Nursing
Nursing Specialties
Emerson Hospital offers a wide range of opportunities for prospective nurses. For more information on current job openings, visit our careers page. In addition to the departments listed below, Emerson nurses work in areas including cardiac rehabilitation, nursing education, the pediatric intervention team and patient care assessment, among others.
Nursing philosophy
As nursing professionals throughout the Emerson Healthcare System, our philosophy is to make a difference for our patients and their loved ones through excellence in the provision of care. We advocate for patients, respecting the diversity and uniqueness of individuals. We advance in our profession through best practices and evidenced-based care. We are committed to this goal by working collaboratively with our peers and the interdisciplinary team to promote optimal patient outcomes.
Each day we recognize our mission to make a difference, to touch, to guide our patients through their journey. We strive to extend our knowledge and skills, and to embrace the many different roles of nursing practice and expertise. We challenge each other to enhance nursing care in a dynamic healthcare environment while remaining vigilant and committed to the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics as our foundation for practice.
April 7, 2005
Transitional Care Unit | Critical Care Unit |
Emergency Department | Behavioral Health Services |
North 6 |Wheeler 4 | Wheeler 5 | Obstetrical Services | Operating Room | Home Care | Education Department | Diabetes Education Program | Intravenous Resource | Enterostomal Therapy
The Transitional Care Unit is a 20-bed skilled nursing unit. The unit provides post-acute care at a subacute level to a multidiscipline group of adult patients. The focus of the unit is rehabilitation. Patients receive physical, emotional and supportive care to maximize wellness and/or support health processes.
The typical population includes diagnoses such as orthopedic, post-surgical, complex medical, pulmonary, cardiac and neurological.
The Transitional Care Unit specializes in providing skilled nursing care and rehabilitation services to primarily orthopedic, post-surgical and complex medical patients. The patients must be medically stable, require daily nursing skilled intervention, participate in rehabilitation and have a plan of discharge home in the community. Patients are discharged from the hospital to the Transitional Care Unit to receive continuation of care and rehabilitation prior to independent living at home.
The Critical Care Unit is a 14-bed unit. The department provides care to complex medical and/or surgical patients experiencing multiple disease processes, many of which may be considered life-threatening. The typical population includes diagnoses such as respiratory failure, hemodynamic instability, sepsis, vascular surgery, acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction and dysrhythmias. The Critical Care Unit also performs elective procedures such as trans-esophageal electrocardiograms (TEE) and cardioversions.
The Emergency Department (ED) is a 22-bed unit. Services are provided 24-hours per day, seven days per week to patients of all ages. In accordance with EMTALA regulations, a medical screening exam and stabilization/emergency care are provided to all patients presenting to the department. As well as a medical assessment, patients receive physical, emotional and supportive care to maximize wellness. The typical population includes diagnoses such as (but not limited to), chest pain/myocardial infarction, respiratory distress, asthma, stroke, drug overdose, seizure disorders, headaches, congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, infections, back pain, abdominal pain, acute/chronic alcoholism, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, lacerations, sprains, fractures and all types of trauma.
The ED functions under a two-tier system providing not only emergent care but non-emergent care in an Urgent Care Center 12 hours daily during peak volume periods (11:00 am-11:00 pm).
Behavioral Health Services (psychiatry and substance abuse) psychiatric inpatient service (North 5) is a 29-bed secure unit.
Patients 16 years or older are admitted with psychiatric and/or substance abuse diagnoses that can be safely treated on a brief stay in a secure unit in a general hospital setting. There is a single standard of care for all patients, regardless of payer or ability to pay. The inpatient service has focused on a pragmatic treatment approach focusing on stabilization, identifying and relieving the precipitants to acute symptoms and dysfunction. Length of stay is usually brief, with referral for prompt outpatient follow-up. Developing and nurturing positive working relationships with a wide variety of community based providers has been key to developing effective aftercare and reducing length of stay.
North 6 is a 30-bed medical-surgical unit. The unit provides care to a multidiscipline group of adult patients with medical-surgical issues, particularly those with an oncology diagnosis. Patients receive physical, emotional and supportive care to maximize wellness. Multiple disciplines are involved in the care of a patient, and this is supported through patient care rounds that are held daily. These disciplines include but are not limited to respiratory therapy, social services, case management, dietary, and others.
Wheeler 4 is a 23-bed medical-surgical unit that incorporates an 11-bed pediatric sub-unit. The unit provides care to medical-surgical adult and pediatric patients, who are assigned beds by diagnosis and regulatory requirements (Department of Public Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics). Patients receive physical, emotional and supportive care to maximize wellness. The typical pediatric population includes diagnoses such as reactive airway disease and gastroenteritis The typical adult population includes bariatric, spinal, gynecology and biliary diagnoses and procedures.
Wheeler 5 is a 28-bed medical-surgical unit, which has the capacity to monitor 20 patients with cardiac telemetry. The unit provides care to a multidiscipline group of adult patients with cardiac, orthopedic and medical-surgical anomalies. Patients receive physical, emotional and supportive care to maximize wellness. The typical population includes diagnosis such cardiac dysrrhythmias, chest pain, total joint replacement, and newly diagnosed diabetes.
The obstetrical services are a multi-tiered service that provides care to the antepartum and newborn patients. The labor area and mother/baby area provide care to patients who are non-critical, 34 weeks or greater gestation.
The typical population is antepartum and postpartum, however the service does provide care to patients with gynecological issues.
The operating room provides patient care to adults and children of all ages with surgical conditions on an inpatient, outpatient, elective, urgent and emergent basis. The unit provides care to a multidiscipline group of adult/pediatric patients with needs for surgical intervention. Although a wide variety of surgical procedures are performed, the typical population includes patients requiring procedures for general surgery, orthopedics, genitourinary, plastic reconstruction and gynecology.
Home Care service area (23 towns): Acton, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Bolton, Boxborough, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Groton, Harvard, Hudson, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Marlborough, Pepperell, Shirley, Stow, Sudbury, Wayland, Westford.
Nursing: Medical-surgical, pre-hospice/terminal, geriatric, maternal child health, phlebotomy/IV therapy.
Services are provided directly by department employees with the exception of occasional rehabilitation, nursing and home health aide services, which may be provided under contractual arrangements with other agencies.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am through 4:30 pm. Necessary services are available seven days a week. Nursing services are available by beeper during non-office hours.
Patient assessment includes physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs. Home care services are offered to patients of any age, including children with long-term disabilities, young adults with chronic conditions and patients with newly-diagnosed diseases. Whether visiting a mother and infant after delivery or tracking the status of a recovering heart surgery patient, home care nurses provide needed education and support.
Emerson’s home care service includes an entire team, experienced at caring for patients in their homes, that provides care under the direction of a physician. In addition to nurses, the team may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers and home health aides. They also have mental health clinicians, including psychiatric nurses and medical social workers, who are experienced in behavioral problems and understand the effect of these conditions on the patient and the family.
The Education Department coordinates resources within the organization to provide a wide variety of learning experiences to prepare nursing and hospital employees with information, knowledge and skills that are important in today’s healthcare environment. Programming includes formal lectures, self-paced learning activities, in-service education, equipment training, review, train-the-trainer, clinical simulations and e-learning activities. Resources include centralized nurse educators, unit specific nurse educators, clinical specialists and advance practice nurses. Current research and evidence-based practices are utilized in the educational practice model when developing and educating staff.
Educational activities include a monthly nursing orientation, continuing education (AACN provider), nursing competency assessments and ongoing staff development, along with various patient education and community activities throughout the year.
The Diabetes Education Program provides the diabetic patient with resources to learn about the latest in diabetes self-management skills. Accredited by the American Diabetes Association and overseen by a certified diabetes educator (a registered nurse) and registered dietitian, the program offers patients and families personalized goal planning with each consultation. The
self-management skills taught include blood glucose monitoring, medication management, physical exercise, insulin administration, meal planning, what to do during travel and sick days, problem-solving, healthy coping risk reduction and insulin pump management. Gestational diabetes education (diabetes during pregnancy) is also offered at the request of the physician. A four-part group education session and monthly diabetes support groups are also available for patients.
Care planning and medication management consultation is available upon nurse-to-nurse referral. Outpatient diabetes services are conducted at Emerson Hospital’s Center for Specialty Care on Baker Avenue in Concord.
The Intravenous Resource nurse is a Certified Registered Nurse Infusion through the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation. The Intravenous Resource Nurse assists licensed staff in becoming proficient in all aspects of intravenous therapy. As a teacher and expert resource, the Intravenous Resource Nurse evaluates patient safety, monitors the outcomes of intravenous care and consults with staff and physicians to provide the highest standards of care for the patient on infusion therapy.
The Enterostomal Therapy (ET) nurse is a Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse. The ET nurse has expertise and knowledge in the care and management of ostomy, wound and skin care needs of patients. The ET nurse collaborates with the nursing staff and physicians to plan, educate and care for complicated wounds and ostomies. Focusing on preventive measures to maintain optimal skin integrity for all patients, the ET nurse monitors skin-related incidents. Outpatient follow-up occurs upon request of the physician.
