Madelyn Pearson

Dear Colleagues,

This issue of Heart & Science is filled with recent examples of how nurses and Patient Care Services staff are striving to provide the best care, not only for our current patients and families but also for future generations.  

We are proud that one of our nurse scientists, Patti Dykes, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, is launching a national study here at the Brigham, among other sites, to help predict and prevent the onset of sepsis and cardiac arrest. Her fascinating project leverages artificial intelligence to detect patterns in nursing documentation that typically precede these events and alert the care team even before the patient experiences physiological warning signs.

What’s especially noteworthy to me is that Patti’s algorithm is based on how well nurses know their patients. Their intuition and ability to recognize even the subtlest changes in a patient’s behavior or condition may be the key to life-saving interventions. 

This issue also highlights an effort led by Oncology nurses to enhance patient safety by raising awareness about factors that lead to patient falls and the severity of injuries that can occur. This initiative has not only led to improved communication between nurses and patient care assistants, but it has also helped patients to better understand their risk and the importance of calling for help. 

This fall also marked the 16th annual Remembrance Service hosted by the interprofessional Connors Center for Women and Newborns Bereavement Committee. This touching service connects families who have experienced perinatal loss to support each other and remember their children. This service is deeply meaningful to our caregivers and families, with some families returning for more than 10 years to connect with other families coping with this tender loss. 

With the holiday season upon us, I want to thank our outstanding nurses and Patient Care Services staff for their immense contributions to all areas of our mission. I am tremendously grateful to be part of this special, compassionate community where staff consistently go above and beyond what is required to help patients and families achieve their goals and fulfill all their needs, clinically, emotionally and spiritually. 

With warmest wishes for healthy and happy holidays,

Madelyn Pearson, DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical Services
Brigham Health

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