Crozer-Keystone Health System, located minutes from Philadelphia, has been the dominant provider of health care in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, northern Delaware, and part of western New Jersey.

Crozer-Keystone provides a full spectrum of wellness, prevention, acute care, rehabilitation and restorative care to the community. The health system comprises five hospitals, a comprehensive physician network of primary-care and specialty practices, and the Healthplex® Sports Club. These facilities house a Level 2 trauma center, a regional burn center, two regional cancer centers, a fertility center, a sleep-disorders center, and a U.S. Olympic Committee designated sports science and technology center.

Cornerstones Nursing Education Program At Delaware County Memorial Hospital

Cornerstones is a program designed by educators, staff and administrators of Delaware County Memorial Hospital to provide a comprehensive, 12 to 16-week orientation for registered nurses entering or re-entering the acute care setting. The program is comprised of classroom education, competency-based clinical support, peer support and mentoring. Classroom activities include lectures, case presentations, hands-on simulation, audio/visuals, CD-ROM programs, discussions, observational experiences, self-learning modules and competencies.

Who is Eligible for Cornerstones?
The Cornerstones program is designed for candidates who meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. Graduate Nurse with a temporary practice permit;
2. Registered Nurse returning to the bedside who requires a refresher course;
3. Registered Nurse without Critical Care experience.

What Will Cornerstones Teach Me?
Upon completion of the program, the graduate/registered nurse will be able to:

1. Function competently as a graduate/registered nurse in an assigned area;
2. Integrate knowledge of body systems and disease processes into nursing practice;
3. Demonstrate the ability to calculate medication dosages and develop safe medication administration practices.
4. Present and discuss a clinical case study in an informal classroom setting;
5. Organize and prioritize care for a group of patients;
6. Demonstrate professional behavior;
7. Evaluate individual progress;
8. Communicate effectively as a team member.

What Areas of Study are Available to Me?
Students may be eligible to choose a course of study in one or more of the following areas:

ICU/CCU: Patients on these units are cared for by nurses who strive for excellence in the delivery of critical care nursing. Common diagnoses include myocardial infarction, respiratory failure and complex post-operative cases. A multidisciplinary team approach is highly valued in this setting. Transition into this specialty area focuses on obtaining critical care skills in addition to critical thinking skills.

Progressive Care Unit: The Progressive Care Unit is an 8-bed delivering specialized nursing care in a monitored setting. The patient population encompasses both medical and surgical patients who are hemodynamically stable, requiring intermediate intensive care nursing. The low patient-to-nurse ratio and the diversity of the patient population make the unit an exciting and challenging environment.

Telemetry: The 35-bed Telemetry Unit has coronary care nurses who care for a variety of cardiac patients. Diagnoses include angina, heart failure, rule out myocardial infarction, respiratory compromise and dysrhythmia. Nurses work as a team along with the physicians to deliver excellence in cardiac care.

Rehab: Nurses on the 24-bed Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit care for a variety of patients who have had hip/knee replacements, shoulder surgery, amputations, or strokes and need rehabilitation prior to discharge. This care is delivered by an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, therapists and a discharge planner, who collaborate to provide treatments and intervention necessary for discharge.

Oncology/Hematology: This 21-bed specialty unit has nurses who are educated to care for a variety of oncology, immunocompromised, and hematology patients. Collaboration with the medical staff, clinical support and the patient/family addresses the holistic needs of the patient and family.

Medical/Surgical: The nursing staff of the Medical/Surgical and Orthopedics/Surgery units care for a variety of medical and surgical patients. Diagnoses include pneumonia, abdominal surgery, vascular surgeries, and reconstructive surgeries. Med/Surg Nursing provides a strong clinical foundation for new graduates while offering experienced nurses the chance to continuously hone their critical thinking and assessment skills. A team-oriented environment provides quality care to patients.

Emergency Department: The DCMH Emergency Department is a fast-paced environment that keeps growing in size. Our Emergency Department has a dynamic group of nurses, physicians, and staff whose primary goal is to deliver high quality emergency medical treatment and care.

About Crozer-Keystone Education
Crozer-Keystone Health System offers numerous challenging and fully accredited residency programs at one of the leading health care systems in the Delaware Valley. Notably, Crozer-Keystone offers stellar allopathic residents in Family Practice, Internal medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics and Transitional Year, as well as podiatric residency and a variety of osteopathic and allied health training programs.

Click here to see their Residency and Education

This information is reposted with thanks to Crozer-Keystone Health System.