There are many advantages to working as a nurse at Saint Raphael's:

• The Time Advantage
• The Career Advantage
• The Location Advantage

Saint Raphael's has special programs and policies in place that give nurses a wide range of choices in how and when they work, including several new reward and bonus programs. Besides a policy of no mandatory overtime, you can choose:

• The Weekend Alternative Program: Nurses who participate in this program agree to work either 20 or 24 hours every weekend and receive premium compensation for working these shifts. The program requires a one-year commitment and the nurse must have 2 years of recent hospital-based experience.
• Reserve Pool Program: Highly skilled RNs in this program float to different areas as needed. Earn a significantly higher hourly salary plus differentials.
• Excellent nursing opportunities are available part-time and full-time. Part-time nursing employees are required to participate in orientation on a full-time basis.
• Variety of shift lengths: Choose from eight- or 12-hour shifts or from partial four- or six-hour shifts.

At Saint Raphael's, nurses are an extremely important part of our medical community. We respect their professionalism, provide an environment in which to grow and learn and are supportive of excellence. Saint Raphael's accomplishes this through:

A Cluster Model of Staffing

Floating is a major dissatisfier for nurses. We've addressed this at Saint Raphael's by introducing a cluster model of staffing, based on input from our own staff members and feedback from a Nursing Satisfaction Survey. RNs and LPNs float only within patient care areas requiring similar competencies and skill sets. Additionally, by working on the same units, staff have the opportunity to better know each other and feel more comfortable collaborating on patient care matters.

Clusters include Critical Care, Telemetry, Surgical, Medical and Psychiatry. Still other units use a similar product-line staffing model. These include units focusing on a Cardiothoracic product line and a Pediatrics/Obstetrics/Gynecology product line.

Highly skilled Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs)

CNSs specialize in a particular area and help other nurses on staff gain expertise in that area as well. CNSs work primarily day shifts with some shift rotation based on staff and patient needs. We have CNSs in oncology, medical/telemetry nursing, surgical nursing, medical intensive care, psychiatry, diabetes and geriatrics. Off-shift nursing resource staff are also available to assist nurses on every patient care unit. These nurses help troubleshoot clinical issues that occur on the evening or night shift.

Clinical Ladders

These ladders encourage professional growth by recognizing nurses' clinical achievements and expertise. We have a two-rung ladder for LPNs and a three-rung ladder for RNs. There are specific educational requirements and clinical competencies associated with each level, and each advancement is approved by the patient care manager (PCM). RN applicants who are striving for Level III status must complete two major work projects and submit a formal application to a review committee, in addition to the PCM endorsement.

Staff Development Activities

Saint Raphael's offers nurses a wide variety of development activities. Our Annual Nursing Research Day, during which nurses present their research findings, is very well-attended. For a list of 2008 presentations, Click Here

We also offer courses in oncology and critical care as well as a monthly calendar of continuing education activities for nurses. Our CNSs give courses specific to their units. And we offer many student nursing opportunities through our affiliations with nearby nursing schools at Central Connecticut State University, Yale University, Fairfield University, Gateway Community College, and Naugatuck Valley Community College, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University, and Southern Connecticut State University.

Professional Recognition

Many of our nurses have been recognized professionally with prestigious awards. These include the Nurse's Excellence in Clinical Practice Award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses; the Excellent Preceptor Award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses; the Jeanne E. Doyle Award for Excellence in Vascular Nursing, the highest honor given by the Society for Vascular Nursing; the Mary E. Mahoney Award, given by the Southern Connecticut Chapter for the National Black Nurses Association; and the Lane W. Adams Award from the American Cancer Society.

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Saint Raphael's is located in New Haven, a historical New England city offering a wide variety of cultural, educational and recreational experiences. Click here for our community.

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