Nurses

Nurses play a major role at NCH

At NCH, nurses are vital members of our multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals – helping to set new standards in patient care through the prevention, early detection and treatment of complex diseases. NCH nurses provide both clinical expertise and emotional support to patients and their families – before, during and after treatment.

NCH’s unique nursing structure nurtures personal and professional growth by providing many opportunities for our nursing staff to excel – from improving patient safety and conducting research projects to becoming an advanced practice nurse in an area of clinical interest.

For example, as Nurse Navigators, advanced practice nurses complement the expertise and skills of NCH physicians in specialty areas such as Breast Health, Cancer, Cardiovascular, Gastroenterology, Pancreas Health, Prostate Care and NeuroInterventional Surgery/Stroke.

Our outstanding nursing staff has earned the Hospital Magnet™ recognition for nursing excellence and has played a critical role in making NCH one of the top hospitals in the nation.

As an NCH nurse you will find:

• Transparency in quality care reporting - NCH was the first hospital in the region to show consumers how we compare to state and national benchmarks, with an online Quality Report Card
• Advanced medical technology - NCH was an early adopter of new technologies that improve medical outcomes and the patient experience with the dual-source CT scanner, CyberKnife® Stereotactic Radiosurgery System (SRS), the da Vinci® Surgical System and more.
• Serious illness and injury care – as a state-designated trauma center the emergency department is the busiest in the northwest suburbs and the Critical Care Unit is the only one in the area staffed around-the-clock with board certified intensivists
• Important partnerships – NCH is the only hospital in the northwest suburbs with 24-hour, on-site access to neonatologists and pediatric specialists from Children’s Memorial Hospital.

One of the nation’s top nursing healthcare organizations

We are proud to be one of only 5% of healthcare organizations in the nation to achieve Magnet™ status as designated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The highest level of recognition nursing services can receive, Magnet™ designated hospitals exhibit exemplary patient outcomes and satisfaction, have impressive nurse-patient ratios, and attract and retain the best staff from all disciplines.

One of the nation’s best employers

Nurses at NCH are both appreciated and respected for their professionalism and service. This high level of respect is perhaps one of the reasons that NCH has again been selected as a top employer.

• The February 2, 2009 issue of FORTUNE magazine lists Northwest Community at No. 77 among the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America
• Chicago Magazine has ranked NCH as one of the top 25 places to work in the Chicago area
• Modern Healthcare magazine ranked NCH No. 36 among the nation’s best healthcare employers
• Nurses throughout the Chicago area selected Northwest Community Hospital as a "Top Hospital for Retention Efforts" in ADVANCE for Nurses magazine

One of the nation’s top hospitals

• For the fifth straight year, HealthGrades® has awarded us the 2009 Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence™ - achieved by just 5% of all hospitals in America, the Superior Clinical Performance in Cardiac Care, Stroke Care Excellence Award, Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award and Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence Award. For more information click here
• We were also recognized as one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the U.S. for Cardiovascular Care by Thomson Reuters. For more information click here
• Other awards include Primary Stroke Center Redesignation, Health and Human Services Medal of Honor, Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence, JCAHO Accreditation, Accredited Chest Pain Center and Cancer Program 3-Year Approval Award with Commendation from the Commission on Cancer.

A full range of opportunities

• Full-time, part-time and occasional hours
• Comprehensive benefits for both full-time and part-time employees (20 or more hours per week)
• Paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, tax-sheltered annuities, discounted Wellness Center memberships and much more!