Jean Cunningham Department of Nursing

At Lahey, our nursing research, nursing residencies, transition-to-practice programs and professional development all lead to a highly qualified and dedicated nursing staff. And we provide clinical practicum placements for nursing students at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level nursing education programs.

For our staff, we offer a range of ongoing education and professional development opportunities. And we encourage participation in outside nursing organizations. These efforts help our nurses stay up-to-date on the latest trends and advances in medicine.

Every step we take in the Department of Nursing leads us toward our goal of providing the best quality care for patients.

Highest National Honor for Excellence in Nursing Care

Lahey Clinic is designated as a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This prestigious global recognition reflects the superior levels of nursing teamwork and innovation. It also shows our commitment to safety and the highest quality of patient care through the Jean Cunningham Department of Nursing.

What is Magnet Recognition?

The Magnet award for nursing excellence is the top national honor for professional nursing practice. It recognizes hospitals and healthcare organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. Fewer than 10% of healthcare organizations in the U.S. have achieved Magnet status.

If you seek care at Lahey, you’re sure to get safe, personalized care from dedicated and highly skilled professionals. Research shows hospitals that have earned Magnet recognition have higher patient satisfaction scores — and increased job satisfaction among the nursing team.

Earning this Magnet award requires significant reporting, written patient care documentation, an extensive on-site visit and a comprehensive review by the Commission on Magnet Recognition.

Our Chief Nursing Officer and other highly experienced nursing leaders guide teams each day on our mission, vision and care philosophy.

Vision

Exceptional nurses delivering extraordinary care.

Mission

We honor our profession, patients and each other by being pioneers at the forefront of healthcare.

Philosophy

We believe nursing is both an art and science. We recognize that each individual is a unique person who deserves care that aligns with their values and expectations.

Our professional practice is grounded in a cultural framework that engages patients as partners. We use respectful communication to cultivate a caring, healing and protective environment.

We are unwavering in our commitment to providing the highest quality care to our patients, families and each other through interprofessional teamwork. We recognize that we must continually evolve, adapt and innovate to provide the care our patients and families deserve.

Professional Practice Model

Lahey’s Model for Nursing Professional Practice is our unique depiction of the four tenets of professional nursing practice. Our Professional Practice Model contains the values, structures and processes that support our care delivery environment. It helps guide our pursuit of delivering extraordinary care to our patients and families every day.

• Practice: Always ready, always safe
• Professional Development: Lifelong learning
• Communication: Meaningful connections with patients, families and each other
• Collaboration: Interdisciplinary teamwork

Nominate a Nurse for the DAISY Award

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is an international program. It rewards the clinical skills and compassionate care delivered by nurses. It’s a wonderful way to acknowledge a nurse from the Jean Cunningham Department of Nursing at Lahey.

Do you know a nurse who deserves the DAISY Award? Patients, family members and staff are encouraged to nominate a nurse. Complete the nomination form to show our nurses the kudos they deserve.
 

Nominate a Nurse

Questions about the DAISY Award?

Email us at LHMC-DaisyAward@lahey.org.

At Lahey, we are committed to growing and developing our nursing teams. We help each staff member advance their career through a wide variety of residencies and related programs for new hires.

At your new hire orientation, you’ll learn about our structure and systems. You’ll meet our Chief Nursing Officer and other members of our leadership team. Depending on your experience or specialty interests, you may join one of several onboarding programs.

As a Lahey nurse, you'll have the opportunity to participate in the following development activities:

Clinical Specialties

We are a level 1 academic teaching hospital. We are an accredited comprehensive stroke center by DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and an accredited heart care center by the American College of Cardiology (ACC). We specialize in many clinical specialties:

Lahey also has a range of specialty clinics to meet the needs of families in our communities.

Tracking Our Performance

At Lahey, the Jean Cunningham Department of Nursing is committed to providing exceptional nursing care. We strive to give you the best care possible and continually look for areas where we can improve. To accomplish that, we regularly track our performance on key quality indicators.

We report our performance metrics to several third-party organizations. This allows you to compare our efforts to our peers. In doing so, we hope to help you to make informed decisions about your healthcare. Read about our performance.

Continuous Quality Improvement

As we track data, we also develop programs to improve performance. We use a team approach. This encourages input and feedback from our entire nursing staff. Excellent patient care and safety are the focus of all of our quality improvement efforts.

ICU Staffing Data

The ratio of nurses to patients in our intensive care units (ICUs) is an important indicator of quality and safety. We report on these quarterly.

Take an Active Role in Your Care

To ensure you get safe, quality care during your hospital stay or physician visit, we ask you to:

• Be aware of relevant quality and safety data.
• Speak up if you have questions for your healthcare providers.
• Voice any concerns freely.

Contact Us

If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact us at:

• Customer Relations: 781-744-8556
• Department of Quality Performance and Innovation: 781-744-3154