Magnet Designation | Beacon Award | Nursing STARs Program
The Department of Nursing maintains the philosophy that care should always be centered on the patient, and that we must continue to excel in leadership, practice, innovative technology, education and research. We are proud to be recognized for our quality of care, and in turn, celebrate our nurses who demonstrate outstanding patient care.
Magnet Designation
Please read the public notice for our 2019 Magnet re-designation application.
As of 2015 all four NorthShore hospitals have received Magnet designation, a testament to our endless pursuit of providing the best in patient care through our nursing talent. This certification designated by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, has been essential to challenging our team to develop new benchmarks in outcomes that all of our nurses continually strive to meet and exceed. As one of fewer than 500 hospitals to receive this certification, and the first in Illinois to receive system-wide designation, we believe this exemplifies the exceptional level of professionalism our nurses perform with, along with the continued high standards of care we provide our patients through evidence-based research.
The Beacon Award
NorthShore’s ICUs at Evanston, Glenbrook and Highland Park Hospitals have been bestowed with the Beacon Award, an accolade designated by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, honoring outstanding nursing care. The award is based on patient outcomes, which are scored based on patient satisfaction and the professional caliber of nurses in addressing issues including surgical site infections, catheter associated UTIs and ventilator management. It also acknowledges the value hospitals provide for their nurses in terms of retention, collaboration and leadership. Our nursing staff has made a system-wide effort to develop and maintain exemplary professional practices, achieving a consistent and high standard by which we care for our patients from bedside to discharge. We are pleased to note that all four NorthShore hospitals have received the Beacon Award, a symbol of the hard work and dedication our nurses take in making each patient experience meaningful.
Nursing STARs (Say Thank You And Recognize) Program
At NorthShore, we recognize that nurses are irreplaceable partners in delivering care. They are present at every turn for not only patients and their families, but for our clinical staff as well. The Nursing STARs Program rewards our nurses for their continued hard work and loyalty, the program includes two funds that provide patients with the chance to say thank you.
- Nursing Scholarship Fund: Established in 1990, solidifies NorthShore’s commitment to supporting the continued education and excellence of our nurses. This scholarship, which has been given to over 450 nurses as of 2017, provides for nurses who are pursuing their degrees with funds for essentials including books, tuition, transportation and child care.
- Nancy T. Semerdijan Nursing Excellence Fund: Named in honor of NorthShore’s retired Chief Nursing Officer, Nancy Semerdjian who remains a passionate advocate for excellence and advancement in nursing. The fund supports ongoing professional development, provides seed money for nursing research and helps make specialty certification programs possible.
To honor your favorite NorthShore nurse with a tax-deductible donation to the Nursing STARs Program, visit the donation page or call 224.364.7200. NorthShore Foundation will notify the nurse that a gift was made in his or her honor (the gift amount is not shared).