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Our Culture of Excellence

Kaiser Permanente Northern California nurses have long been committed to creating and sustaining a culture of excellence to advance their professional practice.

Caring Science/HeartMath Community health Community outreach Scholars Academy Magnet Recognition Mentors
Kaiser Permanente nurse

Our Culture of Excellence

Kaiser Permanente Northern California nurses have long been committed to creating and sustaining a culture of excellence to advance their professional practice.

Caring Science/HeartMath Community health Community outreach Scholars Academy Magnet Recognition Mentors

Caring Science/HeartMath

Caring Science connects the nurse, patient, family and members of the health care team by engaging in authentic caring human relationships, honoring the very humanity of the patient and family. HeartMath is an evidence-based resilience program with tools to help lower stress, build energy, and develop enhanced coping skills.

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Community health

The Nursing Student Work-Study Summer Internship Program provides upper-level prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students with a paid and supervised internship at one of the 21 Kaiser Permanente Northern California medical centers. Interns are exposed to the realities of nursing practice and gain confidence with learned skills while working under the supervision of a registered nurse. Learn more »

The Periop Immersion Program seeks to increase exposure and provide a pipeline for nursing students interested in pursuing specialty training. Students gain valuable experience in the operating room environment, an area that is largely absent from nursing student clinical rotations.

Community outreach

Florence Stroud Black History Virtual Conference

In February 2022, the Kaiser Permanente Nurse Scholars Academy partnered with the Bay Area Black Nurses Association to offer a virtual event celebrating Black History Month, including distinguished guest speakers, cultural performances, and essential community dialogue.

Clinical Opportunities at Flu Clinics

In 2022 we explored how to increase clinical opportunities for nursing students beyond the usual acute care rotations. We partnered with local nursing schools to expand BSN clinical opportunities for Samuel Merritt students to support existing staff in Napa, Fairfield, Vacaville, Vallejo, and San Jose employee flu clinics. The request came from local sites needing to reduce RN workload, and they were happy for the assistance to support nurses.

Deloras Jones Scholarship

The Deloras Jones Scholarship recognizes outstanding academic achievement and promotes diversity among ADN, BSN, master’s, and doctoral students.

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Youth Career Day

Youth Career Day exposes youth interested in pursuing a career in health care to diverse opportunities in the industry through realistic, interactive scenarios and simulations.

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Youth Equine

Connected leadership empowers youth to explore self-regulation, self-awareness, connection, and leadership within themselves and their relationships. This experiential workshop focuses on building youth leadership skills in a therapeutic environment through intentional connection with nature, animals, peers, and the community. We pair HeartMath techniques with animal-assisted activities to support youth in developing their resilience, resulting in increased empowerment within themselves, their relationships, and their communities. The main goal is to support the healing and development of our future generation of leaders and is alignment with Magnet structural empowerment.

Read more about the healing power of horses »

Kaiser Permanente Scholars Academy

The Nurse Scholars Academy is dedicated to the advancement of nursing excellence and leadership in pursuit of total health for our members and the communities we serve. Learn more »

The Research & Innovation Academy supports the generation and translation of nurse-led research and evidence into practice. Learn more »

The Allied Health Scholars Academy supports a robust, sustainable, and diverse allied health workforce where professionals thrive in the communities where they live and work. Learn more »

Magnet Recognition Program

Kaiser Permanente Northern California nurses have long been committed to creating and sustaining a culture of excellence to advance their professional practice. To promote this culture and invest in the nursing workforce to continually enhance their performance in the areas of quality, safety, and care experience, Patient Care Services, TPMG, the Continuum, and Quality partnered together in a joint effort to journey forward to Excellence and achieve Magnet designation for all 21 medical centers.

This journey is not new but is a continuation based on years of our Kaiser Permanente nursing legacy of disruptive innovators. As nurses, we are committed to using evidence-based practices, incorporating the theory of Caring Science and HeartMath, dedicated to research and ongoing quality improvements, all while using our Professional Practice Model to guide our care through our core nursing values of professionalism, excellence, patient and family-centric, teamwork, integrity, and compassion. With an emphasis on shared decision-making, ownership of practice, professional growth and development, recognition, and improved patient outcomes, our nurses aim to enhance nurse engagement and empowerment, autonomy, and job satisfaction, all of which benefit our organization.

The Magnet  Recognition Program is built on a foundation of nurse empowerment, engagement, and professional excellence. It is a worldwide recognition program awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for hospitals exemplifying nursing excellence through outstanding quality outcomes and service. Although Magnet has long been considered the gold standard for health care, it is a challenging achievement. Only 9% of all US hospitals have attained Magnet. Currently, in California, only 41 hospitals have earned Magnet designation.

Learn more about the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program »

Visit NCAL Magnet Program » (for KP employees)

Mentors

Mentoring is a hallmark of professional practice and transformational leadership that inspires, empowers, and develops leaders at all levels of nursing. It is an opportunity to share ideas and experiences that lead to personal and professional growth for the mentor and the mentee. The Kaiser Permanente Nurse Leader Mentoring Program takes place each spring and fall. The Spring Cohort will begin on May 23. Nurses who are interested in becoming a mentor or a mentee in the fall program, please visit the website to complete your application and profile. Mentoring is a gift that fosters lifelong skills and lifelong friendships.

Visit NCAL Nurse Leader Mentoring Program » (for KP employees)

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