Chief Nurse Executive shares what it means to be a nurse at HCA Healthcare

In celebration of the 50^th anniversary of HCA Healthcare, we recognize HCA Healthcare nurses influence positive change throughout our organization, in the healthcare industry and across the country thanks to the care they provide to millions of patients every day.

Dr. Jane Englebright, HCA Healthcare’s Chief Nurse Executive, shared what she is learning from nurses across our company and how their voices impact the role of nursing at HCA Healthcare. Nurses told us what they wanted – and we listened.

Dr. Englebright, what have you come to understand about the role of nursing within our company? 

Nurses are the heart of patient care at HCA Healthcare, and their voices are an essential part of who we are. The goals of the company are directly connected to nursing practice at our hospitals, surgery centers, emergency rooms and physician offices across the country. We are proud that HCA Healthcare makes nursing practice a priority.

In October 2017, HCA Healthcare formalized the goals and priorities for nursing across the company by launching multi-year nursing strategy. Why was this an important step? 

Our company values the significant role nurses play in the delivery of care and the patient experience. Investments in technologies, capital improvements and infrastructure have improved nurses’ ability to deliver excellent care. In order to deepen that commitment, we launched a multi-year strategic plan providing industry-leading support for nurses throughout our organization. It was the vehicle to empower HCA Healthcare nurses throughout their career and an important step in the roadmap to realize the vision for nursing across our company.

What do you strive to provide nurses at HCA Healthcare?

We hope to grow our nurses in the following areas:

• • Advocacy and Leadership. We have Chief Nurse Executives in our 14 division and in the United Kingdom. We are developing future leaders through programs to help onboard and develop incoming nurses, nurse managers, nursing directors and prospective chief nursing officers. These programs pave the way for nurses to step directly into the roles they want. We are also developing new ways to connect, recognize and celebrate each other within our community of 87,000 nurses.
  • Increase Performance Visibility. We are promoting best practices, resulting in better patient care at HCA Healthcare. We are able to identify and share what works best when delivering patient care by providing data that is available in real time and visible to all nurse leaders. Our strength as a company comes from the fact that we identify best practices and create scalable processes.
  • Consistency in Nursing Practice. We are deploying the tools and technologies that enhance our nursing practice and enable nurses to deliver consistently exceptional care. A great example of this is our unit of distinction program: we use nursing practice data in order to recognize and reward those units that deliver consistently exceptional care. We are developing new programs that recognize nursing achievements every day.
  • Leverage Scale to Drive Performance. We will lean on the collective strength of HCA Healthcare and support nurses throughout our network so they can perform at the top of their license. We are developing a centralized structure for clinical education that will allow nurses more time at the bedside and afford our educators more time teaching caregivers or working directly with patients and their families.

No one component of the HCA Healthcare nursing strategy is more important than the others. These goals all complement each other and work to harmoniously improve the quality of nursing and the delivery of patient care throughout our company.

What else do you want from nurses at HCA Healthcare?

We’ve come to appreciate just how much nurses touch every aspect of healthcare—from the bedside to the boardroom. HCA Healthcare nurses provide an excellent perspective that is essential to our progress. We want our nurses to continue providing feedback.

What are you excited about moving forward? 

I’m excited to see 87,000 nurses working together, improving patient care and patient experience and making an impact on the lives of patients every day. I’ve said it before: there’s never been a better time to be a nurse at HCA Healthcare. We are working hard to provide the highest quality care for every patient, every time; it’s who we are. Our mission says it all: Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.

Visit here to learn more about nursing opportunities at HCA Healthcare.

HCA Healthcare 50th Anniversary
In 1968, HCA Healthcare was conceived by two physicians and an accomplished business leader — Dr. Thomas Frist Sr., Dr. Thomas Frist Jr., and Jack Massey. This year, HCA Healthcare celebrates its golden anniversary and the culture of caring established by our three founders 50 years ago. To help us celebrate our 50th year, we’ll share stories here that reflect HCA Healthcare’s mission – above all else, the care and improvement of human life – and our pledge to improve life and make history for the next 50 years and beyond.