Jeanine M. Frumenti, DNP, RN, Vice President, Patient Care Services/ Chief Nursing Officer Bronx-Lebanon nurses, under the leadership of Jeanine M. Frumenti, DNP, RN, Vice President, Patient Care Services/ Chief Nursing Officer are totally committed to delivering the highest level of quality and compassionate nursing services for their patients and the community. Nurses are actively involved in transforming care delivery programs that are designed to improve the quality and safety of patient care for inpatients and outpatients. Among Dr. Frumenti’s top priorities is to firmly establish Bronx- Lebanon’s nurses as among the best in the nation. Its nursing staff is now moving toward Magnet Status, the gold standard for nursing care. “We want other nurses, physicians, and consumers to evaluate us in terms of achieving the highest nursing and patient care standards,” stated Dr. Frumenti. At Bronx-Lebanon, compassionate care, competence, communication, and collaboration are essential components of a progressive nursing philosophy. “Our nurses provide expert evidence-based care using applied science during illness, while also providing individualization of care which contributes to the recovery process and maintenance of optimal health,” stated Dr. Frumenti. Nurses are an integral part of the Bronx-Lebanon team. They are continually empowered to be actively involved in the unit based decision-making process, through the use of a shared governance model. Their wide-ranging responsibilities include direct care, providing patient/family education, and being a patient advocate, as well as directing unit resources, and effectively communicating with physicians and support staff. This model is designed to support clinical nursing staff and foster ongoing development of nurses by empowering them to change policy and practice using evidence and clinical experience. Mariza Zeta- Sandoval, RN, Recovery Room, checking on post-operative patient. Wilma Bonsato, RN, Critical Care, measuring medication for patient. Operating Room Nursing Team (LtoR): Razakeen Khan, RN, Deoki Mana, RN, Romeo Palang, RN, ANCC, Carmen Belen-Zamora, RN, and Surgical Technicians, Evelyn Rivera, and Denita Cox (in background), at nurses station. When surgery is necessary, the Peri-Operative nursing team, comprised of Registered Nurses and Certified Surgical Technicians, provides essential support. The service follows Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) standards and offers a full range of general and subspecialty care, including gastrointestinal; thoracic; trauma/emergency surgery; plastic; orthopaedic; ear, nose, and throat; and ambulatory care, in addition to advanced diagnostic, laparoscopic, and minimally invasive procedures. “We take pride in making an important contribution to the OR’s life saving and heroic efforts,” stated Romeo Palang, RN, Assistant Nursing Care Coordinator, Operating Room. Hyesook Kwon, RN, Recovery Room, inserting medication into intravenous solution. Tony Ramgahan, Patient Care Manager, ER and Judith Stoddard, RN. Bronx-Lebanon’s nurses also have available to them state-ofthe- art equipment and an electronic medical record, as well as advanced clinical decision support (that is evidenced-based), and an excellent medical, administrative, and support staff. In addition to advanced technology, nurses use the nursing process, critical thinking, evidenced-based literature review, and patient feedback to support their decision-making process. Outcomes are measured with a national benchmark to ensure that nursing care is at the highest level. Bronx-Lebanon encourages its nurses to attain specialty certifications, advanced degrees, and attend continuing education conferences, all of which leads to enhanced Professional Nursing Practice and better outcomes for patients. “Our nurses are clearly succeeding in adapting a best practices model that supports their essential role in providing optimum care,” stated Dr. Frumenti.