Nurses: at the center of Doylestown Hospital’s past, present, and future

A century ago, Clementine Johnstone was a very unique and valued member of the Doylestown community—she was the very first visiting nurse, hired by the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown (VIA). With a salary supported entirely by the VIA’s fundraising efforts, Johnstone began her impactful work on July 10, 1916.

When considering how best to improve the health and welfare of their friends and neighbors, the women of the VIA considered a nurse to be critically important, even before establishing Doylestown Emergency Hospital in 1923.

The purpose of hiring the nurse was for her to care for people who are sick or injured in Doylestown instead of them traveling to distant hospitals. In her first three weeks, Johnstone made 62 visits in the community while building relationships with local physicians. The VIA soon realized what a difference Johnstone was making to the community.

Johnstone was only the first in a line of nurses who treated the residents of Doylestown. One of them, Norma Munsey, worked with Dr. Frank Swartzlander, the American Red Cross, and the VIA to open the first clinic on Broad Street across from the courthouse. It was this clinic that would eventually evolve to Doylestown Emergency Hospital.

Doylestown Hospital’s rich history would not have been possible without its nurses. The same can be said for the present day.

While nurses are renowned historically for compassion and dedication, today’s nurses are equally critical to a patient’s care team. “Our nursing staff is consistently recognized for their professionalism and clinical competence along with their warm and caring bedside manner,” says Patricia “Patti” Stover, RN, MSN, NE-BC, chief nursing officer at Doylestown Hospital. “It is touching to receive letters from grateful patients in our community that mention the positive difference nurses made in their experience.”

Pandemic shift

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic challenged nurses in ways they’ve never experienced before.

Draped in personal protective equipment (PPE), nurses assessed patients in cars, put themselves at risk, sacrificed time with family, and worked extra shifts. Many stayed overnight at the Doylestown Health “Inn,” a temporary housing site on the campus of Delaware Valley University.

With their patients isolated from family and friends as they recovered, nurses dialed loved ones on personal cell phones, facilitating virtual visits. Through the highs of seeing a patient recover and return home to the heartbreak of watching life slip away, Doylestown Health nurses performed with dedication and expertise, whenever and wherever they were needed—despite the exhaustion and emotional toll of COVID-19.

“Their dedication was as immeasurable then as it still is today. Patients can feel it, too,” Stover said.

“I grow prouder of our nursing teams every day,” said Jim Brexler, president and CEO of Doylestown Health. “Each twelve-hour shift can hold a wide range of challenges and triumphs, and our nurses bring the same caring and competence to every bedside—whether a patient is at their most vulnerable, or at their strongest and most optimistic.”

More than 620 nurses are employed at Doylestown Health, including home care and hospice. In a day and age when nursing turnover at most hospitals is high, Doylestown Health attracts and retains quality nurses for the long term.

“We have many nurses who have been here for 20-plus years and some for more than 40,” Stover said. “Their tenure benefits our patients in many ways—from the patient experience to safety and positive outcomes.”

A landmark report by the Institute of Medicine in 2010 provided recommendations related to academic progression in nursing. It outlined a nationwide goal that at least 80 percent of nurses should have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) by 2020. “We are well on our way to this goal,” Stover said. “Six years ago, 45 percent of nurses at Doylestown Health had their BSN. Now, 72 percent of our nurses have earned their BSN as part of our BSN 2020 initiative.”

Nursing scholarship program

To achieve this ambitious goal, leaders at Doylestown Health increased the amount of tuition reimbursement dollars available to nursing staff. “We have been fortunate that our donors wanted to partner with us,” said Laura Wortman, vice president and chief advancement officer. “Through Marv and Dee Ann Woodall’s continued support and the generosity of additional donors, significant funding has been made available through the Nursing Scholarship Program. This funding is a win-win for our nurses and the patients in our community.”

“The scholarship program has afforded our nurses the opportunity to achieve advanced degrees, while they continue to deliver high quality, compassionate care to the patients and families we serve,” Stover said. The number of certified nurses has also grown, as the scholarship program supports the tuition for coursework in advanced certification that allows nurses to build on specific strengths, passions, and expertise in a wide range of clinical and surgical specialties.

This expertise and dedication will play a pivotal role in Doylestown Health’s future as it enters the next century of care. As the hospital celebrates its centennial, it’s clear that the high-quality, patient focused care that is key to our mission began, in part, in the healing, compassionate touch of Clementine Johnstone.