Professional Practice
WE ARE COLLABORATORS
Our guideposts: Inspiring our actions and accomplishments
Making a difference takes commitment, lifelong learning, teamwork and collaboration. This endeavor connects all Sentara nurses as we serve in different roles and in different locations. Our work, through our nursing structure, is based on a model of nurses sharing in decisions and actions that create an environment of health and healing. The results – our nursing mission, vision, values, philosophy and shared decision-making process – are key elements of our Professional Practice Model, represented visually in a shape similar to the Parthenon built on a strong, multi-level foundation.
Our Sentara Nursing Mission, Vision, Values and Philosophy
WHY WE EXIST
OUR MISSION
We improve health every day through nursing excellence.
WHAT WE SEEK
OUR VISION
To create an environment of health and healing.
WHAT WE HONOR
OUR VALUES
People, Quality, Patient Safety, Service and Integrity
WHAT WE BELIEVE
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our work is built on a foundation of safety and accountability. We seek to create the best possible experience of caring and healing for our patients, families and caregivers. As nurses, we influence care through evidence-based practice and shared decision making and through collaboration, coordination and innovation, we accomplish positive patient outcomes.
A NURSE’S PERSPECTIVE: Tess Bilyeu, BSN, RN, NPD-BC,
Manager, Professional Practice,
Sentara Leigh Hospital and Chair of Nurse Executive Council Professional Practice Advisory Council.
“As we thought about 2020 and it being ‘The Year of the Nurse,’ we wanted to tweak our nurse forum structure so that we act on nurses’ ideas more quickly. Now, week by week, we can share recommendations from one forum to the next. We don’t lose steam. The flow is more efficient, so we improve patient outcomes faster and recognize nurses promptly.”
Our Professional Practice Model illustrates our common foundation of nursing practice, provides clear vision for nursing care and visually defines our nursing culture.
2020 Sentara System Nursing Shared Decision-Making Structure
Our shared decision-making structures enable direct care nurses to share in decisions and actions regarding patient care. Nurses can be confident their colleague will present their feedback in the appropriate council or forum, which then escalates that feedback to the next forum level and then that group will quickly relay the same information to those at the next forum level. This rapid elevation of ideas, due to the 2019 realignment of our structure and streamlining of meeting dates, allows for faster implementation of solutions and accelerated recognition of nurse contributions.
