Remember The Mission

Education was the focus of the “Vascular Access Device Fair Day” sponsored by the Vascular Access Team Chrystal Kurimski, Eli Villarreal, Adrian Carrola and Craig Hellums and Nurse Educators Susan Pawkett and Bonnie Schranner.  The all day event took place in the Foundation Room on February 27^th, 2008.Displays gave an overview of the history of infusion therapy which began in 1492 with an attempted transfusion of blood to Pope Innocent VIII.

The displays highlighted the early beginnings and ended with an overview of devices used today.  Samples of the different devices littered the tables and added to the hands on feel of the event.  Chrystal Kurimski and Eli Villarreal representing the “Vascular Access Team" along with Boston Scientific representative Frank Soto were on hand to demonstrate Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICC lines) using the ultra sound device the “iLook”.  They also, demonstrated various care and maintenance techniques commonly used for PICC lines.  Nurse Educators (Susan Pawkett and Bonnie Schranner) were on hand to answer questions about Patient Care Services Guideline: “The Care and Maintenance of Vascular Access Devices”.  Attendees were encouraged to try an access an implanted port using the specialized huber needle.  It was an excellent opportunity for nurses to ask questions and handle equipment they don’t see frequently.   A wide variety of topics were discussed and no aspect of vascular access device care was excluded.  It was an excellent opportunity for staff to share experiences and gain confidence in the quality care they are giving.

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that the Department of Respiratory Care University Health System has been recognized as a Quality Respiratory Care Department for the 5th straight year by the American Association of Respiratory Care. Only 700 departments of Respiratory Care nation wide has earned this honor. Hospitals who earn this designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services. Respiratory therapist are specially trained health care professionals who work under medical direction to provide services to people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, AIDS and other diseases of the cardiopulmonary system. Therapist provide care to patients who are premature infants to geriatrics. They are key members of the lifesaving response teams. I am very proud of the services we provide and the professional who provide those services to the patients of the University Health System.

We are a magnet family!  The first Ambulatory Breakfast of Champions was held on May 30th!  With elegance the new ambulatory champions verified what makes the outpatient settings magnetically great! 

Nancy Ray, CNO welcomed the new champions and provided an overview of the New Magnet Model that we are following on the journey and where our trail has taken us so far.  Click here to view the presentation.  The transformation leadership within the organization is the beginning for all organizations on the magnet journey. 

Mary Anne Peinemann, MSN, RN and Susan Pawkett, BSN, RN provided the

foundation of our Structural Empowerment through our Shared Governance model.  The champions discussed the venues they are currently involved in with this model as well as their opportunities for empowered decision-making in their clinics.   Click here for presentation.  What is Exemplary Professional Practice in our ambulatory setting?  David Correa, RN and Deborah Forman-Lindsay, MSN, RN described the Health Literacy Project aimed at giving providers new understanding and approaches in working with patients and their literacy skills.   So how about those Empirical Quality Outcomes in the ambulatory setting?  Paul Alfieri, RN, C, ACRN, Lily Barrera, RN and John Halsell, RN provided new insights into the excellence in care for our patients living with HIV.  Their passionate presentation provided the audience with clear understanding of why their clinic is known by its patients as providing the best care!   And you said New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements……Women’s Health Services Pauline Graham, RNC and Janelle Pehl, BSN, RN about the number of new innovative processes to include navigators and patient education materials to assist our new mom’s. 

Our New Champions can be seen in our Ambulatory Gallery of Champions!  They can’t wait to share more of their magnetically great contributions that provide excellence in patient care! 

 

February 10-16 we celebrated “Cardiovascular Professionals’ Week at University Health System.” With a variety of events including presentation on Women’s’ heart disease presented by Dr. Tristan Dow and a nursing grand round presented by Kim Medellin,RN and Kris Jones,RN.

On Wednesday we had a breakfast presentation with a slide show of all the people who work screening on Valentines Day “Love your Heart” in the cath lab, heart station and staff from the MCCU and some of the technology used in the departments. A group of nurses from the cardiac cath lab, heart station Medical and Critical Care Units and nurses from the Intermediate Progressive Care Unit participated in blood pressure was our message to the visitors and employees who had their blood pressures screened and were able to pick up information on heart health. We had a great turn out for all our events , thanks to everyone involved in this celebratory week.

Sharing Knowledge and Expertise! UHS nurses lead the way!

How do health care systems provide data to unit staff in an understandable and meaningful format? Michael Payne BSN, RN, Charles Reed MSN, RN, Susan Gerhardt MSN, RN, Lisa Wammack MSN, RN shared the nursing quality council’s strategy “Creating a Staff Nurse Friendly "Mini-Cooper" Dashboard Using NDNQI Data!” at the 2nd Annual NDNQI Conference in Orlando Florida. Click here to view this poster! And how do you tackle inter-rater reliability? What is inter-rater reliability? Charles Reed, MSN, RN clarified and amplified this concept in his presentation “When Does Inter-Rater Reliability Impact Quality of Care.” for the same audience. Multiple accolades were received for both projects with requests for sharing more details with other hospital systems.

But Charles had not shared enough! He flew to Hawaii and presented an interdisciplinary poster, Improving Tight Glycemic Control with the Adjunct Use of a Data Management Software Program co-authored with Michael Corneille, MD, Randy Beadle, BSN, RN John Myers, MD, Susan Gerhardt, MSN, RN, Nanette Larson, BSN, RN, Daniel Dent, MD and Ronald Stewart, MD at the Society for Critical Care Medicine Conference. Click here to view this poster!
More knowledge and expertise was contributed to the local community by UHS nurses presenting at the 2nd annual Delta Alpha Sigma Theta Tau Research Conference. The proposed research project seeking answers to The Use of 2% Chlorhexidene Gluconate Impregnated Cloths to Reduce Postoperative Cesarean Wound Infection was presented as a poster that the audience found intriguing. This collaborative project includes Pamela Higby, MSN, RN, Lisa Castellanos, BSN, RN, Marisol, Leija, BSN, RN, Chris Hallgren, RN, Teri Grubbs, BSN, RN, Betsy Buch, MSN, RN, Samantha Pierce, BSN, RN, Zandra Perez, BSN, RN, Linda Gonzales, RN, Alejandra Alvarez, MD, Sara L. Gill, PhD, RN. Click here to view this poster! Susan McKinley, BSN RN presented her proposed graduate research study, “Beyond Sticks and Stones and Names that will Never Hurt You. Exploring General Bullying and Racial/Ethnic and Minority Bullying in Healthcare Organizations.” Did you know in 2006 that 39,000 foreign born and foreign trained nurses were hired in the USA compared to 36,000 American Nurses? Simultaneously, there has been a significant rise in workplace bullying. Susan is exploring the physical, emotional and behavioral responses of RNs from different racial groupings e.g. Hispanic, Caucasian, Asian, African-American, African-Carribean and their opinions on what interventions most help reduce bullying and improve the work environment. Participants will be asked to respond to an on-line survey pending IRB approval. Within this important work lies answers for many organizations throughout the United States. Click here to view this poster!
Wen Pao, MSN, RN, CCRN, Rick Sambucini, BSN, RN, Charles Reed, BSN, RN, Janet Kramer, RN, CCTN Maureen A. Laughlin, RN, CCRN, Christie L. Harper, BSN, RN, Randy Beadle, BSN, RN, CCRN, Josefina Gitamondoc-Cochetti, BSN, RN, Carol Reineck, PhD, CCRN, CNAA-BC presented their poster describing the results of their study Nurse’s Perception of Current Oral Care Practice in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at University Hospital. This group will be using this work to launch another interdisciplinary project with the Dental Faculty from UTHSCSA for developing a guideline and teaching nurses the best strategies for oral health care. Click here to view this poster! But not enough! Michelle Sherman, BSN, RN presented her team’s work The Outcome of Education on Effective Non-Verbal Communication. The team working on this included: Charles Reed MSN, RN, CNRN, Michele Sherman BSN, RN, Randy Beadle BSN, RN, CCRN, Carol Reineck, PhD, CCRN, CNAA-BC, Susan Gerhardt MSN, RN, Nanette Larson BSN, RN, and Lisa Wammack, MSN, RN. Evelyn Swenson-Britt, MS, RN presented her proposed study Nursing Research Self-Efficacy Scale (NURSES): Instrument Validation which is being Sponsored by Delta Alpha At-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International.

The ANCC’s vision for magnet facilities is that they “serve as the fount of knowledge and expertise for the delivery of nursing care globally”. UHS nurses are on the march to become a cascade of innovation and expertise that they proudly share with our community and throughout our nation!