How to Support Ochsner Nursing

Generous Philanthropy Supports a Variety of Nursing Initiatives

The generosity of donors creates incredible opportunities for nurses not available through other sources and inspires innovation in education, career development, and wellness. Below are a few programs that supported Nurses across Ochsner Health in 2021, made possible through donations.

Nursing Education Grant Fund

The Nursing Education Grant Fund provided support for projects that allow frontline nurses, who are uniquely positioned to identify and operationalize change at the bedside, to do research into such improvements. One project, Investing in Nurse Creativity, addresses this directly. The purpose of this study was to create a nurse leadership program to address frontline clinical problems. They used a structured curriculum to train nurses in leadership topics, communication, change concepts, quality improvement methods, project management, and data management and analysis. Each nurse was supported to commit to 96 hours of nonclinical time to identify a specific clinical problem and solve the issue with a team. Ten teams participated in the program from nine ICUs and one medical/surgical unit. Four of the ICUs chose to look at emergency response, four teams at implemented interdisciplinary rounds, one chose to tackle burnout, and one looked at noise reduction. Each team was able to demonstrate positive patient, nurse, and fiscal outcomes at the end of the one-year program. The total fiscal impact is estimated to be over $1 million. This program demonstrates that staff nurses can make substantial contributions to their organizations in clinical and fiscal outcomes when provided with nonclinical time.

The Patty Hanson Nursing Scholarship Fund

The Patty Hanson Nursing Excellence Fund was created in 2015 to launch nursing education, research, and development programs that leave an immediate and broad impact on nurses at Ochsner. In 2018, when Ochsner formed an educational alliance with Chamberlain University, the Patty Hanson Nursing Excellence Fund was dedicated as a scholarship for Chamberlain nursing students. The Patty Hanson Nursing Scholarship was established by her husband, John Hanson, in her loving memory. Patty was an Ochsner nurse and a dedicated advocate for nursing education during her career. She created programs, authored medical publications, delivered addresses, and taught new nurses nationally. The Patty Hanson Scholarship continues to be awarded to an Ochsner employee who has demonstrated a passion for the nursing profession and commitment to higher learning. Recent recipients of the award include: • Spring 2022, Samantha Oestriecher • Fall 2021, Christian Wilson

• Spring 2021, Tegan Moersfelder • Fall 2020, Ovena Darius

• Summer 2020, Sonja Schuster • Spring 2020, Kaitlynn Moran • Fall 2019, Michelle Theriot

• Summer 2019, Jada Davis and Princess Jones

Baptist Nursing Education and Innovation Funds

The Baptist Nursing Education Fund supports nurses who attend educational conferences and seminars or are working toward achieving specialty certifications or recertifications. In 2021, the Nursing Innovation Fund supported a refurbishing of the "serenity room" for staff, which encourages one moment of mindfulness when team members find themselves in need. None of this is possible without the generosity of our donors. If you would like to support a nursing fund at Ochsner Health, please visit www.ochsner.org/NursingFunds.

Scan code to watch Ochsner Nurses in the music video You Didn’t Have To

“I am proud to be the son of an incredibly selfless nurse, and as a child was fortunate to observe and absorb the compassion my mom showed to every patient and family member. Today, I see this same spirit in our Ochsner nurses. There are countless stories of lives saved and changed thanks to these skilled professionals, and I’m so grateful that you have chosen this path, which is far from easy, and I thank you for all you do for Ochsner and our patients.”

- PETE NOVEMBER, Chief Executive Officer, Ochsner Health

“In my career as a practicing internist and pediatrician, I experienced firsthand the impact nurses have within care delivery. That’s why today, I start nearly every day rounding on nurses at Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans. I do this to share our team’s gratitude for their work.”

- DR. ROBERT HART, Chief Physician Executive and President, Ochsner Clinic

“Our nurses are a true testament to the strength of Ochsner. You are the reason we continue to stand resilient at every turn. Together, we’ve seen healthcare advance, our practice change and our teams adapt. We’ve been through the ups and downs but we have much to look forward to. Your work matters to every patient and family that you care for, and I’m proud to know that your mentorship and commitment to patient care will help propel us forward.”

- MICHAEL HULEFELD, President and Chief Operating Officer, Ochsner Health

“We know that without every nurse at Ochsner, we wouldn’t be where we are today. You are the reason our patients are cared for, the reason loved ones are comforted and the reason we are inspired to move forward. All of us know nurses who have had a positive impact in our lives, whether it’s a family member in the profession or simply a nurse who went the extra mile to help a loved one receive the care and compassion they needed.”

- WARNER THOMAS, Former President & CEO, Ochsner Health

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56 Ochsner Nursing 2021 Annual Report