$4M to fix nurse shortage at Mercy Hospital - Newsday
Mercy Hospital has received a $4 million grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to improve the workplace for its nurses.
The Rockville Centre hospital, part of the Catholic Health network, is one of 13 hospitals in the state, and the only one on Long Island, to receive the grant from the nonprofit that seeks to upgrade the conditions of New York hospitals.
The grant supports the hospital's efforts to receive Magnet accreditation, expand education for nurses and offer virtual nursing, a program that allows some nurses to work remotely, according to a news release.
The New York-based Mother Cabrini Health Foundation chose Mercy Hospital for the Nursing Initiative grant because of its commitment to gaining Magnet accreditation and developing its nursing residency program, said Daniel Frascella, the group’s chief programs and grants officer. There are currently 510 direct care nurses at Mercy Hospital.
Magnet accreditation is offered by the American Nursing Credentialing Center and is considered the highest honor a hospital can achieve for its nurses, said Mercy Chief Nursing Officer Chris Ruppert.
Nursing residency programs provide training for newly graduated nurses to transition to professional practice with education and clinical experience.
"Mercy stood out as one of the stronger applications," Frascella said. "We felt the grant would really help the people receiving care there and help the nurses to experience better overall well-being and job satisfaction."
"It’s the gold standard for excellence," Ruppert said of Magnet accreditation. "It recognizes hospitals that empower nurses to foster innovation and deliver outstanding outcomes. That’s what we want. It elevates quality of care. This grant is going to allow us to invest in our staff and continue to push them to do what they love to do, which is deliver high-quality care every day and take Mercy Hospital to the next level."
Frascella said that the need for the Nursing Initiative grant arose from the nationwide nursing shortage. "That was the genesis of the entire initiative," he said. "It began with this concern about the nursing shortage and the recognition that nurses are the backbone of the health system."
Jean Moore, the director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies, said that the shortage has been going on for a long time.
"People always say, ‘Well, was it the pandemic? Did the pandemic do it?' The pandemic didn't create the problem. We've had nursing shortages for a long time, but it really exacerbated it. During the pandemic, people left the field for a variety of reasons. Some nurses retired, some became ill. Some left because they were afraid of becoming ill, or had family obligations or better job opportunities," Moore said.
A New York State Nurses Association staffing report showed that from Jan. 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2024, surveyed hospitals failed to meet staffing standards in critical care more than 50% of the time, and that only 33% of hospitals publicly posted staffing plans in all hospital units.
"We want to be recognized for the work we’re doing," Ruppert said. "We want Magnet status, and we’ll get there thanks to Mother Cabrini."
Mercy Hospital has received a $4 million grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to improve the workplace for its nurses.
The Rockville Centre hospital, part of the Catholic Health network, is one of 13 hospitals in the state, and the only one on Long Island, to receive the grant from the nonprofit that seeks to upgrade the conditions of New York hospitals.
The grant supports the hospital's efforts to receive Magnet accreditation, expand education for nurses and offer virtual nursing, a program that allows some nurses to work remotely, according to a news release.
The New York-based Mother Cabrini Health Foundation chose Mercy Hospital for the Nursing Initiative grant because of its commitment to gaining Magnet accreditation and developing its nursing residency program, said Daniel Frascella, the group’s chief programs and grants officer. There are currently 510 direct care nurses at Mercy Hospital.
Magnet accreditation is offered by the American Nursing Credentialing Center and is considered the highest honor a hospital can achieve for its nurses, said Mercy Chief Nursing Officer Chris Ruppert.
Nursing residency programs provide training for newly graduated nurses to transition to professional practice with education and clinical experience.
"Mercy stood out as one of the stronger applications," Frascella said. "We felt the grant would really help the people receiving care there and help the nurses to experience better overall well-being and job satisfaction."
"It’s the gold standard for excellence," Ruppert said of Magnet accreditation. "It recognizes hospitals that empower nurses to foster innovation and deliver outstanding outcomes. That’s what we want. It elevates quality of care. This grant is going to allow us to invest in our staff and continue to push them to do what they love to do, which is deliver high-quality care every day and take Mercy Hospital to the next level."
Frascella said that the need for the Nursing Initiative grant arose from the nationwide nursing shortage. "That was the genesis of the entire initiative," he said. "It began with this concern about the nursing shortage and the recognition that nurses are the backbone of the health system."
"People always say, ‘Well, was it the pandemic? Did the pandemic do it?' The pandemic didn't create the problem. We've had nursing shortages for a long time, but it really exacerbated it. During the pandemic, people left the field for a variety of reasons. Some nurses retired, some became ill. Some left because they were afraid of becoming ill, or had family obligations or better job opportunities," Moore said.
A New York State Nurses Association staffing report showed that from Jan. 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2024, surveyed hospitals failed to meet staffing standards in critical care more than 50% of the time, and that only 33% of hospitals publicly posted staffing plans in all hospital units.
"We want to be recognized for the work we’re doing," Ruppert said. "We want Magnet status, and we’ll get there thanks to Mother Cabrini."
