Welcome to North Shore Medical Center (NSMC)
We hope that you have an excellent learning experience with us. Below is information about us
and things that you need to know for your clinical experience. Please read the information
carefully and then validate on the Central Clinical Nursing Placement (CCP) site that you have
read and understand the information. If you have any questions, please contact your instructor
and we will get the answer for you.
About North Shore Medical Center
NSMC is the largest healthcare provider on the North Shore, offering state-of-the-art
comprehensive health care to our communities.
NSMC includes NSMC Salem Hospital, NSMC Union Hospital, MassGeneral for Children at
North Shore Medical Center, NSMC Heart Center and NSMC Women's Center. In addition, we
have over 200 physicians, nurse practitioners and healthcare professionals in our North Shore
Physician Group network.
NSMC Salem Hospital
NSMC Salem Hospital is a 248-bed community teaching hospital that provides comprehensive
adult and pediatric services. The NSMC Heart Center is the only comprehensive heart center on
the North Shore with fully integrated cardiac services including angioplasty and advanced
cardiac surgery. We also offer a full range of surgical services, including many minimally
invasive procedures. We have the North Shore's largest emergency services and are designated as
a Primary Stroke Service hospital. Our full pediatric services are located on the Salem campus
as well.
NSMC Union Hospital
NSMC Union Hospital is a 147-bed, acute care community hospital dedicated to providing highquality, convenient health care to the residents of Lynn and surrounding communities. The
clinical staff provides sophisticated adult medical and surgical services including emergency
care, convenient day surgeries and other procedures
Through our membership in Partners HealthCare, we are able to provide our patients with access
to some of the most advanced sub-specialists in the world. We are linked to the same secure
electronic medical record system used by Massachusetts General Hospital and other Partners
HealthCare members, ensuring greater efficiency and safety.
NSMC MISSON - WHAT WE DO
We, the physicians, staff, trustees and volunteers who make up NSMC, provide comprehensive,
accessible, high-quality health care and service to our communities, and, in collaboration with
our Partners HealthCare colleagues, we deliver the most advanced care through centers of
clinical, technical, and service excellence.
NSMC VISION - WHAT WE STRIVE FOR
We seek to be a recognized leader among healthcare institutions for advancing clinical
excellence, improving patient safety, and enhancing service in a manner that attracts, supports,
and values our patients and those who care for them.
NSMC VALUES - WHAT WE BELIEVE
We understand that personal and organizational integrity are essential to building and
maintaining the trust and satisfaction of patients, physicians, and employees.
We recognize our responsibility to create a safe and comforting healing environment for both
patients and those who care for them.
We believe that compassionate, respectful human interaction is the heart of the healing process.
We celebrate the many aspects of diversity among our patients and staff and welcome each
individual as part of the community we serve.
We encourage innovation and seek opportunities to learn and view both as essential for personal
and organizational growth.
We focus on our stewardship responsibilities to ensure the long-term financial health and
integrity of our organization.
OUR NSMC CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE
NSMC promotes a "community" culture that focuses on clinical and service excellence and
strives to deliver the best clinical outcomes, eliminate serious safety events and provide a perfect
patient experience every time in every place. We call our ongoing efforts to achieve these lofty
goals our Culture of Excellence. Creating a Culture of Excellence requires us to consider care
and quality on the same level. One cannot exist without the other.
FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESS
Our work at NSMC is both precious and complicated. We at NSMC and those for whom we care
deserve a safe environment that promotes mutual respect in every interaction along with clinical
and service excellence performed with kindness, compassion, acceptance and civility. We seek
to understand and respond to the individual beliefs, values and needs of all members of our
NSMC Community. We promote healing relationships throughout our Community. Our NSMC
Code of Behavior is created to foster this environment for all of our patients and their families
and for all of our caregivers at all times. We at NSMC define required behavior based on our
employee-created Foundations for Success, which focuses on excellence in our interpersonal
relations. Our expectation is that all who work within NSMC follow these behaviors.
Compassionate: recognizing the psychological and emotional needs of others
Respectful of others: listening carefully, responding to privacy and comfort issues and treating
others as I wish to be treated
Attentive to others: being aware of and focusing on their unique needs
Collaborative with others: working cooperatively and building team identity and spirit
Accountable for my actions: taking responsibility for myself and our NSMC Community and
being aware of the effects of my behavior on others
Informative: sharing information accurately in an appropriate and up-to-date manner.
Adaptable to others: being flexible and appropriately responsive to change
Professional: being reliable, constructive, authentic, and behaving with integrity
Emotionally self-aware: recognizing my own feelings and their effects on my behavior and
adjusting appropriately
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Patient Safety Reporting- When a patient safety event such as a fall, skin break down or wrong
medication administered occurs, please contact the licensed nurse caring for the patient
immediately. He/she will complete the necessary reports.
Compliance – Partners Healthcare System, Inc. and North Shore Medical Center are committed
to conduct their affairs in accordance with the highest ethical and legal standards. In order to
maintain these standards, all those associated with Partners/NSMC must perform their duties
with integrity and honesty. If you question the appropriateness of an activity or are unsure about
the ethics of an employee’s actions, please discuss this with your instructor. You may also call
our Compliance Help Line at 1-800-856-1983
Needle Stick Injury/Hazardous Exposure–If you have a needle stick or laceration due to
sharps and exposure to non-intact skin, wash the site with soap and water for 5-10 minutes or
flush your mouth or eyes for 5-10 minutes. Then contact your instructor and the Occupational
Health area or Call the STIX Beeper by contacting the operator. They will begin the
assessment. Follow up will be either at the school’s health center or your private physician as
needed
Emergency Codes:
The overhead paging system is used to notify employees and staff of most critical situations.
Additionally, Code Response Teams may be notified through the Partners Paging System. You
should refer to the Environment of Care Manual for additional information. Call 2222 for all
Codes
Code Red
Fire or smoke emergency
Code Blue
Cardiac arrest
Code Gray
Immediate security response needed
Code Pink
Infant or child missing or presumed to have been abducted
Code Triage
Activation of emergency management plan
Code Black
Notification of a bomb threat in the building or on the
grounds (Not announced on overhead page system)
Code Orange
Hazardous materials spill
Code Yellow
Trauma alert
Code Stroke
Stroke alert
Medical Waste Disposal
NSMC participates in the pharmaceutical waste disposal program Stericycle. This program
minimizes the environmental impact of pharmaceutical disposal and the risk of pharmaceutical
waste entering drinking water. Our participation is an effort to improve the disposal process of
medication and is necessary to remain compliant with state and local agencies.
Pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, and nursing staff are responsible for disposing of waste
correctly by discarding pharmaceutical items into the appropriate blue, purple, or black
container. Empty IV bags, IV bags not containing medication (e.g., IV solution only or IV
solution containing only electrolytes) and most medication containers or wrappers may be
disposed of in the regular trash.
The disposal of regulated medical waste (items saturated with blood or body fluids) continues to
be in the red regulated medical waste bags. Zip-lock baggies are to be used for all items that
have the potential to leak or spill. For pharmaceutical medical waste (medications and other
chemicals), reference posters can be found near disposal bins. Please refer to these posters to
ensure appropriate disposal of items.
General Guidelines:
RED - for EMPTY syringes with or without a needle and ampules. Narcotics should be wasted
down the sink and empty syringes/ampules disposed of in these containers.
BLUE- 98% of our total pharmaceutical waste goes here. Examples: reconstituted medications,
IV medication remnants, oral medications. All medications must have a barrier (i.e., in original
packaging or in a zip-locked baggie) and be labeled with medication name. Spiked IV’s should
be placed in the blue container (if medication is appropriate), otherwise placed in appropriate
container. If leaking, place in zip-lock baggie.
PURPLE - for syringes containing remaining medications or vaccines, with or without a needle
in place.
BLACK Corrosives - for disposal of glycopyrrolate, Sporanox Liquid
BLACK Oxidizers , silver nitrate, sodium nitrate,
BLACK Chemo - chemotherapy trace items, greater than 3% or original volume present.
Check the poster and label for clear directions.
YELLOW- for chemotherapy disposal as directed.
Questions should be forwarded to the pharmacy.
Hope you found this information helpful. Please do not forget to sign off on the CCP site.
We look forward to having you at NSMC.