difference in patients' lives while maintaining some control over my schedule. They really staff this hospital with an eye towards patient care while respecting the needs of the nurses. Every nurse gets four weeks of vacation. Jefferson's excellent reputation attracted me at first, and the flexibility is what made me stay.

I went into nursing because I believe in self-satisfaction and providing optimal care for those in need. I enjoy practicing nursing at Jefferson because of the support staff. From the time of admission to discharge, the doctors, nurses, case managers, and social workers work as a team to assess patients' needs in the hospital as well as upon discharge.

At Jefferson, a flexible work schedule is offered. This flexibility allows me to strike a balance between my personal and work life. Here at Jefferson, the nurse-to-patient ratio is four to one. With our competent support staff we provide quality care and are very patient-focused. For example, I work three days a week. This allows me to have a continuing education. Jefferson pays 80 percent tuition reimbursement, allowing me to further my nursing career and broaden my experience. I am happy that I chose Jefferson. It's the place where I want to continue to practice and to grow as a nurse.

Mary Ann McGinley, Ph.D., R.N.

Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer

I'm Mary Ann McGinley, Senior Vice President for Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer at Jefferson University Hospital. Nursing at Jefferson is different. It's one of the Philadelphia area's premier health systems. We're dedicated to excellence and patient care. But we're also committed to recruiting and retaining the best nurses in the field. Our nursing philosophy is one reason for our success. Our turnover rate is less than half of the national average and our retention rate is very high. Exceptional nurses come to Jefferson for the opportunity to practice in a collegial and professional atmosphere that is focused on patient safety and maintaining favorable outcomes. With clinical nurse specialists on each unit, nurses can advance their knowledge and broaden their horizons. This also strengthens our focus on patient safety and quality care. Of course, the most important thing about being a nurse is the ability to care for people the way they should be cared for. Jefferson's excellent nurse-to-patient ratio allows nurses to actually focus on their practice. Nurses get to be nurses here. The environment is collegial and friendly. We respect each other as professionals and we honor each other as human beings. And we have fun, too. Jefferson is a great place to work. We're an accommodating, welcoming department that respects nurses and understands what they need. And our health system is second to none. In fact, for the last fifteen years, we've been named one of America's best hospitals. Explore our website to find out more about nursing at Jefferson. We look forward to meeting you.

Mary Beth Edger, R.N.

Vice President, Ambulatory Services, Methodist Hospital

I am Mary Beth Edger, Vice President, Ambulatory Services, Methodist Hospital. As an emergency department nurse and administrator, I know first-hand the advantages of nursing at a community hospital. Methodist provides the right combination of elements that make it the right fit for many nurses. Let me tell you a few things about our community that we serve. First of all, externally, we are located in South Philadelphia. We have many things to do and places to go. We have the sporting arenas around the corner. We have Avenue of the Arts at the opposite corner and are very close to Center City. We have many quaint restaurants and we have great access to the major highways and bridges. Our external community is full of patients who visit our emergency department every day. A little bit about our internal community: we know one another so well and are so small and quaint within that we call each other by our first names. We actually know each other's birthdays. We work togther, we work as a family. And sometimes, we actually spend more time together than we do with our own families.

Here at Methodist Hospital we have many unique challenges, mainly the volume of patients that we see. In June of 2004, Saint Agnes Medical Center went out of the acute care business. Methodist became the only acute care hospital in South Philadelphia. With that, we experienced probably 45 to 55 percent volume of additional patients. To accommodate these patients, we expanded our emergency department to twenty-six bays and implemented a fast-track. In addition to the ED renovations, we also put a brand new, twelve bed medical intensive care unit in place. This brings our total critical care units to three. We've also put a brand new, twenty-four bed medical-surgical telemetry unit in place to help accommodate these patients as well. In addition to our many renovations, we've increased our staffing numbers. We've put into place additional positions on our multi-disciplinary team so that we can care for all of the patients that we are now seeing in South Philadelphia.

Here at Methodist Hospital we have a very vibrant and busy atmosphere. There's never a dull moment. People are constantly coming into our emergency room. Our nurses and physicians work together as a team to take care of them. We experience much autonomy in our positions here as nurses and physicians. Decisions need to be made very quickly. In addition to our emergency department being busy, our other units are just as busy. We experience a lot of diversity here at Methodist. Not only with our patient environment, but also with our staffing. We have nurses who come from New Jersey, from Pennsylvania, and other surrounding counties. We welcome everyone here at Methodist Hospital.

Here at Methodist Hospital we're very lucky to have a large network of resources for our nursing staff. Through Thomas Jefferson University Hospital our nurses have access to many courses such as telemetry, critical care, EMT if they choose, and other educational sessions that may help them to prepare for the type of nurse they want to be, depending upon which unit they work in. An example of a unit where we have well-prepared nurses who have utilized and tapped into this network of resources is the shoulder and elbow floor at Methodist Hospital. Here, we have orthopedic nurses specially trained and the surgeons are from the world-renowned Rothman Institute. So, this is an example of staff that have utilized our network of resources through Jefferson. Methodist is a great place to work. I feel that Methodist lets me a live a very full life, not just an a nursing administrator but as a person, while working in the special Community of South Philadelphia.