Q&A: How AdventHealth is redefining nurse growth through whole-person care

AdventHealth’s Professional Excellence Program (PEP) is changing how nurses grow and thrive in their careers. Developed by nurses for nurses, the program celebrates clinical expertise and honors the body, mind and spirit connection that defines whole-person care.

Trish Celano, RN, MSN, system chief nursing executive and associate chief clinical officer for AdventHealth, shares how the initiative is helping nurses flourish and how that, in turn, strengthens care for patients and families across the system.

Q: How did the Professional Excellence Program begin?

Trish Celano:

For years, we’ve seen how much our bedside nurses bring to the organization. They have tremendous knowledge built over years of experience, but we heard from many that the only way to advance professionally was to leave the bedside.

That didn’t feel right. We wanted to build a program that honors their expertise, recognizes their contribution and creates a path for growth where they are. When experienced nurses stay in direct care, patients receive the benefit of both expert technical skill and compassionate presence.

I really believe people can feel the difference when a nurse’s care is rooted in confidence, empathy and the ability to connect deeply with their patient and their loved ones.

Q: How does this program align with AdventHealth’s whole-person philosophy?

Trish:

Whole-person care – caring for body, mind and spirit – is at the center of who we are. The same belief applies to how we support our team members. Nurses give so much of themselves in every shift, and the program was designed to help them feel whole, too.

That’s why self-care is built in as one of the key elements. We encourage nurses to take time for reflection, to learn about boundaries and emotional health and to care for their physical well-being. When a nurse can prioritize their own wellness, they have the capacity and compassion to care for others fully.

The Professional Excellence Program is grounded in Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, which aligns closely with our mission. That framework helps us think beyond tasks and outcomes to the relationships that form between caregiver and patient. Those human moments – listening, comforting, praying together – are where healing happens.

Our experienced nurses are particularly proficient at this. They know how to treat the body, but also how to calm the mind and lift the spirit. When novice nurses observe expert nurses modeling this, they tell us it grounds them in the reason they became a nurse in the first place.

We honor that connection with this program, recognizing that caring for the whole person begins with caring for the caregiver.

Q: What makes the Professional Excellence Program unique?

Trish:

There are a few elements that are stand-out differences, starting with the program development The ladder was developed with front-line nurses from all across our organization. We began by listening. Bedside nurses told us what matters most, what excellence looks like and what recognition should feel like.

The program’s structure recognizes nurses for excellence in six areas: education, evidence-based practice, clinical achievement, professional development, leadership and self-care.

The self-care element is also unique and has been a significant element of engagement for direct care nurses. We made sure the process would be simple and meaningful. The program’s hub is available digitally, making it easy to track progress and access resources. Every hospital has program champions serving as nurse mentors and guides, providing the necessary support along the way. That mentoring piece has been powerful. It creates connection and builds a sense of community across units and campuses.

And because it’s standardized across our more than 50 hospitals, it creates shared expectations and opportunities for all nurses, no matter where they serve.

Q: How is it changing the nursing experience and patient care?

Trish:

Since launching in 2022, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and retention among participants has improved by more than three times the baseline. Thousands of nurses have joined the program, sharing that it has helped them reconnect with their purpose. They feel seen and supported.

When that happens, it changes the environment of care. Nurses who feel valued bring a deeper level of caring to their work. We’ve also seen stronger collaboration between nurses and physicians, which improves interprofessional communication and the environment of care.

You can see it play out at the bedside: a patient who feels cared for, a family that is reassured, a team that works in harmony. That’s the ripple effect we expect to see from this program, supporting not just our nurses, but the experience for everyone.

Q: What does the future of this program look like?

Trish:

We’re continuing to study the long-term outcomes and how this work influences team engagement, quality outcomes and the patients experience . The listening never stops; we continue to get feedback from the front line to keep the program relevant and effective for our nurses.

Ultimately, we want AdventHealth to be a great place to work, where nurses can develop professionally and experience the same whole-person care they provide to others.

Interested in joining a team that supports whole-person nursing?

Click here to explore nursing careers at AdventHealth.