At New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE), nurses are proud of their exemplary nursing practice and long-standing Magnet Recognition®. Our professional practice model of relationship-centered care promotes health and wellness by bridging relationships between patients and their loved ones. This model extends to all care team members, as well as the local and global community.

Exploring innovative ways to improve the quality and safety of health care delivery is a top priority. This is accomplished through growth and development of all nurses into transformational leaders, who are striving for excellence and displaying dedication, accountability, and professionalism every day. Our nurses foster a culture of safety through teamwork and transdisciplinary collaboration, and strive to exceed the expectations of our patients, their loved ones, and the communities we serve. It is this commitment to education, research, and professional growth along with clinical excellence, that results in quality patient care and exemplary nurse-sensitive outcomes.” 

— Christine Mahoney, RN, MS, AGANCP-BC, CCRN
Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President, Mount Sinai Downtown

Shared Governance

Shared Governance provides for shared accountability and partnership across the professional nursing community at NYEE. The overarching goal is identifying effective strategies to optimize the delivery of safe, effective, high quality healthcare to the patients and families who choose NYEE. The council members seek to use the shared governance experience and professional relationships, evidenced based practice, research opportunities, and technology to improve the engagement and experience of health care professionals in order to advance ENT, ophthalmology, and plastic surgery nursing practice at NYEE.

The four councils—Informatics, Practice, Quality, and Research—are led by clinical nurses with either a nurse manager or a nurse director as an advisor. Council members act as subject matter experts on their respective units and conduits for information gathering and sharing.

At NYEE, there is a constant feedback loop with unit-based councils providing feedback to council representatives who in turn bring information to monthly council meetings. Council advisors share information at monthly nursing leadership meetings and Patient Care Services Executive Council (PCEC). Information flows from PCEC directly through rounding or meetings with representatives or through council meetings as decisions are agreed upon. In addition, the professional organization NYSNA representing clinical nurses at NYEE meets regularly with nursing leadership to discuss nursing practice issues and contributes to the shared decision-making process at NYEE.

The four councils also have ties to the Mount Sinai Health System councils of Professional Practice, Research, Informatics and Communication, and Quality.

Magnet® Recognition

On September 19, 2019 NYEE received national recognition for excellence in nursing for the third consecutive time from the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Magnet® Recognition Program®. NYEE received its first Magnet® designation in 2009, and was re-designated in 2014. Proud and privileged to be part of a small and select community of Magnet®  hospitals, NYEE recognizes not only the prestige but the benefits of a Magnet® designation and what it demonstrates. Research findings from Magnet® recognized organizations show the following benefits:

• Nurses exhibit increased job satisfaction, increased retention, increased recruitment abilities, and decreased burnout
• Patients and families indicate increased satisfaction, and improved patient outcomes.

NYEE as an organization recognizes the outstanding contribution of nursing leadership and staff as essential to its recognition as one of US News and World Reports best hospitals for world-class care of ophthalmology and ENT patients.

Awards and Recognition

NYEE recognizes the commitment to excellence exhibited by our specialty care nurses, as well as their dedication to a healthy work environment focused on relationship-centered care. Celebrating achievement is key to engaging staff and community in promoting the mission and values of the organization. Awards and recognition, formal and informal, for individuals and units, are key to the retention of experienced nursing staff and are reflected in high nurse satisfaction levels as evidenced in a recent NDNQI survey.

• NYEE Nurse Week Awards: Established in 2017, the NYEE Nurse Awards are designed by nurses for nurse colleagues and support employees. Nominations start after March 19 (Certified Nurses Day), and the Nurses Week Planning Committee–comprising clinical nurses, nurse managers, and directors–review blind nomination forms and make decisions based on rigorous criteria for each award. Awards are presented at the Nurses Week Kick Off event, and categories include Preceptor of the Year, Excellence in Nursing (RN), Excellence in Nursing (LPN/NA/Tech), Rookie of the Year, and Friend of Nursing.

• Eye Hear You’re Great: These hospital-wide awards recognize employees who embody the mission and values of NYEE in their everyday practice toward colleagues and patients. Nominees are honored monthly at a luncheon with the executive leadership and receive a certificate of recognition. Several nurses have been nominated and many have received this prestigious hospital award.

• Patient Safety Award: This hospital recognition is awarded for identifying a potential safety concern (patient or environmental) that, if unreported, could have had serious consequences. Nursing staff has been on the forefront of receiving this important award.

• Hand Hygiene Award: This hospital unit or department award recognizes extraordinary compliance with NPSG (National Patient Safety Goals) for hand hygiene. Data is captured and tabulated monthly by an Infection Prevention Director. Two nursing units have won this high achievement recognition.

Goals for the nursing department include Magnet re-designation, competent nursing care based on best practices, quality monitoring and achievement of outcomes, and active participation in research investigations and evidence-based practice projects. These goals align with activities facilitated by the Director of Magnet, Education, Quality, and Research.

Community Involvement

Our specialty hospital was founded on principles of the provision of care to those in need. Our dedicated ENT nurses conduct free ear screenings and hold education workshops at local centers and religious institutions as a service to the East Village community.

Additionally, ENT nurses and the social work staff run a support group for patients with head and neck cancers. This group of patients, nurses, and social workers meets regularly to discuss specific health needs, but more importantly share a bond that provides emotional and spiritual support to caregivers and patients alike.

The nurses of the Retina Service have recently begun work with patients referred through primary care physicians with the new Tele-retina service. The RNs have been working with PCPs, their office staff and newly diagnosed diabetic patients with regard to diabetic related implications for eye health.

In response to Hurricane Maria, NYEE nursing leadership participated in the Mount Sinai Health System clinical volunteer effort in Puerto Rico in October 2017. Over a two-week time frame, the Health System team provided care to 1,700 patients.

Professional Development

New York Eye and Ear Infirmary is dedicated to promoting the lifelong learning and professional development of our nursing staff. NYEE provides its staff nurses with numerous opportunities for continued growth and success, including:

• Achieving Certification: In June 2018, NYEE hosted the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) Certification Review Course. The course provided an overview of the potential content that may be tested on the ambulatory care nursing certification exam. Shortly after the course, NYEE enrolled in the Success Pays program through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Success Pays helps nurses achieve certification by reducing test-taking anxiety and eliminating financial barriers.

For more information on enrolling in the Success Pays program, please contact Veronica McGorry, Nurse Education Manager, at vmcgorry@nyee.edu.

• Tuition Reimbursement: All registered nurses who have worked at NYEE for one year are eligible for tuition reimbursement opportunities.

• Evidence-Based Practice: As part of the Mount Sinai Health System, NYEE has access to the Levy Library through the internal intranet. The Levy Library supports the education, research, and clinical information needs of the Mount Sinai Health System. It provides nurses with several search engines to encourage evidence-based practice, including PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL PLUS, and the Nurse Reference Center Plus databases.

• Continuing Education with Peri-Op 101: Registered nurses interested in gaining knowledge about peri-operative nursing care can enroll at a discounted rate in the Phillips School of Nursing at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Peri-Op 101 course. The 10-week course is based on the standards of the AORN’s Peri-operative Nursing 101 Program. The course includes 80 hours of classroom lectures, simulation lab practice, and 50 hours of clinical experience.