SPRINGFIELD – Michele Hart, RN, BSN, AE-C of Westfield decided early in life that she wanted to help others.
“We had an aunt living with us who was a nurse in the Army Nurse Corps. She was definitely a role model for me. I have always wanted to be a nurse and help people, and becoming a nurse has given me that opportunity,” said Hart, a pulmonary nurse clinician in Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Baystate Medical Center.
Hart, who was attending St. Mary’s High School in Westfield at the time, went on to study nursing at Elms College where she earned a bachelor of science degree in Nursing.
“While attending college I was working as a nurse’s aide at Baystate, then was hired after graduation to work on the hospital’s medical/respiratory unit,” said Hart, who also worked as a cardiac nurse for seven years before accepting a job in 1999 in Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Baystate Medical Center’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs provide a comprehensive approach to managing chronic pulmonary diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and bronchiectasis. The Pulmonary Rehabilitation program at Baystate was the first program in Massachusetts to be certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) in 2002 and is one of only eight certified pulmonary rehab programs in Massachusetts.
May 6-12 is National Nurses Week, a time to recognize nurses for their efforts in delivering compassionate care while encompassing the principles of ethical practice in their profession.
Beginning with National Nurses Day on May 6, nurses around the country like Hart, including others at Baystate Health facilities throughout the area, are being honored for the important role they play in delivering the highest level of quality of care to their patients. Nurses practice in diverse roles, such as clinicians, administrators, researchers, educators and policymakers.
“Nurses are our partners in clinical innovation through our team approach to quality and
safety improvements. They are at the heart of individualized approaches to care that take into account the patient’s culture, education and past experiences. We couldn’t deliver a higher state of caring without them,” said Dr. Mark A. Keroack, MPH, president and CEO of Baystate Health.
Sponsored by the American Nurses Association, National Nurses Week has as its 2015 theme, “Ethical Practice, Quality Care,” recognizing the importance of ethics in nursing and acknowledging the strong commitment, compassion and care nurses display in their practice and profession. An annual Gallup survey shows that the public has ranked nursing as the top profession for honesty and ethical standards for 13 straight year.
Hart said she “really enjoys” the education aspect of her role in pulmonary rehabilitation.
“I teach patients about their lung disease and help them develop the tools of self-management, so that they can maintain their independence and quality of life,” said Hart.
The Baystate pulmonary nurse has also given numerous lectures in the community to raise awareness of asthma and the importance of indoor and outdoor air quality in the management of asthma.
A member of the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition serving on the steering committee, Hart received the Emily Bissell Award from the American Lung Association in 2012 for her volunteer work with the organization.
Asked if she would recommend nursing to someone interested in the profession, she said “yes” and had a special message for them.
“I would tell them it’s a great career with so many opportunities for them…..so many paths to choose from hospital nursing to outpatient nursing or even teaching,” said Hart.
Baystate offers a one-year Nurse Residency Program which guides nurses from supervision to autonomy as they make their transition from novice student to competent practicing nurse. Residency graduates provide a source from which Baystate’s nurse managers can hire.
Baystate Medical Center’s high quality nursing care earned its second designation as a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence – one of only seven in Massachusetts and 18 in New England – a distinction that places the hospital’s nursing staff among the finest in the nation. Nationally, only about 6.9% of all health care organizations carry Magnet designations.
For more information on nursing at Baystate Medical Center, visit baystatehealth.org/nursing.
