The Division of Nursing delivers care aligned with the vision
of UNMH which is “to identify and solve the most important questions of human
health in our communities through education, scholarship and service with
commitment to the HSC core values”.
Nursing Management at UNMH is committed to the professional
advancement of the
nursing staff. UNMH provides a large number of Continuing Education Courses to meet
diverse educational needs. The Management encourages the staff to become certified
in their specialty areas and obtain their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. In addition,
UNMH provides tuition reimbursement for classes and reimburses for certification
examination fees. Most recently, we added a UNMH-specific student cohort to the UNM
College of Nursing RN to Bachelors in Nursing program.
UNMH is on a journey to Magnet Recognition. Magnet designation is
the highest level of recognition the American Nurses Credentialing Center awards an
institution for which nursing services are provided. Institutions that meet the
stringent criteria exhibit better staff and patient outcomes.
Nursing leadership at UNMH is also committed to the concept of
decision-making at the point of care. To that end, shared governance was implemented
in the institution in 2004. Unit-based and area shared governance councils were
established. Charters are being developed and unit-based initiatives are underway. A
Nursing Staff Council comprised of Unit-based Shared Governance Chairs, Co-Chairs,
and other interested staff has recently formed to provide a venue for two-way
communication between Nursing Administration and Staff.