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Elizabeth Brown: A strong voice for the nursing profession
Director of Clinical Services
Partners Harvard Medical International
Elizabeth Brown, RN, MSN, MBA—Betsy to most who know her—joined Harvard Medical International in 2002. She is the director responsible for health systems assessment and program development in the areas of nursing, professional advancement, clinical program planning, and patient care delivery and improvement.
Q: You have been a tremendous advocate for the nursing profession’s advancement abroad since you began working here. What is the source of your passion for nursing development and what helps to reinforce that passion?
Brown: Nursing is a service profession. Most of us enter into nursing because we want to make a difference in the health of an individual, a family, a community, or even a population. The opportunity to have an impact on patient care is so vast in nursing, whether as a clinician, a leader, an educator to patients or colleagues, or a researcher validating the evidence of care or finding ways to improve it. When we collaborate with our international nurse colleagues on professional development programs, we all learn from the experience, and ultimately the patient is the beneficiary of that experience. And when our international colleagues are formally recognized for their contributions in leadership, clinical work, teaching, and research—such as when a team of nurse leaders from Wockhardt won an award in Asia—the whole nursing profession advances.
Q: Many of our clients are in countries where nurses have little opportunity to participate in continuing education and professional development. What are some of the reasons these opportunities are lacking, and what arguments can we make to help make the case that training and education should be made more available to practicing nurses?
Brown: There are many reasons why continuing education opportunities are limited. The obvious one is lack of resources: financial, human, and/or technical. In many countries where we work, there are large nursing shortages and high turnover rates, so the main focus is often on orientation for new nurses, with little time, expertise, or funding available for ongoing education and professional development.
Also, many hospitals we work with do not organize their patient beds by specialty, such as a pediatric ward or a cardiovascular unit, so there may be less of an appreciation of the need to assist nurses in specialty training to truly benefit the patient and the interdisciplinary team. Globally, we are becoming more focused on the impact of nursing care to patient outcomes, and ensuring that nurses have the right competencies to care for various patient populations. We try to use that experience, the evidence around Magnet hospitals, the business and quality case for retention, and the impact on patient, physician, and nurse satisfaction to help make the case for setting up the infrastructure for education, advancement, and recognition.
Q: What is magnet hospital status, and how can the principles behind it help our clients?
Brown: Magnet hospitals are organizations that consistently attract and retain nurses and are formally recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for meeting certain quality indicators and standards of professional practice. There has been a lot of research on the attributes of Magnet organizations and we use this body of evidence to assist our clients in creating an environment where nurses feel they are providing high-quality care, are integral to the care team, and have opportunities for advancement and recognition.
Q: During the course of our collaborations with clients we have seen nurses become more engaged with the planning and design of new hospitals. What do nurses bring to the table in facilities planning and design?
Brown: Nurses have always been strong advocates for the patient and constantly ask what is best for the patient and family. Nurses are very process and outcome-oriented, and therefore bring the perspective of the entire flow of the patient, asking key questions at every juncture. What will be the most efficient approach? What is the safest? What promotes healing? What will increase time with the patient and eliminate wasteful steps? Nurses tend to be team-oriented and social as well, making sure that the space fosters teamwork, education, and sharing of ideas. And finally, nurses are generous. I am always amazed and grateful to the countless nurses who openly share best practices across the globe in a collaborative nature to benefit the patient.
Q: What do you enjoy most or find most rewarding about your role here?
Brown: I am incredibly lucky to not only interact with nurses around the world, but also with many nurses in the major teaching hospitals in Boston. It is very gratifying when we are able to make a connection that has an impact for nurses in both countries. Nurses here tell me they learn something from every visitor that comes to the U.S., and from every encounter they have as a visiting faculty member; I know I do too. These small encounters not only strengthen individuals, but also the nursing service, and ultimately the profession.
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