Pathway to Nursing Excellence

At Riverside Health System, we create a positive practice environment that empowers and engages our nursing staff, integrating the Riverside Care Difference in all we do. Being a vital part of our continuous improvement model drives nursing excellence in both patient care and retaining the best staff.

We provide expansive nursing leadership opportunities - and mentors to guide new staff along the way to realize their personal goals and career objectives. Based on these programs and paths to excellence, the American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) has designated all Riverside Health System hospitals with the Pathway to Excellence designation.

Nurse-Led Initiatives Enhance System Excellence

Nurse-led quality initiatives contribute to making process improvements that sustain improved patient care outcomes. Across regional and national speaking engagements, our Riverside nurses present these significant practices and improved process models, including culture change successes, to drive nursing excellence nationwide.

One of Riverside's nurse-led initiative successes includes high-quality neuro intervention care decreasing time to treatment - even while overall brain attack volume continues to increase. Other nurse-led initiatives include process improvement workgroups that meet regularly to improve individual processes with the Stroke Program, such as creating a stroke cabinet to store all stroke supplies for more efficient access during an emergency.

Quality and Safety Improvements Impact Significant Clinical Achievements

Through collaborative clinical efforts, Riverside nurses impact continuous improvement in evidence-based clinical best practices every day. Our teams have reduced infection rates, reduced preventable mortality and complications - and lowered readmissions to acute care following an inpatient stay. We have improved medication safety and positive scoring on glycemic control for inpatients, obstetrical care and overall patient experiences. With a foundation of national benchmarks to guide quality care, we strive to outperform national standards set by the following:

• National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators
• National Research Corporation (NRC Health)
• Press Ganey
• Premier Quality Improvement Solutions

Our nurses are integral to the Riverside commitment to safety, quality and service through patient care excellence.

Recognizing Excellence in Nursing

At Riverside, we recognize and award excellence - because we appreciate and value making remarkable things happen. For example, we regularly honor a nurse with the internationally recognized Daisy Award - for excellence in clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care. In addition, Riverside sponsors a program called Champions of Caring so anyone can nominate a Riverside employee when patients or loved ones receive outstanding care and service excellence.

We shine the light on excellence and make sure our staff knows how much they are appreciated. A few of Riverside Health System's more notable awards include:

• Riverside Nurses Recognized in "Year of the Nurse" - 2020 Virginia Nurses Foundation Awards
• DNV Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center
• Gold Plus Performance, Target Stroke Elite Plus, Advanced Therapy and Diabetes Honor Roll Award from the American Heart/ American Stroke Association, GWTG 2020
• Level II Trauma Center
• Accredited Chest Pain Center through the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC)
• Best Maternity Hospitals 2021-Riverside Regional Medical Center
• Lifenet Platinum Award
• Breast Imaging Center of Excellence awarded by the Commission on Quality and Safety and the Commission on Breast Imaging
• Riverside Regional Medical Center Earns Blue Distinction Center+ Designation for Maternity Care
• Riverside Regional Medical Center Earns Blue Distinction Centers+ Designation for Cardiac Care
• Health and Human Services (HHS) Silver Medal of Honor for Organ Donation Award
• Riverside Health System Earns 2020 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Recognition for 16th Consecutive Year (only system based in Virginia to achieve Level 9 certification, using technology to drive further improvements in outcomes, care quality and patient experience)
• Riverside's Dementia Medication Review Program Earns Best Practices Award from Southern Gerontological Society
• Riverside Health System has been named a Screening Center of Excellence by the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
• Certified Cardiac Rehab Program through the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• Level III Perinatal Care as defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics with Neonatal Intensive Care unit
• Virginia Quality and Patient Safety Performance Improvement Award (VHHA)
• Cardiovascular Telemetry Unit received the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence
• Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence (Medical Intensive Care Unit)
• Endoscopy Unit recognized by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) for quality and safety
• Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll

Learn More about Nursing Excellence at Riverside

Our Annual Nursing Reports provide important information showing how our nurses are flexible, adaptive and always learning. Learn more about Riverside nursing across our system of care.