The Long Island Jewish Medical Center is finding ways to develop, attract, and educate their nursing staff.

Radiation Oncology Specialist
Mary Jane Regan, RN, OCN, of LIJ Medical Center's Department of Radiation Oncology, was selected by the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) to be a certified radiation oncology trainer.

Ms. Regan was one of 50 nurses across the country selected for this role. To be certified, she attended special ONS courses to qualify to teach other oncology nurses about the radiation oncology specialty.

A teaching session for LIJ Health System oncology nurses will take place this fall. For more information, call Continuing Nursing Education at the Institute for Nursing, at (718) 470-3890.

Southside Hospital Hires a Nurse a Day for 90 Days
BAY SHORE -- Southside Hospital recently completed an aggressive marketing recruitment and hiring initiative to hire 90 registered nurses in 90 days. Over that three-month period, the hospital received 629 applications and interviewed 455 prospective nurses.
The 90 in 90 Program now allows the hospital to rely more on its own nursing staff to deliver high-quality care to its patients, as opposed to contracting with temporary agency nurses. With the additional nurses, Southside now has 717 RNs on staff.

"It's no secret that the nursing shortage has affected a great many hospitals," said Michael Nolan, president and CEO of Southside Hospital. Infusing the Southside culture with qualified RNs who are now part of its staff enhances the quality of care, he said.

"The 90 in 90 Program was not a quick fix," Mr. Nolan said. "It was something we did to strategically solidify the hospital for the long term. We believe once nurses join us, they will take advantage of a wide variety of educational programs we offer through the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System that will help them grow in their careers and improve care at the bedside. The institution, employee and the patient will all benefit from this approach - part of a ongoing effort at Southside to invest in nursing care," he said.

Back to School for North Shore-LIJ Nurses
The State University of New York at Farmingdale recently became the fifth university or college to team up with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System to offer nurses and other staff members nursing degree programs. Courses are Now Offered at additional HOSPITAL LOCATIONS, making it more convenient. With the exception of TUITION-FREE classes for an associate's degree in nursing through Nassau Community College, all classes taken on hospital premises have Discounted Tuition rates.

North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System's mission of Continuing Nursing Education is its commitment to provide outstanding nursing education that will enhance the professional nursing staff in its delivery of safe, competent and quality patient care.

By stating their objectives for the Continuing Nursing Education, LIJ makes it easier to reach their goals:
- Enhance the professional nurse's baseline knowledge,

- Update nurses with current and innovative information that will help them care for their patients,

- Help nurses acquire knowledge and skills in new healthcare technology and new trends in delivery of patient care, and

- Keep nurses informed of existing nursing research data.

To see how LIJ Health System is making Nursing a priority, take a look at their website: LIJ Health System Nursing News

This article is reposted with thanks to the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System.