Kenmore Kronicle - May/June 2015

May/June 2015

The Kenmore Kronicle A Newsletter for the Nursing Staff at Kenmore Mercy Hospital

Hospital Celebrates Extraordinary Nurses

Kenmore Mercy Hospital celebrated Nurses Week with its annual nursing luncheon on May 5.

A Summer Blessing May you walk with God this summer in whatever you do wherever you go.

Walking with God means... Walking with honesty and with courage; walking with love and respect; and showing concern for the feelings of others

The theme this year was “The Power of Nursing.”

During her presentation, Cheryl Hayes, vice president of Patient Care Services, noted the “powers” apply to nursing associates as they care for patients: courage, sacrifice, determinations, compassion, perseverance, dedication, and responsibility. “These are the some of the characteristics of our superheroes,” she said.

Special superheroes honored in 2015 were Nurse of Distinction Jessica Klug, RN, BSN, from the 2 West Patient Care Unit; Outstanding Staff Nurse Kathryn Scribner, RN, BSN, from the 2 East and 2 South Patient Care Units; and Outstanding Nursing Attendant Nancy Gargas, NA, from the Post Anesthesia Care Unit.

May you talk to God this summer and every day and in every situation.

Talking with God means... Praying words of praise for the beauty of creation; saying prayers of thanks for friends and good times; asking God’s help in all your decisions; and expressing sorrow when you have failed.

May you talk with God every day.

Amen.

- Author unknown

Klug

Scribner

Gargas

Nursing Participation Encouraged in Contest What does nursing professionalism mean to you? Take a moment to share your thoughts in the form of an essay (100 - 750 words).

Return your typed essay to Kathy Vitthuhn before July 27 via email at kvitthuhn@chsbuffalo.org or deliver it to her office in room 3038.

Winners will be chosen by the Kenmore Mercy Hospital Nurse Practice Committee.

Remember to watch Nursing Notes on the Intranet for more news!

Gift cards ($100, $50 & $25) will be awarded to the top three essays.

Coming & Goings Retirements On July 10, we will bid a fond farewell to Val Coangelo during a retirement party in the Community Room from 12 - 12:30 p.m.

Val has been with Kenmore Mercy Hospital for twelve years. She is a registered nurse and most recently served as a physician assistant.

Welcome New Team Members The following individuals joined the nursing team in May and June.

May Shanna Li, GN - 2 West Brooke Little, GN - 2 West Joy MacNeill, GN - 2 West Candace McCulloch, GN - 2 East/2 South James McQuade, GN - 2 West Isabel Mendoza, GN - Ambulatory Surgery Alexandra Sloan, NA- 2 West Emma Smith, NA - 2 West Janine Swiantek, GN - 2W Sierra Valentine, NA - Float Pool Elizabeth Weinrib, GN - Float Pool

June Marissa El Hawa, Intern - Medical Rehab Unit Jordayn Joseph, Intern- 2 West Courtney Kessel, GN - 2 East/2 South Jamie Kohl, GN - 2 West Kelsey Martin, RN - 2 West Nina Mohsini, RN - 2 West Marley North, Intern - 3 East Thomas Parsons, GN - 2 West Amanda Reed, RN - Ambulatory Surgery Emily Rotolo, GN - Intensive Care Unit Monique White, UC/TM - 3 East Sarah Young, NA - 2 West

New Position Helps Patient Experience Amber Mazurek, RN, BSN, BS, has been hired as the patient care services project advisor.

In this new role, Amber will provide support and guidance for process improvement activities in all areas of patient care services.

Other responsibilities include coordinating and leading various projects that support professional development and clinical advancement. An important aspect of Amber’s role will be implementing initiatives that will advance patient satisfaction and improve the overall patient experience.

Mazurek

Amber holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and will be completing her Master’s Degree in Executive Nursing Leadership & Change this December.

She has worked at Kenmore Mercy as a nurse on the 2 East and 2 South Patient Care Units since 2012, demonstrating excellence in nursing and patient advocacy.

Congratulations Amber!

Nurse Receives DAISY Award Congratulations to registered nurse Melissa Cavalluzzo from the 2 East and 2 South Patient Care Units. She was given the DAISY Award in June.

The DAISY Award is a nationwide program that recognizes nursing excellence.

Other nominations included included Tonya Holscher, RN, ICU, Jennifer Rennels, RN, Stress Lab, Gretchen Carney, RN, endoscopy, and Gwen Means, RN, 2 West.

You can make a DAISY Award nomination by completing a paper form and dropping it into one of the boxes throughout the hospital. It is also available on the intranet and internet.

Cheryl Hayes and Mary Hojnacki, present Melissa Cavalluzzo the DAISY Award.

Unit Clerk Receives LOVE Award Katherine McCann, unit clerk on the 2 East and 2 South Patient Care Units, received the 2015 LOVE Award for first quarter of 2015.

The LOVE Award recognizes outstanding associates who demonstrate a personal commitment to our core values – Reverence, Compassion, Justice, and Excellence – in their daily work.

Anyone can nominate associates, volunteers and physicians for the LOVE Award. Nomination forms are Nurse manager Mary Hojnacki located throughout the hospital and on the intranet and (right) helped recognize Kathinternet. erin McCann for her dedication to the hospital’s mission.

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Continuing Education

Peer Review Pointers

Emergency Department nurses Marianne LoVullo, RN, and Maria Roberts, RN, together with Kenmore Mercy Hospital stroke coordinator Catherine Mulawka, MSN, RN, MBA, attended the New York State Coverdell Stroke Initiative Conference in Albany in June.

The Peer Review Committee’s mission is to analyze the quality of nursing practice and identify educational and performance improvement opportunities, utilizing the principle of a culture of safety.

Emergency Nurses Attend Stroke Conference

A highlight of the conference was a mock code stroke that was played out based on an actual scenario that occurred recently in one hospital. The group identified common barriers to stroke care, such as timely patient arrival, lack of emergency medical service providers pre-notification, and achieving real-time documentation of care provided in order to achieve time targets.

ICU Nurse Achieves Master’s Degree

Congratulations to Brenda Kramer, RN, BSN, MSN, who recently completed her Master’s degree in Nursing Education from Western Governor’s University.

2 West Nurses Expand Learning Thanks to the Kenmore Mercy Foundation, registered nurses Louann Stephens and Megan Klyczek from the 2 West Patient Care Unit attended Understanding Depression and Bipolar Disorder through the Institute for Natural Resources, held in Amherst.

Orthopedic Nurses Attend NAON Congress

Thanks to Kenmore Mercy Hospital Administration and a mini-grant from the Kenmore Mercy Foundation orthopedic nurses Alan Chittley, RN, ONC, and Mary Hojnacki BSN, ONC, attended the four-day National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses 35th Annual Congress in Nashville, Tenn., this May. Alan and Mary attended several sessions at the conference including: Nuts & bolts of caring for hip fractures; Osteoporosis as a silent disease; Eliminate human error - follow checklists; Orthopedic certification/furthering your education and competency level; and Nursing research related to orthopedics.

Mary presented at Kenmore Mercy’s June Committee Day about what she learned at the conference. She stressed the importance of patients and families knowing that our nurses are credentialed.

“Take pride in your achievements and professional growth,” she said.

Associate Forums Available on NetLearning All associates who did not attend the in person Associate Forum sessions should take the time before August 30 to complete this education.

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The committee meets monthly to review nursing practice referrals that resulted in a patient event or near miss, and develop and action plan in response to prevent further occurrences.

Each manager has been given the forms to put out in the units. The instructions on how to fill out are on the form, and completed forms are to be given in a sealed envelope to their manager who will give it to Intensive Care Unit nurse manager Kristen Parisi, RN, BSN, CCRN. Case #1 – Patient had inaccurate weight in chart… pounds was entered instead of kilograms…weight based medication error. Conclusion: Managers to educate staff regarding careful documentation of weights.

If patient on weight based medication, documentation must be accurate and per policy.

Case #2 – Patient had excess bleeding from central IV port. Nurse questioned if a rapid response should have been called. Conclusion: Any one can call a rapid response if they feel the patient’s health/safety are at risk.

Case #3 – Nurse was unable to determine when a Foley catheter had been placed (whether in Emergency Department or pre-admission). It was noted that the ED nurse would have to free text the date in at the bottom of their documentation field. This is important because of CAUTI reporting, and if it is actually hospital acquired.

Case #4 – Patient was unassigned for entire 12 hour shift. This is a “never” event. Conclusion: There will be a read and sign regarding this occurrence. It is the off going shift nurses’ responsibility to ensure a verbal bedside report is given prior to leaving their unit. There will be more information coming on this event.

Kenmore Mercy’s 2015 “BIG DOTS” Associate Engagement

Clinical Integration Operational Effectiveness

Patient Safety & Experience

Surgical Services Orthopedic & Musculoskeletal Campus of Excellence

Nursing Excellence

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Nursing Tips & Reminders Check Alaris Pumps

Be sure to check Alaris pumps on your posts to ensure they are tightened to prevent injuries to staff and patients.

Alaris Pump Setup

Be sure to program the Alaris Pump with the cost center number of the unit where the patient is located. The pumps were upgraded and by entering the cost center we will be able to obtain unit-specific quality reports.

The reports will help to identify patient risk/safety issues. There will be laminated cards on your wheelies with the unit cost centers listed for your convenience.

IV Bags Safety Scan all IV bags when hanging them, to ensure there a record in MAK of when the new bags were hung.

Pet Therapy Program Begins

This spring, Kenmore Mercy Hospital welcomed a new breed of volunteers, dogs who are serving patients through pet therapy.

The new program that was rolled out on the Medical Rehabilitation Unit is making a positive impact on both patients and staff.

In collaboration with Therapy Dogs International, volunteer handlers and their pet therapy dogs check in at the nursing station to see if there are any patients or families who might like a visit from one of the dogs.

Restrictions on visitations include isolation and individuals who may be allergic to dogs.

Interaction with a gentle, friendly pets can have significant physical and mental health benefits including, lowering blood pressure, improving cardiovascular health, diminishes overall physical pain, lifts spirits and lessens depression, lowers anxiety and reduces loneliness.

On a particularly stress filled day, staff on the 2 West Patient Care Unit came across one of the dogs. “We were going to the break room when we met Jon Luc in the hallway. He just lifted our spirits,” said Jessica Klug, RN, BSN.

STAT Medications If a medication or IV order is STAT, it should be entered into Computer Physician Order Entry CPOE as STAT. If not STAT, a Medication Administration Check (MAK) message can be sent to the pharmacy.

This helps to reduce errors in medication.

Tank

Doolie

Jon Luc

Bella

Transport of Patients Please remember that to ensure the safest situation for those in our care, patients should be transported to their rooms by staff. Volunteers should no longer transport them.

Palliative Care Grab & Go Bags Care Management is now giving “Grab and Go” bags to patients who will be receiving support from McAuley Home Care Palliative Care. The goal is for patients to keep all theri important documents in this lime and green bag so that it will be visible and ready to go with the patient during doctor and hospital visits. The bags also include lip balm, hand wash, pen, forms to write contact numbers and current medication, and various literature regarding McAuley Palliative Care and symptom control.

Hand Written Orders All hand written orders must be entered into CPOE. Orders not placed in CPOE will not appear on the nurse’s work list. Timely placement of sequential devices has been impacted by hand written ordered not being entered correctly.

System Provides Video Remote Interpreting

The hospital recently unveiled Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) services to increase its communication abilities.

The system gives the hospital 24/7 access to interpreters in more than 200 languages. Previously, the hospital used phone interpreting services and on-call Spanish interpreters, which often took longer to use and ultimately slowed down patient care.

Registered nurse Rob Morello was among the

staff trained by Shayne Waterbly from VRI services are available through PC InDemand Interpreting in March. on portable carts that can be wheeled into the patient’s room. VRI allows hospital staff to use medically trained and certified interpreters via a live, web-based video conference - similar to Skype. At the push of a button, a healthcare provider is connected to a medically-trained interpreter within seconds.

VRI also provides access to American Sign Language interpreters. As part of Catholic Health’s communications assistance policy, deaf and hearing impaired patients have the choice of VRI service or an in-person American Sign Language Interpreter at the hospital’s expense.

The VRI carts can be found in the Emergency Department, pre-admissions and the switchboard. Be sure you sign it out and return it where you found it.

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