A Letter from Laura Hendricks-Jackson, CNO

Published in Sibley Memorial Hospital Nursing Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2020

Dear Nursing Colleagues, Patients, Families, Friends and Community Members,

I am pleased to share with you the Sibley Memorial Hospital 2020 Nursing Annual Report. This year, our annual report includes highlights and exemplars of nursing excellence, outstanding achievements in nursing and reflections of professional practice. I would like to thank all of our nurses for their unwavering commitment to our patients and our organization. I would be remiss not to acknowledge and recognize the dedication and selfless acts of kindness demonstrated by our front-line nurses and nurse leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am not only in awe but am utterly speechless and forever grateful and thankful to serve with this team of nurses. THANK YOU, SIBLEY NURSES!

Our shared governance model has connected our nurses to our overall vision of nursing: “To be a trusted leader in the healing process through our commitment to excellence, authentic relationships and our strength in advocacy.” Our shared governance model has allowed for front-line nurses and nurse leaders to share in the decision-making process around issues that impact nursing practice. Through this structure, our nurses are empowered to share in the use and implementation of innovation, evidence-based strategies and collaboration to influence clinical practice. This structure ultimately improves our patient and nurse experiences, thereby creating a safe and healthy practice environment.

Over the course of this year, we have had a keen focus on nursing quality and have established councils on nursing quality and nursing clinical peer review. Respectively, these councils serve as mechanisms to provide a standard approach to evaluate nursing quality metrics and the individual practice of our nursing staff. This year’s report includes details on our quality improvement initiatives and our successes with enhancing clinical practice. Our focus and emphasis on quality will remain a primary initiative during the next fiscal year.

Recognizing and honoring a milestone of our profession, Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday, the World Health Organization designated the year 2020 as the “International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.” During the course of our journey, Sibley nurses, who are heroes, have transcended our expectations when it comes to resiliency.

This past year has been full of change and uncertainty; however, the constant is the dedication and commitment to caring for our patients and each other. I invite you to enjoy the meaningful stories and extraordinary milestones that are detailed in this year’s annual report.

Sincerely,

Laura Hendricks-Jackson, D.N.P., N.E.A.-B.C., R.N.-B.C., O.C.N.
Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Johns Hopkins Medicine