It’s no secret that ECU Health’s mission to improve the health and well-being of our community is directly tied to our success in recruiting the best medical professionals, nurses and care teams, and with the ongoing workforce shortage, it’s more important than ever that we have a compelling reputation that attracts dedicated, talented people to Eastern North Carolina.
Trish Bays, Chief Nursing Officer, ECU Health
During my first year as Chief Nursing Officer at ECU Health, my team and I sought to gain a deeper understanding of ECU Health Nursing. Our goal was to highlight and leverage our incredible strengths while identifying the work we need to do to create and sustain a culture of nursing excellence. Our mission is to ensure our organization fosters an environment where nurses can thrive, grow professionally, and have meaningful nursing experiences while providing safe, reliable, person-centered care.
This challenging work has already delivered significant accomplishments that solidify our position as a world-class nursing organization. Recently, ECU Health Medical Center achieved Magnet recognition — the nation’s highest honor for exemplary nursing practice — for the third consecutive time, highlighting our organization’s commitment to building a nursing ecosystem that embodies excellence. Fewer than 10 percent of hospitals in the United States have achieved Magnet recognition, and ECU Health Medical Center is one of only 11 hospitals in North Carolina.
This achievement is the result of our collective work, but it is not the destination. We are just beginning the journey to elevate nursing at ECU Health to unprecedented levels and help it adapt to an ever-changing healthcare landscape.
The future of ECU Health Nursing
We are taking a bold step: At ECU Health, we’re not just reacting to the future of nursing, we’re defining it. We’re co-designing an environment where nurses can innovate and excel, enhance patient care and set new standards for nursing excellence in rural health care and beyond.
At the heart of this effort is a comprehensive approach to rethinking and elevating nursing at ECU Health, which we call Advancing Nursing Practice and Excellence (APEX). It began as a broad research project designed to capture the voices of nurses across the health system and ensure a deep understanding and awareness of our environment. We are using information from this research to develop our nursing strategic plan and design future initiatives, ensuring nurses are a part of it every step of the way.
APEX serves as a model for nursing excellence, innovation, research and education in rural health care and beyond. Integrating leadership, technology and evidence-based practice, APEX represents the future of person-centered care.
Investing in the future of nurses
In addition to APEX activities, we have built strong partnerships and innovative collaborations with local academic partners, including East Carolina University and local community colleges, to provide training programs for the next generation of healthcare professionals. Our nationally accredited nurse residency program allows graduating nurses to choose from a variety of clinical areas aligned with their professional aspirations. Our structured, evidence-based program pairs new nurses with experienced mentors to help develop and grow their skills. Upon completion, participants gain hands-on experience, enhance their critical thinking skills, and transition confidently into a nursing career.
What this means for our community
Through our APEX efforts, ECU Health is cultivating a vibrant nursing environment that is empowered and engaged to lead innovations that support improved quality of patient care and enhanced patient experiences throughout the region. Together with our nurses, we will be announcing our efforts and sharing the unprecedented work being done in Eastern North Carolina while building a national model for rural health care nursing excellence.
Magnet recognition is a reminder of ECU Health’s longstanding tradition of nursing excellence, and we are proud to advance that tradition into the future with these ongoing efforts. Additionally, our nurse residency program plays a critical role in training the next generation of nurses. By contributing to healthier, more resilient communities through improved health outcomes, we embody North Carolina’s state motto, “Esse quam videri,” which means “Being is more than appearance.” This is just the beginning of an incredible journey of continuous improvement and innovation for ECU Health. I am incredibly proud of our new strategic direction for nursing and honored to be working with some of the best nurses in the country.
