Reflections on The Year of Nurse During a Global Pandemic From Our Nurse Executives

Reflections on The Year of the Nurse During a Global Pandemic From Our Nurse Executives

The Courage of Nurses: Ochsner’s Bayou Region

From the very first patient in March 2020, our courageous nurses were the ones who were there for the patients and soothed the fears of family members waiting for information about their loved ones. It was a nurse who used innovation to protect healthcare workers and to conserve the valuable resources of personal protective equipment. It was a nurse who thought it was a good idea to use swivel coat hangers to hang reused isolation gowns to avoid contamination and it was a nurse who decided to make headbands with buttons when our ears were sore and raw from mask wearing.

It was the courageous nurse who asked others to reflect and pray at the beginning and end of each shift, asking for strength and guidance that resounded with the team. And it was the nurse who quieted anxious team members who were overwhelmed with the constant communication of change, reminding them that we are a team who would survive and persevere.

The Ochsner Nursing team showed up, eager to help and anxious to do whatever it took to take care of the patients who were stricken by this frightening disease. Nurses left their homes, their children and families to care for the community who looks to us for care and strength. There are so many examples of courage, collaboration and tenacity during this year, from creating overflow units and setting up dedicated COVID-19 units to collaborating to form new teams and reassignments from day shifts to night shifts to care for patients.

There were tears, joy, anger and grief wrapped in a level of empathy and compassion that was palpable. We showed up with the courage to face this challenge and did so by putting our fears aside to care for our patients and the community who counted on us.

“It is a privilege to have witnessed humanity in its purest form and it is the nurse who led the way,” says Jana. “When I think about the past year and the pandemic we’ve endured, the one word that resonates with me is courage,” says Jana Semere, MSHA, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center and Ochsner St. Anne. “I am in awe of the courage and grit shown during one of the toughest times in our careers. We pulled together, cared for our patients and just as importantly, we cared for each other.”

Nursing Excellence at Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank Campus

“When the World Health Organization designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday, I’m sure they didn’t know that nurses throughout the world would be put to the test to show their value,” says Melissa Adams, MHCA, BS, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank Campus. “This year exemplified true nursing excellence as our nursing team banned together in crisis to meet the needs of patients, the communities we serve, and especially each other. The interdisciplinary mutual respect, communication and teamwork exhibited during this time was nothing short of amazing!”

OMC - West Bank Campus was one of the hardest hit hospitals in the region, managing a rapid surge of COVID-19 positive patients early on. We assembled a plan and contingencies quickly, creating a “COVID-19 Playbook” outlining operational, clinical and employee processes, lessons learned, and other need-to-know information.

During the height of the COVID-19 crisis, our team stepped into new roles to meet the needs of staff and patients. Nursing staff and advanced practice providers working in areas that had decreased patient volumes or closed units were redeployed to other areas. Clinic nurse practitioners returned to the bedside and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists re-deployed to offer proactive patient rounding, assessing for early identification of deteriorating patients. The pandemic accelerated the implementation of a dedicated rapid response resource who responds to non-critical care patient emergencies allowing critical care operational coordinators to remain on the units.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, OMC - West Bank Campus started a dialogue with all staff members about psychological safety, discussing the importance of comfortably speaking up for the safety of our patients, oneself or team members as well as barriers that may exist. Throughout the pandemic, there have been many examples of nurses caring for other nurses and colleagues among the interdisciplinary team. Nurses recognized one another and encouraged team members to take breaks and step away to visit relaxation rooms created on every floor and to take advantage of supportive resources, such as guided meditations and socially distanced group yoga sessions.

Our interdisciplinary colleagues in the Psychiatry Department offered staff members the chance to debrief in listening sessions and mental health rounds. Daily rounds on the units allowed staff to express any concerns they experienced during their shifts and communicate needs. Input from staff members in rounds helped ensure access to immediate resources needed. For example, a personal protective equipment liaison who was responsible for ensuring staff members had the personal protective equipment they needed to safely care for patients. “In these unprecedented times, nurses answered the call of duty with great bravery. It takes dedication and courage to selflessly show up for others, especially in trying times. Reflecting on 2020, I hope that we all enjoy a renewed strength in ourselves, dedication to each other and the patients we serve, and pride in the nursing profession we’ve chosen.”

– Melissa Adams, MHCA, BS, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank Campus

Nurses at Ochsner Medical Center – Hancock Maintained Resilience Through Challenges Drawing Strength from Each Other

A priest from St. Clare’s Catholic Church prays over the staff and patients during the pandemic.

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or toughness. The challenges overcome in the past year highlighted the resilience of the nursing team at OMC - Hancock. As 2020 began, the nursing team looked forward to celebrating the Year of the Nurse and Midwife designation with events, activities and celebrations planned during each month to honor the nursing profession and the difference our nurses make every day in the lives of patients, their family and each other. However, celebrations had to look a little different than they expected.

Strength from Each Other - Celebrating Milestones

As the Gulf Coast region began to see COVID-19 positive cases, the OMC - Hancock team quickly jumped into action. Not only did they make adjustments to ensure excellent patient care, but they also found ways to celebrate the small and big victories throughout the pandemic. Nurses celebrated when they received new ventilators to provide critical care to patients, when the first COVID-19 patient was able to speak and discharged home to a loving family, and when they exposure became less of a worry as vaccines became available. In addition to celebrating milestones achieved in the pandemic response, OMC - Hancock was thrilled to hold the first DAISY Awards Ceremony in 2020, honoring the first two nurses who were nominated by patients. The patient who nominated DAISY award honoree Lisa Babin, RN, Intensive Care Unit, OMC - Hancock said “As we all lived through the nightmare of not being with our loved ones in the hospital, when and where they are needed most, this nurse was my hero for being there as much for the families as for the patients.” The patient who nominated DAISY honoree,

Courtney Lacoste, RN,

MS, said, “I knew, thanks to Courtney, I was not walking this path alone. When I thanked Courtney for her act of kindness and the caring that was involved, she replied, ‘I was just doing my job.’”

Strength from Our Community

The Hancock County community helped keep staff encouraged with food donations and spiritual care. “I have often referred to the profession of nursing as a calling,” says Kim Varnado, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Medical Center Hancock. “I believe that more than ever. The selfless dedication and courage nurses continue to show up with every day throughout these unprecedented times never ceases to amaze me. We will continue to support and uplift each other through the tough times and cherish the celebrations and joy that serve as reminders every day of why we chose nursing as a lifelong profession. I have never been prouder of our nursing team,” says Kim.

The Team Nursing Model Enhanced Patient-Centered Care at Ochsner Medical Center- Kenner

In a year of unprecedented meaning for nurses everywhere in the world, Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner began 2020 with a full-spirited Year of the Nurse “kick-off” day and colorful celebrations. Nurses participated in raffles, captured memorable images at the photo booth, and enjoyed delicious king cakes. It was a special day to recognize the impact of the nursing profession throughout history. The celebration was a time to bond and express thanks to our personal meaning of the nursing profession. Less than two months later, our nurses would be challenged like never before. It was time to re-engage, reconnect and, to a large degree, reinvent nursing.

Teamwork Makes Us Stronger

We know that teamwork positively impacts patient outcomes. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, OMC – Kenner incorporated communication tools, such as TeamSTEPPS and SBAR, into its team-model collaboration across various practice settings and disciplines. These efforts provided the best examples of nursing support and teamwork, as multi-specialty nursing teams optimized and combined various skillsets to provide a comprehensive approach to patient care. “It was during this time, that the greatest examples of respect, The team-model practice method supported nurses as they had to stretch to accommodate new levels of care. The team-model also provided non-clinical resources to assist with mobility, PPE distribution, and collaboration, and relentless teamwork were exhibited by our environmental cleaning and disinfection. This model offered opportunities staff,” shares Ruth Sagastume, MSN, for unification and partnership toward one goal: patient-centered care. The RN, CPHQ, Chief Nursing Officer, OMC experiences of nurses at all levels, regardless of care setting or previous - Kenner. “By stepping out of comfort clinical practice, resulted in team-bonding that could not be anticipated zones to provide care where it was across any planned continuum. Team members from every practice needed most, nurses offered creative setting relied on each other to support and assist in unrehearsed rhythmic synchrony, exemplifying the excellence of Ochsner Nursing in every aspect of patient care. ways to provide interventions for survival.” OMC - Kenner rose to the challenge, creating three different intensive care surge units, redesigning emergency department patient flows, and using the Virtual Nurse model to provide increased rounding in Medsurg/ Telemetry units. The virtual platform also served as a means for two-way communication between clinicians and patients and families, placing patients at the center of every plan and decision.

“I was humbled and privileged to lead at a time that exhibited the utmost display of our foundation, and to witness repeated examples of the values that hold us together as a team,” says Ruth Sagastume, MSN, RN, CPHQ, Chief Nursing Officer, OMC - Kenner, “It was a magnificent example of teamwork and togetherness and heroes with shining lights for others to follow.”

Ochsner Baptist Nurses Celebrate Proven Teamwork

Every year in healthcare brings strategy planning to achieve new goals and old goals to build upon. “We knew the year 2020 was going to be a special one, but we had no clue what was in store for us,” says Donna Martin, MSN-HCSM, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Baptist, “I have always known that we have a great team who works together and supports each other through sharing best practices, staff, and just being there during difficult times. Our team met the challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic.” At Ochsner Baptist, the first COVID-19 patient was diagnosed on March 12, 2020 and within seven days, the hospital was inundated with positive COVID-19 patients, some who were fighting for their lives. Like other hospital campuses, “It is safe to say Ochsner Baptist halted elective services and focused on the most critical patients. The influx of critically ill patients and the need for isolation precautions 2020 was one of the heavily impacted the emergency department (ED), intensive care unit (ICU), and most trying years medical surgical units and effected the model of care. in healthcare and it As nursing team members came from procedural and elective care areas to couldn’t have been assist in caring for COVID-19 patients, teams were developed to limit the more appropriate to staff’s exposure to the virus. The new teams bonded as they came together to designate as a year to coordinate and manage patient care. The surgical staff teamed up with the ICU, the outpatient surgery staff teamed up with the medical surgical unit, and the honor nursing. Nurses pain management staff teamed with the ED. were taken out of their comfort zone, Two patients that will forever be remembered by our teams learned new skills, and involved the lives of a first-time father and expecting developed appreciation mother. as they walked in the A local postal worker, and soon-to-be father in his early 30’s, needed to be shoes of their peers. The placed on a ventilator and Chronic Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT). He and the team fought hard to care for him so that he could see the birth of his first response to COVID-19 highlighted the strength, resilience, child. He was discharged in time for the birth and later returned to visit and and excellent teamwork of our nurses and the experiences thank his nurses in all clinical areas who had saved his life. we shared will not be forgotten.” Donna Martin, MSNAround the same time, a young pregnant woman with a toddler at home was HCSM, RN Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Baptist. also receiving care in the ICU. Because of her critical condition, she required mechanical ventilation and her case presented an added challenge since there were two lives involved. The obstetrics staff teamed up with the critical care unit to not only save her life, but also deliver her baby safely, so they both could return home to her husband and toddler.

“In response to this global pandemic, the nursing profession proved what we all knew.” says Donna. “A nurse is the most caring, resilient, and strongest member of the healthcare team that will rise to any challenge and always be there during the toughest times.”

The Bravery, Teamwork and Compassion of Nurses – Ochsner Medical Center- Northshore

“I have always appreciated our nursing teams’ commitment to each other and to our patients,” says Yvette Bertaut, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Medical Center- Northshore. “Their dedication is truly a gift that I am grateful for daily. I am in awe of the incredible bravery, resiliency, compassion and caring that our nursing teams demonstrated during the COVID-19 crisis.” As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, the continued support provided by Ochsner’s senior leadership, providers, and ambulatory, outpatient and hospital campus teams were extraordinary. Their efforts facilitated the OMC - Northshore team in providing the safest, highest quality clinical care for acutely ill patients. The courageous work of our nurses and healthcare workers in the face of COVID-19 exemplified why the World Health Organization chose a designation honoring the nursing and midwifery professions. Despite their fear and anxiety, nurses, patient care technicians, assistants and advance practice providers from across the Northshore region signed up to help support their colleagues and ultimately our patients and the community. The contributions of these caregivers from varied backgrounds such as ambulatory, outpatient, procedural, perioperative and pediatric specialties enabled us to provide quality clinical care in a team-based approach. These redeployed staff members not only worked to learn new skill sets and to deliver care in unfamiliar environments, they went as far as to help cover night and weekend shifts. The teamwork and camaraderie displayed during this time in caring for each other while caring for these unpredictable, critically ill patients was inspiring. Within a few days of the first COVID-19 patient admissions, nurses led training and rounding on the unique aspects of care related to the virus, such as limiting patient encounters, isolation precautions, personal protective equipment donning and doffing, sedation management, use of prone teams as well as virtual provider assessments, and family visits for our patients. Our innovative nurses quickly and effectively managed the surge of patients flooding our emergency department and medical-surgical and critical care units. Due to their efforts, in just a few short weeks OMC-Northshore opened a COVID-19 screening clinic, a dedicated medical-surgical COVID-19 unit and increased ICU staffed bed capacity by 150%. The expansion of the OMCNorthshore critical care capacity into the Post Anesthesia Care Unit overflow space allowed the team to accommodate the spike in admissions and transfer patients from other Ochsner Health hospital campuses.

“I have never been prouder to be an Ochsner nursing leader. Our patients trust us to care for them in their most vulnerable of times and although this pandemic has proven to be most challenging personally and professionally for all of us, we rose to the occasion and delivered on our promise. Together we can remember this as a time of unity and to celebrate our healthcare heroes.” Yvette Bertaut, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Medical Center- Northshore

Celebrating Seamless Interdisciplinary Teamwork at St. Charles Parish Hospital

At St. Charles Parish Hospital (SCPH), nurses have a special bond with their patients. Nurses and staff are known to provide care to patients as they would to their own family members, patients know the nurses’ names and nurses know the names of patients and their families. “We welcome our patients and their families and provide the care needed to have them return home,” says Jarrett Fuselier, MBA, BSN, RN, AVP Nursing Administration, SCPH. At the beginning of the year, the staff looked forward to a year devoted to celebrating the many roles nurses play in caring for the health and well-being of the community. As COVID-19 reached the facility, expectations for 2020 quickly changed and the fear of the unknown was at times, overwhelming. The acuity of patients was higher than ever before. The team cared for dying patients more frequently, in a way that they had not been accustomed to in the past. The team worked extremely well together to reallocate resources from lower volume areas to help support the inpatient team and emergency department (ED). The staff set up temperature stations around the hospital to keep each other and patients safe. Some team members were able to assume a primary role as a caregiver, while others helped with cleaning and stocking supplies. Every team member added value. When the inpatient census reached its peak, intensive care unit beds were filled, leaving a shortage of available beds to support code blue situations that might occur in the medical surgical or behavioral health units. Meeting the need, the ED nurses and physicians quickly responded to patient rooms and provided lifesaving care during codes. Although the ED typically doesn’t provide extended care for critically ill patients, they transported patients down to the ED and assumed the patient care until an inpatient bed became available or until the patient was transferred out. The interdisciplinary team from around the hospital stepped up to help. The rehab department helped by turning patients and monitoring supplies. Emergency medical services, who typically work in a community setting, joined forces with our ED and other clinical staff where help was needed Food and nutrition services created a food pantry that allowed the staff to order essential food items that could be picked up at work allowing them to avoid public places. The hospital monitor technician, who also serves as a chaplain, added extra rounds, providing spiritual care to those in need and social workers made themselves and their expertise available to the staff. The SCPH team not only cared for patients and each other like family, they wrote letters and put together care packages for the residents of a nearby nursing home knowing the residents were lonely and distressed by the lack of visitors. Despite the challenges the pandemic brought, SCPH moved forward with plans to open a medical surgical inpatient psychiatric unit. The unit opened in March 2020 and was able to deliver a service that no other facility in the state offers, providing for comprehensive needs for both medical and behavioral support.

“Our team responded to the new call of duty during the COVID-19 crisis, not by asking why nurses must perform tasks and assume new roles, but knowing we must do what we have to do in order to continue to serve our community. The response from the entire team was inspirational and allowed our direct caregivers to continue providing care in a way that they had not before and to expand healthcare services.” Jarrett Fuselier, MBA, BSN, RN, AVP Nursing Administration, St. Charles Parish Hospital

Ochsner Lafayette General Nurses Lead with Compassion

The year of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic will forever be engrained as a historical year. A year when nursing and healthcare, in general, pulled together to care for a community in need.

“When reflecting on what our nursing team endured over the past year, I think about the selfless acts of kindness that so many portrayed,” says Renee Delahoussaye, MBA, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Lafayette General. “It was a difficult time for our nursing team. Our community needed us, we accepted the challenge, and I am proud of our nursing team, our heroes.” Nurses worked long hours, away from their families, but they continued to lead with compassion, building memorable relationships with those they were caring for. Something as simple as posting pictures of a patient’s family on the walls of their hospital room so that they could be surrounded by their family for Mother’s Day, not only touched our patients, but also helped the Ochsner Lafayette General nursing team get through another day. Or seeing their patient smile or shed tears of joy by using their personal cell phones to ensure our patients had a way to connect with their loved ones, helped our nurses keep going, despite their exhaustion. These selfless acts of kindness provided hope, not only for our patients, but also for our nursing team.

There are so many stories reflecting resilience of our nursing staff. One included pushing their patient to take that extra step or two every day, so they could walk out of the hospital in honor of a fallen family member who had succumbed to COVID-19. This was not easy, but together, the patient and our nursing team accomplished what they set out to do. True honor and heroism walked out of the hospital together on the day the patient was finally discharged.

Our nursing team became extended family to so many of our patients over the last year. They supported them in every way that they could, even at the time of their passing when family could not be there. “I am, and will be, forever grateful for and proud of our nursing team,” says Renee. “Our families greatest Christmas present of all, husband is home….28 days! Thanks to his two nurses, Angel and Heidithat made sure he came home. They were his angels.” says Sheila Broussard, family member of Lafayette General Patient.

“When I reflect on 2020, two words come to mind: selfless and heroic. 2020 brought on many challenges and it was a frightening time for many, but our team continued to persevere, working long hours away from their families to care for those who needed us most.” – Renee Delahoussaye, MBA, BSN, RN, CNO, Ochsner Lafayette General

Ochsner St. Mary Joins the Ochsner Health Family

At Ochsner St. Mary, 2020 was a year of accomplishments, teamwork, growth and resilience. During this time, the hospital confronted a global COVID-19 pandemic and a record-breaking hurricane season all while transitioning into the Ochsner Health family. In October 2019, Ochsner St. Mary transitioned into Ochsner Health as part of the Bayou region. The hospital has approximately 300 dedicated, professional staff and around-the-clock care in a wide range of critical specialties. The full integration of employees was supposed to occur in April 2020, but COVID-19 created a delay that lasted until July. Employees went through many changes including learning new policies, procedures and internal systems such as Epic, Workday and Kronos. Through it all, the staff kept their enthusiasm. Although challenging, employees were excited to be a part of Ochsner and were flexible, unafraid and willing to learn whatever they needed to do their job to the best of their ability. In addition to the organizational transition, COVID-19 impacted how the patient care team cared for our patients. While the New Orleans area saw the biggest impact from the pandemic in April, Ochsner St. Mary saw the impact during the second wave in July 2020. During this time, the staff showed strength and

“Reflecting on this year of strength, I am filled with pride and excitement for the future of Ochsner St. Mary,” said Jennifer Wise, MHA, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner St. Mary. “It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of such an amazing patient care team. Together we can make a difference and I look forward to continuing to provide access to lifesaving services close to home in the Bayou region and beyond.”

resilience in the face of uncertainty. They pulled together as a team to keep the patients and each other safe. They stepped up and showed dedication, patience and adaptability. As Ochsner St. Mary, we proved that we are a strong and consistent community partner. When the staff face challenges, they are resilient and ensure our patients continue to receive compassionate quality care. As we move forward, we can reflect on our first year as an Ochsner facility and never lose our sense of community and compassion for all those who walk through our doors seeking our help. We have proven that together we can make a difference. Each of our employees play an essential role in making this important work happen. We will continue to live our values by putting patients and each other first, while fulfilling our mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.

Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Expands ICU Bed Capacity to Care for Most Critical COVID-19 Patients

“As I think back across the year, I believe our biggest example of every Ochsner Value was in our great efforts to move Women’s and Children’s services in an effort to open up ICU bed availability,” said Sheree Stephens, RN, MSN, CPHQ, Chief Nursing Officer and VP Quality, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport. “As we saw the COVID-19 pandemic surge fast approaching North Louisiana, our team huddled to identify how we could ‘quickly’ open additional ICU beds.”

Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport is a very busy Level I Trauma Center and had an occupancy rate of 85-90% most days. Due to an amazing amount of Teamwork, Compassion, Integrity and Excellence, a specific group of leaders ventured out to open a Women’s and Children’s hospital in 5 ½ weeks to expand the regions capacity to care for patients. After many hours of meetings, strategic planning, brainstorming, construction, cleaning and preparation, Ochsner’s North Louisiana team was excited to welcome the first patient at the new Ochsner LSU Health - St. Mary Medical Center on April 27, 2020. This was accomplished as the care team at Kings Highway managed the sickest of the sick COVID-19 patients and our ongoing trauma patients.

Once the move to St. Mary was complete, ICU leadership and the facilities team went to work to complete the renovation for a 77-bed intensive care unit. Both projects were possible because of the multidisciplinary collaboration of leaders, physicians, nursing, allied health, dietary, environmental services and supply chain. The teams truly grew to love and trust each other and formed a bond that will last forever. After another five weeks of diligent work, the first COVID-19 positive ICU patient was admitted into the new ICU at Kings Highway. “I am so very proud of all the teams that worked through this huge initiative,” said Stephens. “We are now able to provide quality patient ICU care for our patients at Kings Hwy, as well as provide excellent care to our Women’s and Children’s services at St. Mary’s Medical Center. Both campuses provide a multi-disciplinary approach to the health, well-being and healing for our patients. The pandemic has taught me one thing above all others: We have amazing heroes and leaders among us. If given the opportunity and support these leaders can make miracles happen. I am so very humble and proud to be part of an amazing team that do amazing things for our patients each and every day.”

Women’s and Children’s Inpatient Units Made a Move to a New Location at Ochsner LSU Health St. Mary Medical Center Expanding COVID-19 ICU Capacity in North Louisiana

The Ochsner team poses for a photo at their new facility during summer 2020, shortly after the move to the new Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport – St. Mary Medical Center.

Teamwork is the overwhelming thought that comes to mind when reflecting on 2020 for the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport - St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) team. When presented with the task of moving our women’s and children’s services to the now Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport - SMMC campus, our team stepped up to the challenge

and never looked back. “It takes a special group of leaders to accomplish what was done in such a short amount of time, and I am so thankful to be a part of this amazing team,” says Chasity Teer, BSN, RN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport - SMMC. Every team member embraced this opportunity, and it made our team stronger than ever.

SMMC nurses reflect on the move:

• Samantha Cordero, Pediatric RN “Although COVID-19 has had its obvious detrimental effects this past year, we have in turn been blessed with the opportunity to open SMMC.

Getting settled in was quite the task! As a unit, we worked together to clean floors, scrub windows, equipment and sinks as well as organize and set up supply closets.

Everyone played an intricate role in setting up our facility all the way from upper management to our CNA’s. To have the opportunity to establish and set up the nursing station and patient rooms at our new home was so rewarding.

It’s something now that I look at and am very proud to have been a part of and will never take for granted how beautiful our facility is.”

• Morgan Hayes, BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, NICU/Nursery

RN, Supervisor-Operations Coordinator, Neonatal Transport

Coordinator “The Kings Highway location was “home” to many of us during our entire nursing careers. It was an honor and privilege to care for our patients during the transport process that many thought would take us days to complete. We were excited to collaborate with many local and state agencies to help us coordinate and transport the patients safely and we were finished with moving all of our patients into our new home by lunch that day! We are so grateful and extremely blessed to call St. Mary’s Medical

Center our new home!”

Prioritizing building ties in the community through community outreach

“It is very important to us to show our commitment to the community by giving back,” says Chasity.

• In September, the SMMC team hosted a baby shower for the women of Mary’s House, a pregnancy care center for women experiencing unexpected pregnancies. Staff members hosted educational sessions on topics like safe sleep and car seat safety. The staff also gave away various gifts and door prizes for new mothers.

• The SMMC team partnered with Shreveport Green in

October to provide families in the community with household wellness packages that included items like gloves, cleaning supplies and masks.

• The new FAN (Food and Nutrition) Club Support Group began in October aimed at combating childhood obesity.

The sessions are hosted by SMMC clinical dietitians with assistance from our community relations liaison and the

YMCA.

“We have already experienced tremendous growth on our campus, and we look forward to what 2021 will hold for the staff and patients of SMMC!” says Chasity.

20 Ways Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport - Monroe Medical Center Lived Out Ochsner’s Core Values During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced numerous challenges none of us expected to face in our careers, but the resilience and strength of our nurses shined through. Here are 20 ways our nurses lived out Ochsner’s Core Values – Patients First, Compassion, Integrity, Excellence and Teamwork – during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patients First and Compassion Nurses…

1. Placed patients’ phones to their ears when they were on ventilators in the intensive care unit so they could hear their family members voices. 2. Set up video chats so patients could see their family members virtually. 3. Wrote their names on their face shields for patients to see. 4. Set up virtual communication between the patients, families, and physicians. 5. Prayed with patients and their families. 6. Sewed hats and masks to share with colleagues and the expression of brightly colored hats helped to brighten long days and nights. 7. Bowed heads in prayer for their patients, their colleagues and their families whom they were often-times separated from for long periods of time.

Integrity and Excellence Nurses…

8. Kept family members of patients informed of their condition and progress while maintaining patient confidentiality. 9. Provided quality care to patients with higher acuity than ever before. 10. Nurses from various specialty areas became critical care nurses after attending “Critical Care

Bootcamp training” 11. Nurses in our Women’s and Children’s

Departments were honored to receive recognition as one of the Best Maternity Hospital in 2020 by Newsweek.

Teamwork

Nurses…

12. Learned how to keep patients and staff safe when working in a totally closed COVID-19designated unit. 13. Helped each other don and doff PPE and get used to working in face shields. 14. Made buttoned headbands for each other to protect from skin breakdown after long hours wearing PPE. 15. Performed total patient care in the absence typical support team members like respiratory therapists, housekeeping team members and dietary services. 16. Communicated with patients using monitors in patients’ rooms in between in-person nursing care visits every four hours and responded to immediate and emergency care needs. 17. Communicated using Rover. 18. Conducted COVID-19 Community Outreach testing in parishes around our area such as Ouachita, Jackson, Lincoln, Union, East Carroll and Morehouse and in nursing homes contributing 23,000 tests to the 100,000 tests conducted in Northeast Louisiana. We conducted drive-thru COVID-19 testing with physicians and offered drive-thru flu vaccinations.

19. Worked alongside re-deployed staff members mentoring team members from other specialty departments like the post-anesthesia care unit, cath lab, operating room and ASU who came to provide care in the intensive care unit, medical surgical unit and COVID-19 units. 20.“One of the most heartwarming expressions of care and compassion I witnessed came from the nursing staff in support of each other,” says Traci

Jordan, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner

LSU Health Shreveport - Monroe Medical Center.

“I am so very proud of the teamwork and support our nurses have provided to not only provide compassionate care to our patients, but also compassionate support to each other and our entire team.”

Poem Reflects on the Pandemic Response at St. Bernard Parish Hospital

When 2020 presented all healthcare organizations with challenges we never anticipated, St. Bernard Parish Hospital (SBPH) demonstrated its commitment to the community, providing care for patients during the pandemic. On March 5, SBPH admitted its first “patient under investigation” for COVID-19, a 25-year-old woman. Just like that, we transitioned from a local provider of care to a respected clinical expert, leading the fight against COVID-19.

What emerged from the pandemic response was unification for health and safety inside and outside the hospital walls. Nurses and internal staff members from all departments came together as a team to provide care and support for the patients and each other.

“Our work continues during this pandemic but our commitment to “da parish” hasn’t changed. We will be here for the community and each other. The poem “Blindsided” written by one of our nurses at SBPH embodies the spirit of togetherness that carried the team through,” – Kim Keene, MBA, RN, Chief Executive Officer, St. Bernard Parish Hospital.

Blindsided

Tiffany White, RN, St. Bernard Parish Hospital

2020

The Year of the Nurse and Midwife

Planned celebrations and delicious snacks

Creative photoshoots and social gatherings Suddenly halted as the whole world was shaken

Panic and apprehension filled our nation

A global pandemic would present itself so mighty and bold

Unchartered waters made way to a new story yet to be told

It happened so fast, in the blink of an eye Nursing as we once knew it, was revolutionized Fight or flight responses surfaced so hastily On the minds of everyone, how do we maintain safety Change was here and here to stay Administration stepped in to pave the way Our outlook on life and work would be reformed

Personal protective equipment would now be the norm

Sentenced with adversity during this healthcare crisis

Resiliency and perseverance would continue to drive us

Patient advocacy was heightened above all With video conferencing and family FaceTime calls Smiles and silly laughter hid the fright and despair Donned with cloaks of compassion and a shed tear here and there

We suffered much loss, so much grief and pain Into our hearts will each heartache ever be ingrained

Professionalism and empathy were proven to be

At the heart of every nurse, for you and for me So, we thank you 2020, the Year of the Nurse

And thank you COVID-19, I bet you thought you were a curse

You tried to exploit our vulnerability without much success

As we fought back with our strongest and most resolute selves

You’ve landscaped the arena that would exemplify Our necessity, importance, strength, and pride In a profession only suitable for the bravest of heroes

Blindsided but not defeated because together we rose

Ochsner’s Ambulatory Nursing Team Manages COVID-19 Testing Sites on the Move

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Louisiana, especially the New Orleans region, received national attention as one of the epicenters for the rapid spread of the virus. The governor declared a state of emergency for Louisiana residents on March 11, which was soon followed by a stay-at-home order and shelter in place for numerous parishes. Not only did the outcomes of COVID-19 devastate the state economically, but it also significantly impacted how healthcare facilities delivered patient-centered care in the ambulatory, clinic setting. Ambulatory Care team members were resilient as they received training and re-deployed to other areas throughout Ochsner Health. They served as members of the hospital unit-based care team, ensured staff had adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, assisted with virtual and telehealth visits, staffed temperature monitoring stations, and developed and monitored pre-mobile checking-in processes for patients that required onsite clinic visits. Under the CDC guidelines and the direction of the Ochsner Health Executive team, the ambulatory team established drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites to optimize testing availability while minimizing exposure to patients and healthcare staff. Patients were screened for symptoms through a telehealth visit and a provider order was placed in the patient’s electronic health record. The drive-thru check-in process started with an Ochsner Security Officer conducting a visual verification of the patient’s identification and using a walkie-talkie to alert the registration staff of the patient’s arrival for the appointment. After the specimen labels were printed and the patient’s vehicle was safely parked under the testing tent, a member of the healthcare team donned the appropriate PPE, identified the patient and collected a nasopharyngeal specimen using a swab. The entire process took less than 15 minutes and without patients exiting their vehicles! The test results were sent directly to the patient through MyOchsner, a secure electronic messaging system or another preferred method of communication within 72 hours.

As of December 2020, Ochsner had completed more than 500,000 tests across the system. The benefits of the Ochsner Health drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites are not only recognized by state officials, but also enhanced the overall patient experience and built confidence in the care delivered by our healthcare team. The testing sites provided low contact, supported social distancing and conserved PPE while ensuring that the staff functioned at the top of their license or certification during this challenging time. The Ambulatory nursing team continues to display resilience and dedication to providing patient-centered care that is quality-driven and safe for the patient and the healthcare team. “The ambulatory team stepped up in a big way to offer drive through COVID-19 testing in every region,” says Dawn Pevey, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, System Vice President of Service Lines. “They made care delivery as patientcentered as it comes, pivoting as needs changed, and they surpassed patients’ expectations. We heard great stories in every region and positive comments from patients, including that some patients need for more intensive care had been identified during drive through testing and how comfortable they felt to receive testing from the comfort of their car.”

Ochsner Medical Center- Baton Rouge Nurses Enhanced COVID-19 Testing Making a Difference Through Leadership and Collaboration

“Our nurses excelled in their collaboration with the multiple other professionals critical to the success of a mobile testing initiative, including Patient Access, Laboratory, IT, Materials Management, our own community health leaders, and the many community partners who offered testing locations and communications,” shared

Dianne Teal, MSN, RN, NEA-

BC, CPPS, FACHE, Chief Nursing Officer, Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge. “The Ochsner Baton Rouge nursing team has clearly demonstrated our values of putting patients first and excellence in this service for our community.”

In March 2020, Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge collaborated with other community healthcare partners in the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative to offer COVID-19 drive-thru testing for East Baton Rouge Parish residents. Baton Rouge nurses from multiple departments, including hospital and clinic locations, played an integral role in helping organize and execute this initiative. Our nursing team participated in every phase of the project, including developing and refining workflows, collecting specimens and promoting the program. OMC – Baton Rouge team members demonstrated their expertise in using Six Sigma process improvement concepts to develop protocols later adopted by other community partners participating in the initiative.

The OMC – Baton Rouge nursing team also created a standardized order form that integrated COVID-19 testing criteria. This was a critical step for success since testing supplies were extremely scarce and ensured appropriate use of limited resources. The team continued to refine and improve the processes through the development of vehicle identification systems and a pending documentation parking lot to decrease wait times.

Due to the needs of the community, Ochsner expanded its efforts to community sites and prevalence testing. As the site coordinators, our nurses worked in conjunction with Ochsner’s Community Outreach department to confirm designated COVID-19 hot spots, arranged logistics and staffing, and stage testing site locations. Nurses were onsite to cross train staff and handle issues that came up and participated in community meetings COVID-19 testing to stay informed. Additionally, OMC – Baton Rouge nursing enhanced the system standard operating procedure for COVID-19 testing to improve nursing ease of use and reduce the possibility of cross contamination.

Joy in the Nurses Workspace During a Pandemic at Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans

When 2020 began, Ochsner Medical Center (OMC) – New Orleans was coming off of an exciting 2019 year-end, with celebrations of our fourth consecutive Magnet® designation. Fast forward to March 2020 when we received our first COVID-19 positive patients and our world changed. There was new, different work to be done as we managed the pandemic. As our patient population grew, with a COVID-19 census over 370, we opened new intensive care units to meet the needs of our community. We welcomed new caregivers and adjusted our policies to meet the evolving knowledge and evidence to care for this new population. The next months would redefine who we were and with so much changing quickly, we knew that we had to maintain some normalcy.

A couple years ago, as part of OMC-New Orleans’ campus activities aligned with Ochsner’s Care for the Caregiver initiative, the nursing administrative team developed Joy in the Nurse Workspace, a monthly celebration involving our entire nursing team. “Little did we realize then, just how important this seemingly small decision would turn out to be in 2020. Our monthly Joy in the Workspace themes were designed to improve interdisciplinary connections, restore joy, and inspire professional development. Thank you to all of our team members for the resiliency, courage, steadfastness, and the fun and joy in the nurse workspace… even in a pandemic!” – Deborah Ford, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, OMC-New Orleans.

Joy in the Workspace Monthly Themes During the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic

MARCH: “Nurses Grow Together”

Nurses shine the spotlight on collaboration between nurses with paper flowers for recognition and year of the nurse photo challenges. The interdisciplinary team and physicians join in on the celebrations!

APRIL: “Nurses Save the World”

The nursing team enjoyed activities for self-care and photo challenges to document self-care. Some areas provided respite areas, foot massage and other relaxation techniques during the day!

MAY: “Nurses Walk Among the Stars’

Celebrating our nursing excellence winners and nursing graduates with actual “pomp and circumstance.” We congratulated our DAISY winners with cinnamon rolls, rounding on all units, all shifts including weekends

Nurse leaders delivering cupcakes to nursing units While we worked hard to create joy in the workspace this year, we also developed our “COVID-19 playbook” including changing our care delivery model with pandemic staffing, modifying nursing documentation with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services changes, decompression zones offering a place for staff to take a restorative break, closed COVID-specific units, and many more initiatives and new routines to ensure the best care for our patients.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) at Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans redeployed to help where needed during the pandemic

Committed to Supporting Employee Well-being

Ochsner Health has a longtime commitment to supporting employee health and well-being. Through Ochsner’s Care for the Caregiver initiative, Ochsner Nurses partner with the American Nurses Association Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Grand Challenge to empower nurses to take care of their own health. Adding to existing supportive resources, the organization’s Office of Professional Wellbeing (OPW) expanded its’ reach to all employees during the pandemic offering a variety of wellbeing resources. “Our nurses are the backbone of our care team, and it became paramount for us to support them as they cared for our patients in the most trying of circumstances,” says Dr. Nigel Girgrah, MD, PhD, Chief Wellness Officer, Ochsner Health and Medical Director, Liver Transplantation, Ochsner Medical Center- New Orleans. “Through interventions like staff debriefings and unit-based rounding, we were able to give them a venue to process the stress of their shifts.” Nurses were committed to supporting one another and led various activities throughout the year at each campus to support, uplift and encourage each other through short resilience activities during staff huddles, encouraging sidewalk chalk messages, and providing meals and messages of gratitude. Participants in system patient care orientations and trainings received a coping resources booklet and pocket card with tips for caring for oneself during the pandemic.

2020 Care for the Caregiver Health Challenges

Another way that Ochsner nurses cared for staff well-being and celebrated the Year of the Nurse and Midwife designation was through monthly health challenges. The activities encouraged participants to create meaningful goals related to the health topic of the month and to connect with the many supportive resources available to Ochsner employees. Ochsner team members from 14 Ochsner campuses participated in the health challenges focusing on healthy sleep, healthy recipes, gratitude, reflective practice, resilience, physical activity, coping with stress, mindfulness, and detoxing from digital devices. “During a pandemic when so many people want to run and hide, as a nurse you run towards what you are scared of. These challenges have shown me that I am resilient and I am stronger than I thought I was.” Jennifer Guillory, LPN Clinic, Performance Improvement, Ochsner CHRISTUS

Ongoing Employee Safety

On the journey to become a highly reliable organization, Ochsner recognizes that ensuring the safety and well-being of our nurses and employees is paramount to our success. Over the past year, we worked to enhance workplace safety and nurse resiliency through various strategies and initiatives such as the Workplace Violence Mitigation Committee, Fatigue Dashboard and ongoing nurse fatigue research. Through the Workplace Violence Committee efforts, we’ve been able to increase awareness and education related to workplace violence and safety, hire our first canine officer, Mako, ensure 24/7 security presence in our Emergency Departments, track and trend safety events more efficiently, begin to explore capabilities to identify historically violent patients in our electronic medical record, and leverage panic button features on the nurse’s mobile devices for emergency incidents. Our ongoing research to reduce nursing fatigue led to the development of a fatigue dashboard, that monitors the number of hours a nurse works in a given day and/or week. “The fatigue dashboard helps our nursing leaders and staff nurses to be aware of the need for adequate sleep, rest and breaks to ensure optimal staff well-being, performance and patient care outcomes,” says Jlynn Westley, MSN, ASN, RN, AVP System Clinic Nursing & Clinical Resources, Ochsner Health.

A recent research study conducted at Ochsner to evaluate the impact of nurses’ work hours on medication administration error alerts was published in an international journal to help build on the growing body of research in the area.

Supportive resources provided to employees • providing for basic needs of staff with meal tickets

• system communication

• providing emotional and social counseling support through Ochsner’s employee assistance program and a well-being hotline

• individual in-person or telephone counseling

• individual virtual visits

• group mindfulness sessions

• self-guided resources

• unit rounding

• decompression zones- space dedicated for staff to decompress and restore during a shift

Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank Well-being Program offered expression through art classes, traveling well-being rounds, meditation, and guided imagery during the pandemic. The program aims to assist in the staff’s well-being, provide easily accessible initiatives, allow staff to recognize that their well-being is a priority, and encourage staff to take a moment for themselves.

Staff Well-being Hotline –Jacklyn Ruhl, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, and John Sawyer, II, PhD, ABPP-CN, Clinical Neuropsychologist and medical director for OPW, together co-created and spearheaded a rapid response solution to provide on demand mental health and emotional support due to COVID-19 for our Ochsner Heroes. This resource was implemented immediately and seamlessly after the COVID-19 outbreak and provided support for over 200 Ochsner frontline heroes. Drs. Ruhl and Sawyer designed the protocol for an on-demand counseling hotline.

Nurses Focus on Diversity and Equity in Healthcare

Ochsner’s 2020 EBP Nursing Research Conference, themed Year of the Nurse: COVID-19 and Beyond featured speakers from across Ochsner who shared best practices in self-care and staff well-being during the pandemic and key learnings from working during COVID-19. The conference included a panel discussion on the Social Determinants of Health, Diversity, Equity, and their Implications for Quality in Healthcare. The panelists included Ochsner’s Deborah Grimes, RN, JD, MSHQS, VP Chief Diversity Officer, Eboni Price-Haywood, MD, MPH, FACP, Medical Director, Ochsner Xavier Institute for Health Equity and Research, Associate Professor, Ochsner Clinical School- University of Queensland, Sylvia Hartmann, MN, RN, Director, Nursing Academics, and Richard Guthrie, MD, Chief Quality Officer, Center for Quality Excellence who offered unique perspectives in a future-focused discussion regarding the opportunities we have as a healthcare organization to address health disparities that have been highlighted by the pandemic. “We are committed to improving the health of everyone in our state and a part of that strategy is to address health disparities,” says Deborah Grimes, RN, JD, MSHQS, Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, Ochsner Health. “We plan to do so by reviewing our outcomes data demographically and by working with our quality leaders to address any opportunity looking at process, people and technology.”