Who are we? Saint Mary’s Nursing—the face, the hands and the heart of Saint Mary’s Health Care. These men and women give their all to promote health, hope and healing for our patients and their families, as well as all of their colleagues. And we honor them by upholding a collective vision of providing excellent nursing care to those entrusted to us with the support of five key pillars. These pillars serve as road markers—signs that help us along the way to maintain our drive for superior care, and that serve as building blocks for excellence in each aspect of our practice: service, clinical practice and quality.

These pillars define what it takes to become a Saint Mary’s nurse:



Knowledge. The central pillar, and the most crucial to our role here at Saint Mary’s. Nurses come to us with a variety of proficiencies ranging from novice practitioner to expert. No matter where nurses are in their personal journey in gaining or acquiring knowledge, we revere them by encouraging continuing education and a commitment to best practices. We encourage them to share their passion and expertise with other associates through formal presentations and by working side-by-side with others when a “teachable moment” occurs in practice. We believe that we learn from each other and that clinical practice is the best teacher.

Compassionate Care and Advocacy. On either side of knowledge stand these pillars. They are well placed, because our knowledge—our technical expertise—is cold and formal without the elements of compassion and passion for advocating for our patients.

• Compassion. One of our organization’s core values. The commitment to compassion is demonstrated by consistently remaining present with the patient during our practice and through empathizing with the joy and pain of others.
• Advocacy. The ability to use one’s own voice to speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves. Advocacy is seen in our commitment to assure patients are supported in making informed decisions, ensuring a safe environment and seeing that the patient achieves the highest level of general health and well being. Advocacy is also demonstrated when the nurse has the courage to use his/her own voice to advocate for a safe care delivery system by pointing out actual or potential opportunities for improvement. Sometimes advocacy involves having conversations with others that we normally would prefer to put off or not to have at all.

Collaboration. This pillar anchors our vision. We are not islands unto ourselves. Working and collaborating with physicians and other clinical and non-clinical staff allows us to provide the Something More that underscores the Saint Mary’s Health Care experience. Collaboration is also seen in our dedication to involving the patient in determining key elements in their plan of care. A collaborative environment is achieved when individual team members recognize and value their contribution to the team and the unique contribution of others.

Spirituality. Whatever faith our patients or nurses practice, we choose to always respect their wholeness and attend to the needs not only of their minds and bodies, but also their spirits. Spirituality is seen often in the reflective practices that patients and their families have on what their life means to them and the personal impact that a disease is having. Nurses show their spirituality by maintaining a “sacred space” for the patient, their families, themselves and other associates. Nurses who act with love, trust, hope and creativity positively influence the physical and psychological aspects of care that lead to restoration, or in some cases, a peaceful death.