It is a known fact that, in present times, hospitals are competitive in terms of making great strides in the medical care they deliver as well as meeting patient needs and scoring high in patient satisfaction which is carefully measured via resultant scores from surveys and metrics.
Consequently, hiring the most educated, competent and skilled staff is essential in order for hospitals to deliver excellent care and maintain a good reputation in the medical community and among the patient population they serve.
The Virginia Hospital Center (VHC) Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center is a facility that meets critical patient care needs. It has been known to hire skilled staff that provides excellent and compassionate patient care.
One nurse, in particular, RN Erin Anderson, was a standout. Smart, compassionate, caring, well respected by her nursing colleagues and looked up to as a professional role model to emulate, Ms. Anderson, unfortunately, is no longer employed there and recently resigned. Though many good nurses remain, the pall that is left by Ms. Anderson’s absence is evidence of the exemplary care and profound impact she had on patients as well as the lasting effect on her nursing colleagues.
Employment is a two-way street in which both employers and employees have expectations of each other. For the Virginia Hospital Center, Ms. Anderson was analogous to gold and she was, in fact, a gem in their possession.
The Human Resources Department of Virginia Hospital Center would be wise to reach out to Ms. Anderson and invite her to come back particularly if they care about positive experiences for their patients. Morale among patients and nursing colleagues would greatly soar along with patient satisfaction scores.
As a criminal justice professional, my recommendation would be to put out an all points bulletin (APB) for Ms. Anderson. She needs to reappear and, once again, be employed at the VHC Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center — back where she belongs.
Karen L. Bune
Karen L. Bune is a freelance writer and lives in Arlington.