Nurses became patients

To discover just what it feels like to be a patient in the Emergency Department of Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens, a 235-bed acute-care community hospital located in Long Island City, the facility’s Nursing Department conducted a study in which several nurses volunteered to be “admitted.” “We hope that the awareness and compassion these nurses gained from this study trickles down to all the staff,” said Kathleen Scher, Vice President for Mount Sinai Queens Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer. “We hope, too, we can encourage other hospitals to consider programs that raise the awareness of their healthcare professionals.” The study’s conclusions will be presented as an abstract poster presentation by Cathy Drumm, RN, at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System’s Annual Nursing Research Conference on May 15. Pictured are Grace Kowalska, RN (in bed) Yelena Mosheyeva, RN (foreground) and Marija Milovac, NA (background).