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South Oaks Hospital
Reconnect.
Recharge.
Remember.
Here at South Oaks, our specialty
is psychiatry, but our profession
is nursing.
Psychiatry and psychiatric
nursing have been relatively
siloed from the rest of healthcare,
so it can be easy for seasoned
psychiatric nurses to forget their
fundamentals, and their
nursing roots.
Here at South Oaks, we’ve
begun doing just that – creating
an education program that
reconnects us all with our why;
why we all became nurses, why
we must uphold nursing ethics
and standards, and why we must
elevate our practice with an
ongoing spirit of inquiry.
The end goal is simple to
elevate nurses to the highest of
standards, delivering patient-
centered care regardless of
whether our patients have
medical or psychiatric diagnoses.
And it’s already working. Nurses
14 Northwell Health
the whole population has left
who attended the first of the
new classes have reported feeling
excited to reconnect with their
nursing roots and fundamentals.
And many of our nurses,
especially those who have been
here for long careers, are receiving
this interactive education with
enthusiasm; and the education
continues, accompanied by the
efforts of the INF and sim lab
education.
Our staff has also created a
solution for another equally
challenging dichotomy. South
Oaks Hospital’s Inpatient Adult
service area has consisted of two
large units, with a very mixed
population. Although varying in
ages from eighteen to seventy,
and presenting with differing
diagnoses and needs, patients
on these units receive similar
group sessions and therapies
throughout their stay at South
Oaks. While treatment is as
individualized as possible, the
need for programming that suits
are in a very transitional phase
our young adult patients – who
in their lives – lacking in age-
specific therapies and services.
As the incidence of young adults
who require mental health
services increases, so does our
commitment to address this.
This fall, South Oaks is projected
to open a young adult unit, under
the leadership of Ken Corbin,
Administrative Director. Ken’s
vision is to operationalize a unit
where young adult patients will
receive therapies based heavily
upon self-esteem building and
coaching from a vocational team.
The transition from adolescence
to adulthood is a difficult one,
even for healthy individuals.
People who suffer from mental
illness face an even greater
challenge, and the creation of
this specialized unit will provide a
place where these individuals can
receive the services they need.
Meet Jenny Solomon-Abraham, Staff RN in
the LIJ Forest Hill Emergency Department
and the Zuckerberg Award winner for 2017!
Jenny received her Nursing BSN degree from
Mahatma Gandhi University in India in 2007
and is currently in the NP Graduate program
at Molloy College. Serving as a key member
of our ED staff as an RN since 2009, Jenny is
one of the unit’s primary preceptors. She is
also a Triage and Charge RN. With her im-
pressive career growth, she exemplifies the
“Novice to Expert” Nurse. Here’s what those
around her have to say about Jenny:
“Jenny’s compassion for her patients and her
colleagues never fails to impress. She encour-
ages patients in the direst of circumstances,
Employee Recognition
Jenny Solomon-Abraham, RN
LIJ Forest Hill
and has coaxed even the most isolated in-
dividual into a trusting nurse-patient rela-
tionship. Jenny takes on every situation or
complex care issue and uses the experience
to handle similar situations moving forward.”
“Jenny is compassionate about every aspect
of nursing care and always demonstrates
strong patient advocacy skills. Whether it be
education in a new nursing guideline, or just
refreshing her understanding of a disease
process, Jenny strives to educate herself to
the fullest extent.”
Behavioral Health RNs
Help us increase
our reach with your
healing touch.
See our job opportunities
The Rounds • Volume 1, 2017 15