In Roads
Inside information for the employees of Mercy Medical Center
Gift Shop News 50% off all Christmas items, except for the Demdaco Nativity items. No gift wrap on sale items. Wishing all of you a very healthy, happy, prosperous New Year! Cheers to 2014!
Living Spirituality by Sister Lucille Carreau, DHS Asst. Director of Spiritual Services
Thought:
“The Holy Spirit is our harpist, and all the strings which are touched in love Must sound.” — Mechtild of Magdeburg quoted in Open Mind by Diane Mariechild
Practice:
Allow yourself to be played by the Spirit. Let love lead you today.
HIPPA Q&A by Jannine Amato, HIPAA Coordinator
Q: If I recognize a patient as an acquaintance and I share this information with a mutual friend, have I violated HIPAA? A: YES. If a staff member shares any information about a patient not related to their job, they have breached the patient’s privacy. Disclosing any information about a patient, past, present or future would be considered an inappropriate release of PHI. As an employee of the hospital, HIPAA holds you accountable to the rules whether you’re on the clock or not. What about if the mutual friend brings up the patient in conversation? Here again, acknowledging the service we have, are or had provided the patient is protected information. Sometimes it’s best to just remind others that as a healthcare employee, you’re not permitted by law to acknowledge any patient information that is not related to your assigned duties while on the job.
January 10, 2014
“ Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won’t have to hunt for happiness.” - William E. Gladstone
CHW Bounty Hunt We are working on updating everything to reflect the new Dignity Health logo, especially items that a patient will receive. If you happen to see any handouts, forms, signs, folders, etc with the old CHW logo on it, please bring it to Marketing in Administration, so we can replace them and reward you with a Mercy Medal. In case you forgot what the former logo looked like, below is an example.
Hello humankindness After 60 years of marriage, Frank Walker still continues to make his wife smile. To help sooth his wife while in the Emergency Room at Mercy Medical Center, he began playing his harmonica. Everyone who passed by their room was touched by this act of kindness and couldn’t help but smile. Click on the image to see the video.
Bear Creek
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
The good news? HPV can be prevented by the HPV vaccine.
M Street
Mercy Medical Center wants you to know that there’s a lot you can do to prevent cervical cancer. About 79 million Americans currently have HPV (human papillomavirus), the most common sexually transmitted disease. HPV is a major cause of cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer can often be prevented with regular screening tests (called Pap tests) and follow-up care. In honor of National Cervical Health Awareness Month, Mercy Medical Center encourages: •
Women to start getting regular Pap tests at age 21
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Women to get the HPV vaccine before age 27
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Parents to make sure their pre-teens get the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12
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Men to get the HPV vaccine if you are under age 22
Taking small steps can help keep you safe and healthy.
Facility parking at the Mercy Outpatient Center (2740 M Street)
Mercy Oupatient Center Parking Change by Mike Aldrich, Director of Facilities
As you may know, the property across the street from the Mercy Outpatient Center (2740 M Street) has been up for sale. The sale of the property is final and the new owner has taken possession of the property. There are several staff members who use the parking area on the sold property to park every day. Above is a map showing the parking area, outlined in orange, that is no longer to be used by Mercy staff. The parking areas available for our employees to park in are parking lots A, B, C and G. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 564-4910.
JUST FOR NURSES
Tip of the Week: High Risk Medication Alert - Heparin by Linda Silva RN, Public Reporting Liaison
When an order for heparin has been written by one of our providers, it is essential that we follow the Heparin MM-36 policy.
adjusted according to the protocol and every six (6) hours aPTT is to be reinstituted from the time of adjustment. •
ALERT! Before initiating Heparin, a base line value of a laboratory aPTT, PT/INR and CBC must be completed.
DOCUMENT •
Heparin Protocol will appear on the electronic Medication Administration Record (e-MAR) when ordered.
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The dosing nomogram will appear as a reference screen.
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Nursing will document the administration of the Heparin Protocol in the electronic medical record under the Intervention: IV Heparin Titrate.
ALERT! Two registered nurses are to perform independent calculations and double check dosage, concentration, and rate of infusion. These calculations are to be performed: •
Upon initiation of Heparin
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With every rate change
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Each time the IV bag is changed
The witnessing RN will sign as a cosigner. •
•
•
In the Medical Record • Under Intervention: IV Heparin Titrate
ALERT! Laboratory value, aPTT monitoring is imperative when administering Heparin: •
Once Two (2) consecutive aPTTs are in therapeutic range aPTT draws will be reduced to daily.
•
If the daily aPTT is out of Therapeutic range, dosage is to be
Call the lab if you do not receive results scheduled for the aPTT within 1 hour of timed draw.
This is in the CARE PLAN PROBLEM TPHEP (Tissue Perfusion Altered Related to Heparin Infusion). During “Down Time” documentation only, use the Heparin Infusion Flow Sheet found in Form Fast.
ALERT! THINGS TO MONITOR AND/ OR REPORT •
Signs and symptoms of bleeding.
•
The physician will be notified immediately of any bleeding and or aPTT greater than 150 seconds. • A physician order of action is required for aPTT greater than 150 seconds.
Reward:
The first day and night shift nurse to email lindsey. gallagher@ dignityhealth.org with the correct answer to the question regarding the previous EBP article will receive a Mercy Medal from Greg Rouleau, VP CNO.
Question:
Initially how many ml/kg of crystalloid fluids is used to treat hypotension in sepsis?
Hello humankindness If you have a story of humankindness that you have witnessed or would like to share, please submit your story to https://dignityhealth.org/ humankindness/ and use your network user name and password to login. You can also send your story to Lindsey Gallagher at lindsey.gallagher@ dignityhealth.org for inclusion in future issues of In Roads.