Nursing Mission, Values and Practice Model
Exceptional Nursing for Patients and Families
The BIDMC nursing mission was created through an iterative, reflective process involving frontline clinical nurses and nurse leaders. It represents the lived experience of nurses who choose to practice at BIDMC.
The nursing mission is:
To build on a legacy of nursing excellence by caring with compassion, advancing the art & science of nursing, and advocating for the health of patients, families, and communities.”
Nursing Professional Practice Model
Professional nursing at BIDMC is driven by its nursing mission and is grounded in the values of compassion, excellence, accountability, respect and collaboration. It does not exist in isolation, but is developed and nurtured in tandem with professional values and professional relationships.
A Collaborative Practice Model supports a vibrant patient care delivery system, through which critical operational components are advanced, supported by Nursing Professional Governance.
More About Our Nursing Mission & Values
Nursing practice at BIDMC is built on a strong and enduring foundation – a legacy of nursing excellence. Our nurses share a personal and collective sense of pride related to that legacy, and they are committed to preserving its core, passing on its key tenets, and striving to ensure that it continues to grow and develop.
BIDMC nurses feel they are part of something important and unique. They want to both live up to the reputation that preceded them and to do their part to sustain that reputation into the future. Experienced staff feel a commitment to pass on “the way we do nursing” at BIDMC; novice nurses embrace and celebrate the chance to learn from seasoned colleagues.
BIDMC nurses deliver empathic, compassionate care through the bonds they establish with patients and families.
By creating personal connections, nurses communicate genuine care. While they recognize and preserve appropriate professional boundaries, they have the courage and wisdom to know how to create the supportive, personal connections that are best for each patient, using parameters that are dictated by the situation at hand. This creates a care environment that is rich with meaning for the patient and the nurse.
Nurses at BIDMC say that through the human‐human connections they establish, they provide the type of care that they would want for their family, their friends or themselves. They consistently go "above and beyond" in order to meet patient needs.
BIDMC nurses share a commitment to preserving and advancing both the art and science of nursing. They understand that self‐awareness, self‐care and mindful, reflective practice are prerequisites for practicing the art of nursing, in which nurses use the “self” as a therapeutic tool to care for patients and families. They nurture a culture of teamwork and collaboration within which the art of nursing can thrive.
Lifelong learning is a key component of BIDMC nursing, encompassing both ongoing clinical education and academic advancement. Nurses use their understanding of science and scientific methods to advance and promote the evidence base for nursing practice. They design and carry out nursing research, support broader research endeavors, and are key drivers of medical center quality and process improvement activities.
They share their knowledge with others in the care environment by serving as educators and mentors, and with colleagues in the profession at large through participation in local, national, and international professional forums.
Nurses at BIDMC leverage their clinical knowledge and the trusting bonds they establish with patients to advocate for the wellbeing of patients and families. In countless ways, nurses stand next to patients and families – educating, supporting and guiding them through the complex world of health care. This includes helping patients and families understand what is happening in the moment and what to expect on the path ahead. Nurses teach patients and families how to be active participants in care.
As providers who are often in closest contact with patients, nurses serve as liaisons, communicating and collaborating with colleagues from other disciplines to ensure the highest care quality. They are committed to equitable care for all, and they maintain an unwavering stance of respect for patients representing a broad diversity of cultures, values and life circumstances.
BIDMC nurses advocate on behalf of populations through leadership activities within organizations; through the advancement of nursing science; and by using their expertise to work on the local, national, and global health policy agenda.
Their underlying commitment is to improve the health and wellbeing of patients, families, and communities.
