Our Culture

The culture of an organization is something you should see evidence of when you walk through its hallways. At MGH:

• You'll see that Nursing enjoys a tradition of, and reputation for, excellence.
• You'll see that the institution values, supports, recognizes and rewards its nurses.
• You'll see that patients come first. MGH nurses are leaders in patient focused care. Patients and families can be assured that they will receive the best care possible because we seek their input and address their needs and expectations. At MGH, we put our patient focused, patient driven philosophy into practice.
• You'll see that nurses join with their colleagues to identify and make improvements to patient care support systems. Performance improvement is woven into the work of every department, unit, committee and group at MGH.
• You'll see that nurses provide culturally competent and sensitive care. We are able to do so because MGH is an organization that respects and celebrates the differences among our patients and our employees, and has created an infrastructure that supports this philosophy.

• You'll see that nurses in every role in the organization have a voice in decision-making about their practice and quality of work-life. In the Department of Nursing and Patient Care Services, an interdisciplinary Collaborative Governance communication and decision-making structure was implemented in 1996 and is comprised of the following seven committees: Practice, Quality, Research, Patient Education, Ethics in Clinical Practice, Diversity, Professional Development and Staff Nurse Advisory.
• You'll see that nurses drive day-to-day staffing decisions, keeping an ever-watchful eye on matching staffing to workload. MGH nurses don't staff beds - they staff for patients' needs and acuity.
• You'll see that The Institute for Patient Care has been created to support practice development, orientation and continuing education, innovation, and research-based practice.
• You'll see that Nursing has a nationally-recognized leader who is highly visible and effectively negotiates for the resources required for nurses to do their jobs. The Chief Nurse has assembled an executive and front-line leadership team that is committed to ensuring that MGH nurses and support staff have a supportive environment for their professional practice.
• You'll see that nurses receive recognition for acquisition of clinical expertise over the course of their careers through our first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary Clinical Recognition Program. The Clinical Recognition Program is only one of numerous ways nurses are rewarded and recognized for their important work.
• You'll see a commitment to leadership development, to enhancing the skill sets of current leadership while concurrently grooming the MGH nursing leaders of tomorrow.
• You'll see collaboration and teamwork among the nurses, but also across the disciplines.
• Finally, you'll see that Nursing at MGH is a respected, recognized, powerful force in carrying out the mission of the organization.