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Nursing

Working at Loyola University Health System is more than a career. It's a calling. Taking care of some of the sickest patients is a challenge. But when you crave a challenge, then it is a personally rewarding job.

As a major academic medical center, Loyola offers nursing experiences in cardiac care and vascular medicine, oncology, neurosciences, pediatrics, neonatal, burn and trauma, surgery, urology, orthopaedics and all of the medical specialities. LUHS' nursing environment was identified as one of the top performers in a study of 59 hospitals conducted by the University Healthsystem Consortium. In that study, our total Essentials of Magnetism® score, a measure of nursing performance, exceeded both the benchmark and national average. To further recognize its excellence in nursing, LUHS has earned the coveted nursing Magnet Award.

Nursing at Loyola

Nurses at Loyola Hospital on the medical center campus in Maywood can choose from a variety of shift options. Nurses who prefer the outpatient setting can choose to work at one of our 22 off-campus health centers or at either of our two ambulatory surgery centers or our imaging center, all located throughout the western Chicago suburbs.

All of our nurses can advance via the clinical ladder, designed to recognize professional development for nurses who prefer to remain in direct patient care. LUHS offers competitive salaries and benefits, including tuition reimbursement for degreed programs at Loyola University Chicago and its Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.

We invite you to discover the Loyola culture. Loyola is a place where we value respect and cooperation and treat patients and each other with care and concern. Because of this we have one of the lowest turnover rates for nursing in the United States.

Loyola Earns Highest Honor for Nursing Excellence

Magnet designation

We are pleased to announce that Loyola University Health System has received Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).  This distinction is the highest honor for nursing excellence and a testament to the quality care our nurses provide to our patients every day.

The Magnet application process was a true team effort involving extensive preparation and involvement from staff in all areas of the health system.  Congratulations to our nurses and the entire organization on this tremendous accomplishment!

In support of the Magnet process, LUHS has a Nursing Shared Decision Making Structure. This is a professional practice process designed to foster accountability and evidence-based decision making to support excellence in patient care.

Nursing Executive Council
  • Oversee the shared governance process to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Provide coordination/oversight of activities and recommendations of councils.
  • Develop strategic plan for nursing across the LUHS.
  • Develop and periodically revise nursing strategic vision and philosophy statements.
  • Coordinate Magnet activities/initiatives.
  • Oversee completion and revision of Magnet Action Plan.
  • Develop process for appointment of members to councils and election of chairs.
Nursing Ambassador Council
  • Provide liaisons between individual unit/area and the committee to help "spread the word" and communicate initiatives, plans, education, etc.
  • Develop a "theme" for our Magnet journey.
  • Serve as a "thinktank" to generate ideas for implementation that meet various Magnet standards.
  • Help gather evidence for the narratives developed to support our application.
  • Energize departments for the site visit.
  • Serve as hosts for surveyors during the site visit.
Nursing Education and Professional Development Council
  • Ensure compliance with Magnet Standards related to education and professional development.
  • Collect evidence for written documentation for education and professional development.
  • Oversee annual educational needs assessment for LUHS.
  • Develop annual goals for education and certification.
  • Develop annual educational calendar.
  • Review all educational offerings to ensure that evidence-based practice and standards of practice are incorporated where appropriate.
  • Oversee evaluation of nursing orientation and recommend revisions as appropriate.
  • Coordinate publication of nursing newsletter to be published every other month.
  • Develop plan and process to encourage LUHS nurses to pursue certification.
  • Develop processes for evaluation of nursing education programs.
  • Review and approve annual budget for nursing education activities.
  • Coordinate with Nursing Professional Practice Council to ensure that staff are educated and knowledgeable regarding Code of Ethics, Bill of Rights for Nursing, Staffing Standards, etc.
     
Nursing Professional Practice Council
  • Ensure compliance with Magnet Standards related to professional practice.
  • Coordinate all activities related to professional practice initiatives that impact all nurses within LUHS.
  • Collect evidence for written documentation for education and professional development.
  • Oversee implementation of nursing model of care system wide.
  • Develop & coordinate schedule and process for Nursing Grand Rounds system wide.
  • Work with individual units to ensure that appropriate standards of practice and professional performance are developed and implemented system wide.
  • Appoint nursing representative on all health system wide committees and task forces affecting patient care.
  • Coordinate with Nursing Education and Professional Development Council to ensure that staff are educated and knowledgeable regarding Code of Ethics, Bill of Rights for Nursing, Staffing Standards, etc.
  • Establish criteria for unit-based shared governance committees.
  • Ensure consistent nursing standards of care across all areas.
Nursing Quality and Safety Council
  • Ensure compliance with Magnet Standards related to quality and safety.
  • Develop and periodically revise quality plan for Nursing at LUHS.
  • Collect evidence for written documentation regarding quality and safety.
  • Establish global priorities and accountabilities for quality and safety initiatives within the Division of Nursing.
  • Oversee & review all nursing quality projects including NPSG’s and Core Measures (that have a nursing component).
  • Work with individual units to ensure compliance with all quality and safety initiatives.
  • Coordinate with nursing education council to ensure system wide quality education for nursing across LUHS.
  • Oversee development of nursing quality dashboard.
  • Educate members about quality process.
Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice Council
  • Ensure compliance with Magnet standards related to research and evidence-based practice.
  • Collect evidence for written documentation for research and evidence-based practice.
  • Oversee implementation of journal club process.
  • Implement EBP Model for LUHS.
  • Develop and maintain master list of all research projects currently being done by nursing.
  • Develop and oversee process for conducting research and EBP within nursing services across LUHS (e.g., priorities, accountability, funding, dissemination, etc.).
  • Ensure that all nursing protocols are evidence-based.
  • Develop and implement plan for staff education and development in relation to research and evidence-based practice (in collaboration with the NEPDC).
Advanced Practice Nursing Council
  • Ensure compliance with Magnet standards related to APN practice.
  • Provide input into re-credentialing process for APNs
  • Create orientation and mentoring process for APNs
  • Oversee the credentialing and privileging process
  • Coordinate APN participation related to expertise in nursing professional practice development projects
  • Promote journal clubs in own area of practice
  • Participate in community events

 

Leadership

Loyola offers nurses exceptional opportunities to develop their skills and choose from a variety of career paths. As they receive advanced degrees, Loyola nurses move into positions of greater responsibility and leadership. Many Loyola nurses go on to management careers in which they can further influence decisions about patient care from an operational perspective. Meet some of our nursing leaders who have done just that.

  • Paula Hindle, RN, MSN, MBA, Vice President/Chief Nurse Executive
  • Kim Reeks, RN, MSN, Director of Nursing, Loyola University Health System
  • Jacalyn Kareb, RN, MS, CHPN, Nurse Manager, Home Care and Hospice
  • Rose Lach, RN, PhD, Administrative Director, Medicine
  • Sandra Swanson, RN, MS, Administrative Director, Women's and Children's Health Services
  • Margaret Vorrier, RN, MSN, Administrative Director, Surgical Services
  • Cathy Lenz, RN, MSN, Administrative Director, Ambulatory Operations
  • Cheryl White, RN, Administrative Director, Primary Care and Ambulatory Nursing
  • Carol Schleffendorf, RN, MSN, NE-BC, Administrative Director, Trauma,EMS, Burns
  • Mary Morrow, RN, PhD, ACNS-BC, chief nursing officer, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital
  • Pam Clementi, RN, PhD, Manager, Nursing Education
  • Linda Nicol, RN, MBA, Manager, Patient and Community Education