Tommye Austin, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing executive
Dear ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ nurses,
Welcome to National Nurses Week — a time when we recognize and celebrate the contributions and achievements of nurses. Across our hospitals and clinics, nurses not only provide exceptional care — they serve as advocates, educators and trusted partners in health for our community.
Here in ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´, I see this commitment to excellence in nursing up close. I see it every day when I walk onto any one of our BJC campuses. Whether I am attending morning rounds in Women & Infants or listening in on the huddles in the emergency department, I see nurses sharing best practices with one another as they discuss patient care, and I observe them lending their expertise to the attending physicians on the best treatment plan moving forward.
In nursing, we define excellence in many ways. As the chief nursing executive at , I hold our nurses to high expectations. I will confidently tell any patient that they will receive exceptional care grounded in skill, compassion and a deep commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes. But these are not just my expectations — each and every one of our nurses expects this standard of themselves first and foremost, and of one another.
I’m also inspired by what’s happening at the Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, where we are preparing the next generation of nurses. Our national reputation for excellence and clinical expertise was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report, where our Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program ranked No. 9 in the country for the Best Nursing-Anesthesia Schools. This placement puts Goldfarb among the nation’s top programs for academic quality and clinical rigor. Through excellent teaching, research opportunities and hands-on clinical experiences, we are building on this legacy program and carrying it forward.
Additionally, more than 400 students have participated in the BJC Full-Ride Scholars program, which covers 100% of qualifying tuition and fees for incoming undergraduate students at Goldfarb School of Nursing and offers a clear pathway to begin a nursing career at BJC after graduation.
BJC is also leading the way in attracting and retaining top nursing talent from across the country. One way this is done is through the BJC RN Career Ladder, which supports the lifelong pursuit of expertise in the clinical environment and offers opportunities for professional growth and advancement. Through the RN Career Ladder, nurses can advance levels as they build expertise and pursue professional, clinical and career development. We want to empower all of our clinical nurses to work at the top of their license, own their career progression and be rewarded for their advancement.
My call for all nurses this month is to continue holding yourselves to the highest professional standards that define nursing! I challenge you to carry that commitment beyond the walls of our hospitals and clinics and volunteer in our community. That’s what I’m committed to doing, and that’s what I’m challenging each of you to do as well.
I’m grateful for the continued opportunity to stand alongside all of you in this meaningful and essential work as nurses in ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ — and look forward to one day looking back and seeing the impact of our commitment to excellence across the entire region.
Thank you for all that you do, not just this week, but every day.
With gratitude,
Tommye Austin, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
Senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing executive
BJC HealthCare
To learn more about nursing careers at BJC, visit .
