Emergency Department Fellowship Graduates Celebrated at Bayhealth

Bayhealth is driven to provide the best care to the community. To help accomplish this, fellowships and professional development are made available to staff with a goal of helping them grow. One such opportunity is the Emergency Department (ED) Fellowship, which graduated its recent class.

The 20-week ED Fellowship is offered twice a year to advanced licensed practicing nurses, registered nurses and nurse graduates at Bayhealth. The fellowship includes didactic and clinical time and expands the nurse's knowledge and exposure to medical emergencies. Bayhealth Hospital, Kent Campus ED Nurse Manager Jon Hendrickson, BSN, RN, CEN, says the fellowship covers any type of emergency care provided in the ED. To get into the ED Fellowship, there's an application and interview process. Hendrickson says each nurse is handpicked, noting they're very selective in choosing who enters the fellowship.

The fellowship began four years ago, with the latest graduation marking the completion of the eighth session. ED Nurse Dana Moss, ADN, RN, worked for 19 years as a licensed practicing nurse (LPN). She once feared working in the ED, but after spending her last year as an LPN in the Kent Campus ED, she knew it was where she was meant to work. "It's an amazing atmosphere. The work we do every day and the teamwork we exercise to help people, I've never seen a group of people work together like that," Moss said.

Working through the fellowship, Moss said she was able to gain valuable knowledge and improve upon her critical care skillset. Moreover, she was able to work with experienced emergency care nurses who taught her to be a great nurse. "When you're in nursing school, you're only taught the basics and there's a lot we needed to learn to work in the ED; not everyone is built to work in this environment," Moss said. "I like making a difference in people's lives. I treat the patients in the ED like they're a family member with the utmost respect and dignity they deserve."

Other nursing fellowships offered at Bayhealth include the med-surg, critical care, inpatient rehab, and OR specialties. "Working in healthcare, it's always important for staff to grow from an education and skill-set standpoint," Hendrickson said. "Offering these fellowships to our staff allows for their continued growth, which ultimately helps us provide better care to the community."

Visit Bayhealth.org/Careers for more information on careers at Bayhealth.