Mount Auburn Healthcare Connection

Learn More:

• Related Links

Russell Laferriere has been nursing in the emergency department (ED) for 14 years. As an ED nurse at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, he believes the community hospital is an ideal health care setting for both patients and staff.

“Respect, compassion and empathy are common qualities employees share here,” says Laferriere. “In turn, this creates a positive atmosphere, which results in outstanding patient care.”

Quality ED care
This kind of patient-centered care is necessary in the fast-paced environment of the ED. “When I come to work, I leave my life at the door and only concern myself with the lives of my patients,” says Laferriere. “Their wants and needs are first and foremost.”

The extremes of the ED require nurses to play many different roles. Laferriere believes one of the most important aspects in the ED is to place himself in each of his patient’s shoes in order to provide them with individualized care.

“Sometimes I need to be a nurturer and other times I need to be a friend,” he says. “But I continually need to be straight forward, so the patient and their family know the reality of the situation.”

Continuous learning
In the evolving field of medicine, ED nurses, like nurses in every other specialty, need to stay on top of emerging procedures, treatments and protocols. With the teaching component at Mount Auburn Hospital, the medical staff is always up-to-date.

“There is a great camaraderie between everyone that works at Mount Auburn Hospital. We rely on one another for information and good communication to give our patients the best care possible,” says Laferriere.

Whether he is saving a life or helping someone through a difficult time, Laferriere is rewarded with the bonds created in the ED at Mount Auburn Hospital. “I’m making connections with patients every time I come to work,” he says.

At Mount Auburn Hospital, there are many nurses with specific areas of expertise. These nurses work collaboratively with a team of care providers to administer the highest quality of care to patients.

For a free Mount Auburn Hospital physician directory, please call us at (617) 499-5094.