SE11 Nurses are recognized for their contributions in addressing the strategic priorities of the organization.
Provide one example, with supporting evidence, of recognition of a clinical nurse for his or her contribution(s) in addressing the strategic priorities of the organization.
AND
Provide one example, with supporting evidence, of recognition of a group of nurses for their contribution(s) in addressing the strategic priorities of the organization.
Example 1 – Recognition of a Clinical Nurse
NAME OF INITIATIVE
DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Assistant Vice President Ann Marie Allen, RN, heard about the DAISY program when she attended the 2008 Magnet conference. She then told Magnet Project Director Julie David, ARNP about it. After doing research and speaking with the DAISY program representatives, David became excited because the program was turn-key and evidence-based with measurable outcomes related to RN satisfaction. She endeavored to bring the program to her organization to recognize the equally extraordinary work that Homestead Hospital nurses do everyday. To obtain funding for the initial cost of running the program, she pitched the idea to the Center for Excellence in Nursing (CEN) committee. At the same meeting, there was another proposal brought to the CEN about a homegrown program started at a sister hospital. The CEN voted unanimously for the Daisy Award. Since then the Magnet Designation department has supported the annual program cost.
The Barnes family founded this international recognition program for nurses in 1999 in memory of Patrick Barnes who died from complications of a “Disease Attacking Immune SYstem”. The family was so touched by the extraordinary nursing care and compassion that Patrick and their family received. They established the DAISY foundation to honor his memory and pay tribute to the superhuman and heroic efforts that nurses around the world perform on a daily basis through the DAISY award. To date, there are over 1,700 healthcare facilities in all 50 states and 11 other countries, committed to honoring nurses with The DAISY Award.
The DAISY subcommittee, which reports to the Professional Development Council, oversees the DAISY program in Homestead Hospital. Clinical Nurse Martha Gaitan, RN, chairs the subcommittee. She coordinates the nomination, selection and monthly ceremony supported by Magnet Designation Administrative Assistant Randy Garcia. Colleagues, co-workers, patients, family or medical staff members can submit nominations via email, fax, or drop them in DAISY boxes strategically placed across the organization. A blind judging panel, consisting of nurses across all levels, selects the winning story. The nurse’s name and other identifying information are removed so that the judging panel can rate the story based on its own merits against an established criteria as follows:
- Skilled and knowledgeable
- Competent and professional
- Kind and culturally sensitive
- Caring and compassionate
- Provides holistic comfort needs
- Family-focused and a patient advocate
- Committed and dedicated to excellence
Strategic Priorities of the Organization
Providing exemplary customer service is an expectation among all employees and it is an ongoing strategic priority of Homestead Hospital. These expectations are articulated in the employee service standards. In FY 2013, the organization focused on achieving patient satisfaction scores above 90th percentile. (SE11 01 Homestead Hospital 2013 Strategic Goals)
Nurses’ Contribution
It is with the service excellence mind set and dedication that Clinical Nurse Michelle Ozete, RN, took care of a patient admitted to 3 South, a medical-surgical/telemetry/orthopedic unit, in August 2012. This patient was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. Its symptoms can range from weakness and abnormal muscle sensations up to complete paralysis. This particular patient was quadriplegic. He was from Mexico and had no family here in the U.S. Because of the patient’s prolonged hospitalization, the staff felt like he was family. Ozete wanted to bring some holiday cheer to him. With the support of Patient Care Manager Linda Simpson, RN, and 3 South staff, she organized to have a “Mariachi “band come in and celebrate the season in December 2012. Ozete took him to the nurses’ station in a wheelchair along with a few other patients who were homeless or without family. The nurses and the rest of the staff sang and prayed with the patients. Ozete gave a speech about how much he meant to the department. It greatly touched the patient and he cried. Her actions demonstrated not only exemplary service excellence but care, compassion and empathy towards another human being. She went above and beyond her routine clinical responsibilities and made a difference in this patient’s life in that particular moment. Her actions compelled Patient Care Supervisor Tracy Moore, RN and Aylen Gordillo, RN to write 2 separate nominations for the DAISY award. (SE11 02 DAISY Award Nominations)
PARTICIPANTS
Name/Credentials |
Title |
Department |
Role in the Team |
Martha Gaitan, RN |
Clinical Nurse |
MS5 |
DAISY Subcommittee Chair |
Julie David, MSN, ARNP, ANP-BC |
Director |
Magnet Designation |
Member and provided administrative support |
Steven Trush, RN, CMSRN |
Clinical Nurse |
MS5 |
Member |
Bobbie Wich, BSN, RN, CGRN |
Clinical Nurse |
Surgical Services |
Member |
Susan Collins, BSN, RN, CMSRN |
Clinical Nurse |
MS5 |
Member |
Mery Fernandez |
Supervisor |
Nursing Administration-Clerical |
Member |
Maria Gil |
Administrative Unit Coordinator |
3 South |
Member |
Randy Garcia |
Administrative Assistant |
Magnet Designation |
Provided clerical support |
OUTCOMES
Recognition of a Clinical Nurse
The blind judging panel selected Ozete’s nomination as the winning story for the month of February 2013. She was recognized in front of her co-workers and hospital leaders by a ceremony held in her department. She was also featured in the hospital newsletter, FYI. Additionally, her picture was placed in the DAISY Award board located by the employee entrance. (Exhibit SE11a) She was recognized in the DAISY Award website as part of an elite group of DAISY nurses through a webpage that featured her picture and nomination. (SE11 03 Ozete’s DAISY Award webpage) Because of the unique nature of the disease process and the impact of nursing on the above patient’s care, Ozete together with other clinical nurses, was invited as a speaker in the Nursing Grand Rounds titled “Unraveling the Mystery of Guillain-Barre” held in March 2013. (SE11 04 Nursing Grand Rounds FYI Article and Roster 3/26/13)
Exhibit SE11a: DAISY Award Board
Summary Attachments/Hyperlinks/Evidences
SE11 01 Homestead Hospital 2013 Strategic Goals
SE11 02 DAISY Award Nominations
SE11 03 Ozete’s DAISY Award webpage
SE11 04 Nursing Grand Rounds FYI Article and Roster 3/26/13
Exhibit SE11a: DAISY Award Board
Example 2 – Recognition of a Group of Nurses
NAME OF INITIATIVE
Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR) Strong Facility
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI), defines CNOR as “the documented validation of the professional achievement of identified standards of practice by an individual registered nurse providing care for patients before, during and after surgery." It is an objective, measurable way of demonstrating competency in the field of perioperative nursing. Research shows that nurses who earn CNOR credentials have greater confidence in their clinical practice. Thus, CCI believes a team of certified nurses who have mastered the standards of perioperative practice provides even more empowerment, further advancing a culture of professionalism and promoting improved patient outcomes. This strength in numbers is why CCI launched the CNOR Strong program to recognize organizations committed to making a difference for its patients inside and outside of the OR.
Strategic Priorities of the Organization
Professional development is one of Homestead Hospital’s Professional Practice Model components. This component elucidates individual accountability for nurses to engage and pursue professional advancement activities such as national board certification with nurse leaders providing support and recognition. As such, increasing the certification rate of clinical nurses was part of the 2013 nursing strategic goal. (SE11 05 2013 Nursing Strategic Goal) This was aligned with the organizational goal under the People pillar. Homestead Hospital’s OR nurses placed a strong emphasis on patient safety and positive surgical outcomes and achieving their CNOR certification contributed to this goal and supported the nursing strategic goal.
Nurses’ Contribution
Through her professional affiliation with CCI, Services Nurse Manager Wanda Vargas-Rosado, RN heard of the CNOR Strong program. She thought that this recognition was a good fit for her team considering that all of the OR nurse leaders were already board certified with an overall certification percentage of 56%. Additionally, this would promote an increase in the certification percentage for all surgical specialties (not just OR) that are credentialed by CCI. She pitched the idea to Surgical Services Director Carmen Bouchard, RN, who enthusiastically supported it. Vargas-Rosado embarked on completing the application for the CNOR Strong facility recognition in May 2013. There were 2 criteria that needed to be met:
- Have at least 50% of eligible OR nursing staff CNOR certified. At the time of application, 56% of OR nurses had their CNOR certification.
- Provide means to recognize and reward nurses who become certified or recertified. There were already several established hospital-wide and unit-level recognition activities designed specifically for certified nurses. For example, Homestead Hospital celebrates Certified Nurses’ day annually on March 19th. Certified nurses are treated to a special continuing education-approved breakfast lecture with a distinguished guest speaker. The highlight of this breakfast is a raffle to win an expense-paid trip to the Magnet conference. This grant is sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Nursing (CEN). Certified nurses are recognized publicly by their immediate supervisor through a pinning ceremony conducted during staff meetings using the certification pin (Exhibit SE11b). Additionally, the Magnet Designation department maintains a certification board by the employee entrance where pictures of all board certified nurses are collated. The Marketing department publishes the names of certified nurses in the hospital newsletter and nursing reports. Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President Gail Gordon, RN, also sends a congratulatory note mailed to the home address of every nurse who obtains certification. At the unit level, the Surgical Services department celebrates certification with a cake shared by all staff.
Vargas-Rosado completed the online application and submitted it in June 2013.
CCI created the Champion Program to provide an opportunity for dedicated and passionate CNORs to nurture and sustain culture of professionalism and patient safety. In December 2013, CCI recognized Vargas-Rosado as a champion because of her dedication and passion for elevating the profession through board certification. (SE11 06 CCI Champion Letter) As a champion, she acted as “cheer leader” and brought awareness of the value, benefits and rewards of certification and recertification to her team. She also served as mentor by inspiring and motivating her colleagues to become certified and recertified. She put together a review binder which compiled CNOR review questions from different sources for the nurses’ reference.
Exhibit SE11b: Certification Pin
PARTICIPANTS
Name/Credentials |
Title |
Department |
Role in the Team |
Wanda Vargas-Rosado, BSN, RN, CNOR |
Patient Care Manager |
Surgical Services |
Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI) Champion Homestead Hospital |
Carmen Bouchard, MSN, RN, CNOR |
Director |
Surgical Services |
Provided support; purchased review materials, reference books and online subscription to AORN (Association of Operating Room Nurses) link |
Lamberto Hernandez, MSN, RN, CNOR |
Patient Care Supervisor |
Surgical Services |
Assisted in putting together review materials |
OUTCOMES
Recognition of a Group of Nurses
Homestead Hospital was recognized as a CNOR Strong facility in November 2013 (SE11 07 CNOR Strong Facility Certificate) and listed as CNOR Strong facility in the map of the CCI website. (SE11 08 CNOR Strong Facility Map Screenshot) This accomplishment was recognized in the hospital newsletter, FYI and the 2014 Annual Nursing Report. (SE11 09 FYI January 2013 Issue and 2014 Annual Nursing Report, page 27, highlighted) The department celebrated the award by displaying the plaque proudly in the hallway and by having a luncheon shared by all Surgical Services staff.
Summary Attachments/Hyperlinks/Evidences
SE11 05 2013 Nursing Strategic Goal
SE11 06 CCI Champion Letter
SE11 07 CNOR Strong Facility Certificate
SE11 08 CNOR Strong Facility Map Screenshot
SE11 09 FYI January 2013 Issue and 2014 Annual Nursing Report, page 27, highlighted
Exhibit SE11b: Certification Pin