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| Hospital Celebrates Nurses Week 2008
A couple of nurses from Penobscot Valley Hospital have been honored, in conjunction with National Nurses Week. The celebration is designed to draw attention to the compassion and competence of our local nurses, and many facilities, such as PVH, also use this week as an opportunity to show appreciation for the CNAs, aids, surgical technicians, and other individuals who serves as part of the overall nursing workforce.
“The PVH nursing staff treats each patient as if they are a neighbor or family member,” says Chief Nursing Officer Karen Mueller. “It’s a caring, professional atmosphere, and we’ve received consistent feedback that our nurses are some of the best in the region.”
 Carol Marino, RN is one of five people, statewide, who were nominated for the Sister Consuela White Spirit of Nursing Award, through the American Nurses Association of Maine. Marino, Senior Director of Quality Improvement Lisa French, and Mueller attended the dinner in Auburn. Although Marino did not win the top honor, it is a testament to her character that her peers nominated her for the award.
Also, Kristy Langley, RN was chosen unanimously by the Nursing Executive Committee at PVH to attend a reception and tea at the Blaine House, honoring our state’s nurses. The event is sponsored each year by the Coalition of Maine Nursing Organizations to recognize National Nurses Week, which is May 6-12. Only one nurse from each facility in the state is chosen for the tea, so it’s a great honor.
The nursing division of PVH has been focusing on some key issues this year, including pain management. A new brochure is helping educate patients about their options, and the nurses have been working to better explain pain management techniques and treatments to patients and families. Since installing these new methods of educating patients, the hospital’s overall patient satisfaction scores, specifically pertaining to pain, have improved significantly.
In additional to the many programs PVH’s nurses offer the community, such as babysitting courses, CPR and First Aid training, and childbirth education, the nurses are putting a lot of energy into quality improvement—pinpointing and accomplishing specific goals for each department.
Hospital spokesperson Allison Bankston says the nursing staff is working on an end of life program and has been focusing on recruitment. “We’re strengthening our ties to the local nursing schools and bringing more nursing students into the facility to help complete their training. In the end, many of them are choosing to stay with PVH.”
Eight new graduate nurses from Husson and Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor have recently been recruited for the hospital. They began an intensive educational internship program May 19th. Several of the PVH nurses were instrumental in mentoring these students. These guides into the industry, or “preceptors”, included Beth Shorey, Kristy Langley, Ashley Cox, Lisa White, and Kara Peters. Many of these preceptors have had a tremendous impact on the students. In fact, the nursing student Beth Shorey precepted has asked Shorey to “pin” her at this year’s graduation ceremony.
The PVH Nurses are also active in their communities, volunteering their time to local churches, non-profits, and civic organizations. The hospital nursing staff recently held a bake and used book sale in the main lobby of PVH and raised more than $800 for the Lincoln Regional Food Cupboard.
Overall, Mueller, who joined the PVH staff in September of 2007, says, "The hospital in Lincoln provides a great atmosphere for learning and professional development. This is evident in the respect the PVH nurses show to one another."
For more information on this article and other PVH News, please contact Allison Bankston at abankston@pvhme.org.
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