The nursing division at University Health is committed to creating a culture of excellence that supports our mission, vision, values, and nursing strategic plan.
We embrace shared decision-making, empowering University Health nurses to practice with autonomy and accountability via our clinical shared governance structure. This approach ensures active engagement among our healthcare teams to promote positive patient outcomes and creates a culture of positivity and inclusion.
Our professional practice environment encompasses lifelong professional development, evidence-based practice, diverse learning opportunities, working with interdisciplinary teams, and a well-rounded stimulating work environment. Our nurses work collaboratively to drive practice changes, develop policies and procedures, and ensure quality improvement.
University Health nurses have a voice at the table. Our professional nursing environment has something for everyone. In addition to competitive pay, we offer:
- University Health’s ratios have remained consistent over the years
- Medical-Surgical (Med-Surg): 5-to-1
- Telemetry: 4-to-1
U Experience Nurse Residency Program
The Nursing Administration at University Health is proud to offer the U Experience Nurse Residency Program, which introduces the new graduate to the nursing profession by providing clinical and leadership training and support as the nurse transitions to a full partner on the healthcare team.
Program Highlights
- Paid salary and benefits for hours worked while in the U Experience Nurse Residency Program.
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12 month program with cohorts beginning twice a year - January and June
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Residents receive support from:
- Clinical Educators
- Nurse Residency Program Director
- Preceptors and Clinical Mentors
Here at University Health, nursing leadership understands the pressures and demands of the healthcare professions and we are committed to the overall wellness of our nursing staff. As a result, Nursing Administration offers a Nursing Sabbatical Program. This program affords an allotment of four (4) weeks time off - unrelated to family leave - granting eligible nurses the ability to self-determine how that time is spent. The UH Nursing Sabbatical Program is more than just a needed vacation. This is considered a time to recharge and to do something different away from the day-to-day activities of the workplace. It allows the proper time away to truly replenish the nurse's creativity and passion for the nursing profession. At the forefront of the sabbatical is the individual nurse who we want to have the opportunity to do what is most important to them.
University Health Nursing’s shared governance group, the Staff Empowerment Council includes more than a hundred members from across the organization. The council focuses on quality, safety and staff engagement. The group was instrumental in planning UH’s Nurses Week 2024, which helped lead to the week’s success.
In response to the unprecedented strain on healthcare workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, University Health Nursing launched its formal Wellness Program, Be WellrN, as part of 2021 Nurses Week.
- Be WellrN includes physical Nursing Renewal Rooms, one on each campus, where nurses can badge in to take a break in a quiet calming space that also includes mindful resources and refreshments.
- For those unable to utilize the physical rooms or wanting to utilize mindfulness resources once they are home, UH Nursing, with the help of UH Behavioral Health, created a virtual renewal room, which can be accessed here.
As the cost of higher education continues to rise, so does increasingly unmanageable student loan debt. University Health Nursing recognizes this and offers tuition reimbursement to eligible UH nurses as part of its Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program.
- UH nurses who have earned their undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Nursing need to meet eligibility requirements.
- Eligible nurses will be selected to receive up to $5,000 in student loan reimbursement.
- The reimbursement will be dispensed increments of $150 per month until the $5,000 maximum limit is achieved.
Nursing orientation
Nursing orientation is a structured process that is individualized to assist both experienced nurses and new graduates to successfully integrate into the work setting. Working in concert with nursing leadership, the unit based educators assist with unit-specific competency based education. The unit educator partners with the new hires to ensure a successful transition into independent practice.
Clinical ladder
The Clinical Ladder program recognizes and rewards our front-line nurses with the opportunity for career development and advancement while maintaining a clinical focus. Promotion occurs as the nurse advances up the ladder from ''Clinical Nurse'' through sequential progression to Clinical Nurse II, III and IV. Each step on the ladder represents increased accountability and competency, along with a promotion in increase of base pay. There is a two-year requirement of maintenance of the promotion during each step of advancement or maintenance of the Clinical Ladder.