Why I chose Northwell Health 27 years ago, and continue to choose it today – a Q&A with Jill Donnelly, Nurse Manager at Huntington Hospital 

Q: How long have you been working here?

A: I have been a Registered Nurse with Northwell Health since February 13, 1989.  I started working at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJ) and transferred to Huntington Hospital June 17, 2013.

Q: What positions have you had since being in the health system?

A: When I started at LIJ I worked as a Labor and Delivery RN.  I stayed in that position for 12 years and in December of 2000 I worked as a Pain Management Nurse within the anesthesia department on labor and delivery for the labor patients.  In January 2012, I changed positions to Quality Management at LIJ and I was responsible for core measures and also supported the quality measures within the anesthesia department. In June of 2013 I transferred to Huntington Hospital as a Quality Coordinator and at that time was supporting the OB/GYN/PEDS and Anesthesia departments in their quality program. 

Q: Has Northwell Health provided you with any career growth opportunities?

A: When I transferred from pain management to quality at LIJ, I had the opportunity to attend Beginnings.  This was extremely inspiring to me because our President and CEO, Michael Dowling, gave a presentation and asked each of us in the room where we would like to be in 5 years, or even 10, and inspired me to return to school for my Master’s degree in nursing administration. At this time I have only 2 more classes before I complete my Master’s degree and this has allowed me to climb the ladder with my career here at Huntington Hospital.  In February, I was chosen to become the Manager of the Nursery/Special Care Nursery and in September I became the Nurse Manager of the maternity unit as well. This has been a wonderful experience to grow my career.  I have been involved in many leadership classes at the eastern region level and also at the system level at the Institute for Nursing and at the Center for Learning and Innovation.  I was also able to attend graduate school because the health system pays, encourages and is supportive of nursing higher education. I am grateful for the opportunities the health system offers and I would not have been able to attend the program if their support was not available to me.

Q: What do you love most about working in nursing at Northwell Health?

A: I love all the opportunities available to nurses that allow us to continue to be a lifelong learners. I am proud to work for the largest private employer in New York State, and when people ask where I work I proudly say Northwell Health at Huntington Hospital.  So many of things I previously stated are the reasons I LOVE working for the system. I have worked here since I am 22 years old, going through many milestones in my life, and I have always felt that this organization is supportive of their nurses and honored home/work life balance. Not only am I proud to be a nurse in the system, but I have encouraged all new nurses that I meet to apply and work in a Northwell hospital.  I am extremely passionate about having people come to one of our hospitals that I even encouraged my daughter, who was actually born at LIJ, to seek employment and she now works in labor and delivery at LIJ. I am truly grateful for the opportunities Northwell has provided for me over all these years, and am excited to see what the years to come have in store for me. 

Picture: This group photo shows Jill (From left to right, she is the 5th woman in the back row) and some of the nurses in her unit.   

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