Fostering Clinical Success: Using Clinical Narratives for Interprofessional Team Partnerships From Massachusetts General

Massachusetts General Hospital, long esteemed for its rigorous science and technical excellence, takes time each day for something seemingly unscientific: telling stories. Why? Research has shown that in today’s high-tech, rapid-change environment, one of the simplest tools-storytelling-can significantly improve outcomes.

Massachusetts General Hospital systematic use of clinical narratives has improved patient care and increased patient, family, and staff satisfaction while reducing costs. Used in conjunction with best-practice technical expertise, clinical narratives have become a key component of the hospital’s evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation.

In Fostering Clinical Success, Massachusetts General Hospital nurse leaders share their model for creating, embedding, and fostering a narrative culture. Create a safer environment for your patients and improve the practice environment for your staff through storytelling and other evidence-based techniques presented by three nurse leaders at a premier U.S. hospital.

2nd Place 2015 AJN Book of the Year

Fostering Clinical Success: Using Clinical Narratives for Interprofessional Team Partnerships from Massachusetts General Hospital 2015 AJN Book of the Year Award in the Medical-Surgical Nursing category.

About the Authors

Jeanette Ives Erickson, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is Senior Vice President for Patient Care and Chief Nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Marianne Ditomassi, DNP, RN, MBA, is Executive Director of Patient Care and Magnet Recognition at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Susan Sabia, BA, is Executive Editor of Caring Headlines, the biweekly newsletter for Massachusetts General Hospital Nursing and Patient Care Services.

Mary Ellin Smith, RN, MS, is Professional Development Manager at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Institute for Patient Care.