Our Culture
Nursing at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center begins and ends with remarkable care for our patients and their families. Our nurses begin their shifts by asking their patients to define what very good care means to them. Nurses write that on each patient’s white board, along with the names and roles of each member of that patient’s care team for that shift.
Every decision we make is based on improving patient care. Because of our focus on patient care, our nurses, who are our patients’ primary caregivers, have the resources they need. We believe in evidence-based practice, good teamwork with physicians and other members of the care team, and using technology to improve care. As a tertiary care hospital, our size and scope provide nurses with an opportunity to work with complex patients and provide a higher level of care than what is offered at community hospitals. It also means that nurses have access to a robust support team.
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center nurses function independently and in collaboration with other healthcare professionals to help patients attain and maintain their highest level of health and independence. Our nurses use the nursing process as a decision-making tool to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate their nursing care.
Collectively, our nurses bring years of caring, skill, and experience to each of our patients. Their expertise and innovative ideas help shape the care our patients and their families receive on a daily basis.
Our nurses are active in the community. They participate in events such as Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center Champion the Cure Challenge to support local cancer research, Wear Red Day to raise awareness for women’s heart health, and other events that benefit the community. Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center has a strong nursing tradition throughout the organization, with many nurses serving in leadership positions throughout the organization.
We’re proud our nurses are serving as examples of nursing engagement. They are trying new ideas, breaking new ground, sharing their best ideas with others, and raising the standard for nursing care as they go.
Recently, staff nurses and nursing leaders worked together to create our first ever nursing strategic plan. Our plan focuses on being the first choice for care by our patients by recruiting and retaining the best nurses, developing a self-governance model, and forming a nursing research council.
It’s an exciting time to be a nurse at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.