The Texas Nurses Association, the state regulating board of professional registered nurses, granted Huguley Memorial Medical Center the Nurse-Friendly™ hospital designation. The three-year designation confirms that a hospital meets the 12 essential elements of the ideal nursing practice environment. This environment supports nurses and allows them to practice safe, quality patient care and to pursue a level of professional development and career satisfaction that retains them in the profession.
The designation identifies for nurses those hospitals that are committed to providing an ideal nursing practice environment and that value nurses in their overall pursuit of providing safe, quality patient care. Some of the nurse-identified components that make up essential elements of the ideal practice environment include:
- Autonomy and control of practice where nurses are accountable for their own practice and coordinators of patient care
- Strong nurse leadership that is supported by hospital administration
A facility with clear organizational procedures for dealing with workplace and patient concerns expressed by nurses
Safety of the work environment for both nurses and the patients for whom they advocate.