Over the last year, Upstate Nursing has provided care to and discharged over 32,000 patients, with over 7,000 external transfers admitted and over 115,000 Emergency Department visits across all three locations. Currently, Upstate has 662 staffed beds (459 at University Hospital and 203 at Community Hospital), which is 33 above the budgeted amount for the last fiscal year.
Upstate nurses work in over 15 different roles in over 110 units, clinics and workgroups. The Nursing Department includes RNs, LPNs, HCTs, USTs, SOTs, ORTs, MOAs, SCAs, NPs, PAs, social workers, mental health technicians, patient transport and so much more!
Upstate Nursing Professional Practice Model
The Upstate Nursing Professional Practice Model was developed in 2009 and revised in 2016 by Shared Governance representatives — including all areas, specialties and roles — to establish a common framework. The model schematic identifies the shared values of professionalism, collaboration, education, resources and holistic care. Upstate nurses reflect upon how these values are applied in daily nursing practice. Patient and family-centered care is the heart of Upstate Nursing’s care delivery model. The patient and family are integral to the plan and delivery of care, to ensure the individualized needs of the patient and family are met.
Our Mission
Our mission is to improve the health of the communities we serve through education, biomedical research and patient care.
Our Vision
Upstate University Hospital will provide comprehensive, seamless and innovative patient and family-centered health care to improve the health status of the communities we serve.
Upstate University Hospital will be the preferred area employer by offering an environment where employees and volunteers are personally and professionally valued, recognized and supported.
Upstate University Hospital will be a clinical center of educational and research excellence by continuously evaluating and adopting innovative practices in technology and health care.
Our Values
We drive innovation and discovery by empowering our university family to bring forth new ideas and to ensure quality.
We respect people by treating all with grace and dignity.
We serve our community by living our mission.
We value integrity by being open and honest to build trust and teamwork
We embrace diversity and inclusion to state that all are welcome here.
Emergency Department staff participating in hands-on training of new blood navigator device.
UPSTATE LEADERS CELEBRATE OUR NURSING STAFF
'Much of Upstate's
Success is Dependent on the Incredible Work
Our Nurses Do Every Day'
It’s hard to believe that the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, would have ever envisioned what nursing has become today. Advanced degrees, special certifications, expertise in high-tech medical equipment, participation in air transports, and respected leadership throughout the medical field.
Upstate nurses have made outstanding contributions to our campus and to the patients we serve. Their dedication, skill and compassion are the foundation of the highquality care we provide and one of the reasons our services and care are more sought-after today than ever before.
Our nurses are more than health care professionals — they are caregivers, advocates, researchers, educators and leaders. Whether they are at the bedside, in the clinic setting or operating room, behind the scenes shaping policy, or conducting research and clinical trials, the impact of our nurses is felt in every aspect of Upstate’s operations. From coordinating care plans and administering treatments to providing emotional support to patients and families, the role nurses play in the healing process is immeasurable.
The adaptability and resilience of our nurses is remarkable. They have faced challenges with grace and professionalism, responding to new situations and complex needs with expertise
and compassion. This past year, nurses were among the leaders who assembled in the wee hours of the morning to help the hospital deal with a worldwide technical outage that affected our electronic medical record system.
The culture of excellence within our facility is shaped in large part by our nurses, by their passion for patient care, their pursuit of continuous learning, and their unwavering commitment to the well-being of our patients.
Much of Upstate’s success is dependent on the incredible work our nurses do every day.
It’s no wonder that chief among Upstate’s honors is its Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center — the highest and most prestigious distinction a health care organization can receive for nursing excellence and patient care.
To our many nurses, thank you for everything you do. We are incredibly proud of the work you’ve done and continue to do, and we look forward to supporting you in every way possible as you continue to provide exceptional care.
Mantosh Dewan, MD President Upstate Medical University
Robert
Corona, DO,
MBA Chief Executive Officer
Upstate University Hospital
CNO Addresses Accomplishments and Challenges, Applauds
Nursing Team
As we reflect on another year of dedicated nursing practice, I am filled with a deep sense of pride and gratitude for our nursing team’s resilience, compassion, and commitment to providing exceptional care to the patients and families we serve. Despite the challenges we faced in 2024, we continued to demonstrate our unwavering dedication to excellence in nursing care.
Over the past year, we have made remarkable strides in many areas, thanks to the collective effort of our nursing staff, interdisciplinary teams, and leadership. Our nurses continue to be at the heart of our mission—delivering high-quality, patient-centered care, advancing clinical practices, and driving innovations that enhance patient outcomes. We have strengthened our culture of safety, improved patient satisfaction scores, and worked together to create an environment that supports both patients and staff.
One of the standout accomplishments of 2024 was our focus on professional development. We have increased the number of nurses with advanced degrees and specialty certifications, ensuring that our nurses are not only meeting the needs of today’s health care landscape but are also prepared to lead the future of nursing practice. Our commitment to evidence-based practice and continuous improvement was evident in the success of several quality improvement initiatives, which contributed to achieving a Vizient and CMS 3-star hospital rating resulting in better patient outcomes in key areas.
In addition to our clinical accomplishments, this year we’ve been intentional in our efforts to enhance the well-being of our nursing staff. We understand that caring for others requires that we first care for ourselves, which is why we’ve prioritized wellness programs,
support for nurse resilience, and significant efforts around workplace violence. We have also continued our recruitment and retention efforts, ensuring that we can meet the growing demand for care with a compassionate and well-supported workforce.
However, as we celebrate our achievements, we also recognize that there is much work to be done. Staffing challenges, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasing complexity of patient care continue to shape our daily realities. These challenges require that we continue to evolve our practices, embrace new technologies, and foster a culture of collaboration and innovation.
As we look ahead to 2025, our focus will remain on providing the highest standard of care to our patients while supporting our nurses in their professional journeys. We will continue to invest in nurse leadership, foster a culture of inclusivity and respect, and promote research and evidence-based practices that will drive the future of health care. Together, we will rise to meet the challenges ahead, building on the successes of the past year and positioning ourselves for continued growth and success.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to each and every member of the Upstate Nursing team for your hard work, your passion, and your unyielding commitment to the patients in your care. You are the foundation of everything we do, and it is an honor to serve alongside you.
Thank you for all that you do, and for continuing to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Gwynne Conway, MB Associate Administrat Nursing Business Affa
The Chief Nursing Officer has oversight of all areas where nursing is practiced. The organizational chart identifies formal supervision with the solid line and informal with a dotted line.
Rebecca Dwyer, MSN, RN, NE-BC Deputy Nursing Director Nursing Operations
Kelly Dolan, MSN, RN, NE-BC Deputy Nursing Director Adult Inpatient (Interim) oci te r i Director
Kathy Berardi, MSN, RN, CNRN, SCRN, CNML Assistant Nursing Director
Erin Shorts N Deputy Nu Inpatien
Melissia Wheeler, MSN, RN, NP-C, NEA-BC, RACR Associate Nursing Director Advanced Practice Services
BA tor airs
Scott Jessie, MSN, MBA, RN,CNS, NEA-BC Chief Nursing Officer
Liz LaDuke, MBA Executive Assistant
Linda McAleer, MSN, RN, NEA-BC Nursing Projects Coordinator
slef, MSN, RN, NE-BC
ursing Director nt Psychiatry
Diane Nanno, MSN, RN, NE-BC Nursing Director Transitions in Care
Kelly Mussi, MSN, RN Associate Nursing Director
Ellen Powers, MSN, RN Deputy Nursing Director Perioperative Services
Beth Wells, MSN, RN Interim Associate Director of Ambulatory Nursing Ambulatory Services
Utilization Review RNs
Clinical Nurse Reviewers (Clinical Practice Analysis)
Infection Prevention RNs
Quality Services Patient Safety
Risk Management Quality Services RNs
Sepsis Coordinator Abstractors
Neurosciences and Physical Medicine
e i it tio Transplant Ambulatory Services
Outpatient Psychiatry
Employee Student Health
Heart Vascular Center
Brenda Dano, MSN, RN Deputy Nursing Director Pediatrics Golisano Children’s Hospital
Sarah Fries, MSN, FNP-BC, NEA-BC
Deputy Nursing Director Community Hospital, Procedural Nursing Practice Excellence
JoAnn Featherstone, DBA, BSN, RN Associate Nursing Director Community Hospital Vacant Associate Nursing Director Perioperative Services
Tonya Seckner, MSN, RN Assistant Nursing Director Perioperative Service
Rochelle Ratliff, MSN, RN Associate Nursing Director Golisano Children’s Hospital
*Golisano Children s Hospital is a pediatric hospital within Upstate University Hospital.
Vacant Assistant Nursing Director Float Nurse Manager
Kristin Soper, MSN, RN Associate Nursing Director Cancer Center
Jamie Waterstripe, BSN, RN, CCRN Assistant Nursing Director Nursing Business Operations
Sherria Sparks, MSN, RN Associate Nursing Director Nursing Recruitment
Denise Letourneau, DNP, RN, NEA-BC Associate Nursing Director Nursing Practice Excellence Magnet Program Director
Anne Snowdon, BSN, RN Assistant Nursing Director Procedural Services
OUR STRATEGIC PLAN
The Upstate Nursing Strategic Plan 2022-2024 utilizes the Nursing Professional Practice Model of Patient and FamilyCentered Care as the structural basis to guide nurses in providing the highest quality of care to our patients and families. The strategic plan is categorized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program model: transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, and new knowledge, innovations and improvement. Each Magnet component is used as a guide in the development of nursing strategic goals. Nursing leaders from the Chief
Nursing Officer Cabinet Council (CNOCAB) developed goals to improve RN retention, evidence-based practice, nursingsensitive indicators and RN engagement, and set goals to achieve Nurse Residency accreditation with distinction. Chief Nursing Officer Scott Jessie, MBA, MSN, RN, CNS, NEABC, shares updates on progress in achieving the goals through an annual nursing grand round, town hall forums and monthly CNO nursing updates during Shared Governance all-in-one day, and updates are shared with nursing Shared Governance councils.
Upstate Nursing Strategic Plan 2022-2024 I Magnet® Re-Designation 2025
Professional Collaboration and Staffing Resource & Adequacy
• Vacancy rate less than 20%
• Reduce RN turnover by 5% by the end of fiscal year 2023 (June 2023)
• Outperform on RN-MD collaboration metric on RN sat. survey to national benchmark
• Outperform on RN to RN interaction metric on RN sat. survey to national benchmark
• Consistent utilization of video
Autonomy of Practice, Research
& EvidenceBase Practice (EBP)
monitoring devices with 90% of devices in use at a time
• EBP infusion into quality initiatives through 2 PDSA projects per specialty per calendar year (peds, ED, med/surg, ICU, and Periop)
Transformational Leadership
New Knowledge, Innovations, & Improvement
• Maintain 2 ongoing and active research studies at all times
• Maintain Nurse Residency Accreditation and prepare for Distinction in 2024
Professional Development & Participation in Hospital Affairs
• Reinstate full shared governance day by 1st quarter 2023
• Fill shared governance chair and co-chair vacancies by the end of 2022
• Increase CAP Participation by 1% in 2022 and 1% in 2023
Obtain recognition for excellence through the following new designations: DNV Sterile Processing submission by the end of 2024, GEM by 1st Quarter 2023, ED Lantern, Beacon – submit 1 unit by the end of 2024
Increase BSN rate at the bedside by 2%
Structural Empowerment
Exemplary Professional Practice
• Implement a Center of Nursing Research inclusive of a Nursing Research Coordinator & Nursing Scientist by 3rd quarter 2023.
• Onboard Nursing Informatics Director by Q3 2022
Increase certifications by 2% annually
Begin Preceptor Task Force and implement comprehensive preceptor program in February 2023
Fully implement nursing mentorship program by Q3 2022
Fully implement PEF & UUP professional development process by Q1 2023
Focus on Foundations of Quality Care
Maintain RN Satisfaction above national benchmark
Improve performance on Nurse Sensitive Indicators to meet or exceed national benchmarks
Improve Patient Experience scores to at or above 85% for all nursing sites
Maintain readmissions below Vizient national average of 11.77%
Falls with Injury: Maintain outperformance of both inpatient and ambulatory
PSIs: Achieve no more than 4 PSI 03s per quarter starting Q4 2022, no more than 3 PSI 03s per quarter starting Q2 of 2023 and no more than 2 PSI 03s per quarter starting Q2 of 2024.
• CAUTIs: Maintain outperformance of CAUTIs evidenced by achieving a standardized infection ratio (as defined by National Hospital Safety Network {NHSN}) of no more than 0.79 on a monthly basis.
STRUCTURAL EMPOWERMENT
Shared Governance
Shared Governance Philosophy
A collaborative decision-making process in which nursing staff participate with the utmost integrity in decisions that affect the clinical practice of nursing, standards of practice and patient care.
Purpose
Provide high quality, safe patient care.
Path
Engage and satisfy nursing staff committed to our purpose.
Priorities
Leadership takes good care of staff, so they can take good care of patients.
Shared Governance transitioned to the NEW two-day meeting structure
The newly revised two-day Shared Governance structure was launched in February 2024 to improve overall participation from bedside staff to attend council meetings. The two-day meeting structure was voted on throughout the organization and allows for more bedside staff to attend several meetings. The structure was split between the systems councils on the first Wednesday of the month and the specialty councils on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Systems Councils
Informatics System Council
Nursing Excellence System Council
CNO Shared Governance Monthly Update
Quality System Council
Holistic Health Wellness and Well-being System Council
Geriatrics
Professional Development System Council
Staffing and Work Environment System Council
Safe Patient Handling and Fall Prevention
Health Equity System Council
Magnet Champions Council
Research and Innovation System Council
Nurse Managers
Clinical Training Specialists System Council
Specialty Councils
Critical Care
Pediatric Ambulatory
Adult Ambulatory
Pediatric Inpatient
Hematology/Oncology
Family Birth Center
Emergency
Perioperative
Psychiatry
Medicine
Procedural
Surgery
Transitional Care
Upstate Nursing Councils
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Clinical Advancement Program
The Clinical Advancement Program recognizes and rewards health care professionals for enhanced clinical and professional practice that aids in achieving optimal patient, unit/department and organizational goals. This program supports state-employed licensed staff practicing in direct patient care roles (CAP) and nondirect patient care roles (NCAP) and staff who are in unlicensed positions (UCAP). This program provides a professional development allowance to be used towards activities such as conference attendance, continuing education activities, books and professional membership.
Congratulations to Sue Tiffany for achieving the Clinical Advancement Program (CAP) Level 7 designation! CAP recognizes health care professionals who go above and beyond in clinical and professional excellence to ensure the best patient outcomes. Reaching CAP Level 7 is a mark of expertise, dedication and leadership in nursing.
Sue Tiffany, BSN, RN, OCN (center) is congratulated by Kristin Fahsel, DNP, FNP-C, assistant director of nursing (left) and Kristin Soper, DNP, MS, RN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, asociate director of nursing (right).
Tuition Assistance Program
Upstate University Hospital of Upstate Medical University offers tuition assistance to encourage and support our staff in advancing their professional and personal skills in delivering excellent nursing care.
In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, there were 438 participations in the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). After a recent policy update, employees are now eligible for tuition assistance upon hire.
Clinical Advancement Program
Level 3: 3 members
Level 4: 8 members
Level 5: 49 members
Level 6: 37 members
Level 7: 28 members
NCAP
Level 5: 5 members
Level 6: 7 members
Level 7: 5 members
Total number of CAP participants: 125
UCAP
Level 1: 1 member
Level 2: 1 member
For a full list of all our CAP participants, visit upstate.edu/nursing/documents/cap_designated_staff.pdf
Upstate has 736 Certified Nurses
Nursing Certifications
Upstate University Hospital will assist state-employed nurses aiming to advance their professional and clinical expertise by financially supporting costs associated with specialty certifications and certificate programs. Certifications and certificate programs must be nationally recognized and related to a current Upstate job title and position. Upstate has access to review courses for our most widely soughtafter certifications; supports costs for additional review courses and exam/renewal costs; and reimburses for practice exams.
Higher Education
1,594 Nurses currently have an advanced degree.
Advancing Upstate professional nursing staff education aligns with the University Hospital vision to provide comprehensive, seamless and innovative patient and family-centered health care to improve the health status of the communities we serve. This program is designed to support advanced education while ensuring the employment and staffing within Upstate University Hospital remains a priority.
The Upstate University Hospital Nurse Residency Program is accredited as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs.
Nurse Residency Program
The Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program (NRP) effectively supports newly licensed nurses with 12 months or less experience in transitioning to their first professional role.
The Nurse Residency Program’s key elements are to teach new nurses how to effectively use decision-making skills, provide clinical leadership skills when providing patient care, incorporate research-based evidence into professional practice, strengthen professional commitment to the role as a nurse, promote stress management and prioritize self-care.
Nurse residents come together monthly for the first 12 months of practice to learn and network from content experts in the organization. Clinical reflection time allows nurse residents to connect and grow critical thinking and decision-making skills.
The NRP focuses on four critical domains: Leadership, Quality Outcomes, Professional Role and Scholarship for Nursing Practice. The curriculum contains a series of knowledge supplementation, application and work experiences designed to assist newly licensed nurses as they transition to become leaders during the first year of practice.
The Nurse Residency Program has graduated 1,080 residents since 2018. Currently, there are nine cohorts with about 300 residents enrolled.
To align Upstate’s Nurse Residency Program with the 2024 ANCC PTAP Accreditation with Distinction criteria and Vizient recommendations, the following changes are occurring:
• All NRP cohorts will be capped at 25 residents.
• Nurse Residency's Spark Tank is an excellent way for the residents to connect the Scholarship for Nursing Practice to EBP/QI/research-based initiatives. Spark Tank involves a panel of judges who are invited to hear pitches from the nurse residents on their projects. Directors, managers, coordinators, clinical staff, pharmacy and outpatient employees are among the panelists participating in Spark Tank. The nurse residents are very engaged with Spark Tank and feel immense pride and accomplishment after pitching their projects to the “Sparks.” The winner of Spark Tank is announced at each cohort's graduation ceremony!
Upstate’s Nurse Residency Program has graduated
1,080 residents since 2018.
There are about
300 residents currently enrolled.
Upstate is deeply committed to the health, wellness and well-being of all Upstate employees. Headed by our chief wellness officer, the Upstate Well Council is fundamentally involved in creating and supporting the highest levels of wellness for all members of Upstate. Many significant resources have been developed to support staff wellness, and some are specifically dedicated to the support of nurses. This includes a new position to oversee and coordinate a program dedicated to the health and wellness of Upstate nurses.
People/Groups:
• Upstate Well Council
• Lauren Angelone, LMSW, staff wellness support social worker (315-464-6001)
• Kerryanna Elhage, MS, BSN, RN, CNML, HNB-BC, nurse manager, representative for Nursing on Hospital Wellness Council
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (315-464-5760)
• Holistic Health Wellness and Well-Being Shared Governance Council
• Schwartz Rounds
Resources:
• Upstate Well site upstate.edu/wellness/ resources/index.php
• Well-Being Index
• 4-KARE Line (315-464-KARE)
• Connect Care
• Reiki Team
• Pathway to Wellness upstate.edu/ wellness/pathway/index.php
• G.R.O.S.S. (Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff)
• Suicide prevention programs
• Upstate Well dashboard in Tableau
Activities:
• Pet a Pooch
• VR headsets
• Yoga for All
• Tranquility Tuesdays
Initiatives:
• Grant given to Well Council to promote community building
• Goals/Coming soon:
• Recharge rooms Downtown and at Community
• Wellness Champion on each unit
• Wellness staff member dedicated to nursing
• Resilience debriefings
• Nursing added to KLAS Arch Collaborative survey in 2023
The new recharge room is located near the second-floor cafeteria downtown. The Community recharge room is coming soon.
Upstate Trauma Services
Upstate Trauma Services has extensive community outreach and injury prevention education programs.
Fall Prevention
Upstate Trauma issues Fall Prevention Placemats biannually (Spring/Fall). These were distributed to 650 seniors across 27 senior dining sites over 806 square miles.
Let’s Not Meet By Accident (LNMBA)
• In 2023 and 2024, students were reached across six schools.
• A video has been created to spread the word to other school districts.
Stop the Bleed (STB)
STB courses are provided for the community to address life-threatening hemorrhage.
• In 2024, Upstate Trauma and Upstate SafeKids created a new addition to the traditional Stop the Bleed course discussing the following: low-, medium- and highvelocity penetrating trauma; various types of bullets, including hollow point, RIP and birdshot; cavitation and multi-system organ traumatic involvement; types of gun locks and safe storage devices; how to speak to kids about having guns in the home; and how to safely store guns and ammunition.
• Two courses have been conducted with
Stroke Program
first-time pistol safety permit owners, reaching a total of 35 people.
Trauma Awareness Month
• In recognition of May as Trauma Awareness Month, Upstate Trauma Services revitalized Trauma Fest on May 15, 2024. This was last conducted in 2019, after being put on pause due to COVID. The revitalization was a huge success. This day was especially significant, as it was also National Trauma Survivors’ Day. The purpose of the event was to highlight the fantastic work being accomplished by Upstate's trauma partners. Participating were AMR, LifeNet, Mercy Flight, University Police, Syracuse Fire, and Toss & Fire and PB&J’s Lunch Box food trucks. More than 300 individuals attended the outdoor event.
Let’s Not Meet By Accident reached 424 students in 2023 and 973 students in 2024
Stop the Bleed trained 176 people in 2023 and in trained 279 people in 2024
The Upstate Comprehensive Stroke Center offers comprehensive care and oversight for all stroke patients, ensuring adherence to best practices and the highest standards of treatment. Beyond providing top-notch clinical care, the stroke team is dedicated to community outreach — organizing and participating in educational events to raise awareness and promote stroke prevention. Their commitment extends beyond the hospital, engaging with the community to enhance understanding and improve outcomes for stroke patients. Community involvement over the last year includes:
• Stroke Camp 2023-Finger Lakes: 50 stroke survivors, caregivers and volunteers assembled for a weekend-long relaxing but educational retreat
• American Heart Association Heart Walk Spring 2023
• Stroke Awareness Night with the Syracuse Mets 2024
• Strikes for Stroke 2024
• Pediatric Stroke Awareness walk in Fulton Memorial Day Parade 2024
Heart Failure Program
The team focuses on education, guidelinedirected medical therapies, transitions of care, innovation and research.
Education is the foundation of the program, working with patients and their caregivers, nurses, medical staff and nursing students. A special session for medical students called Rotation X: Heart Failure Pharmacy Rounds is held weekly. The HFP RNs guide discussion and teaching on the pathophysiology of heart failure and the mortality benefit and symptom management.
The program partners with the Upstate Heart Failure Clinic team to insure seamless transition to the outpatient setting to help decrease hospital readmissions and maintains strong relationships with Upstate Cardiovascular Group offices, focusing on the highest level of care and opportunities to collaborate for growth.
The HFP presents opportunities that align with the mission of serving our community through education and our value of driving innovation by bringing forth new ideas while ensuring quality care. Most recently,
Clark Burn Center
the HFP developed a new standard of care in partnership with the UHCC HF clinic by offering a non-invasive, at-home thoracic fluid index monitoring system paired with at-home subcutaneous diuresis that parallels IV Lasix infusions. Upstate Cardiovascular Group has started to adopt the new standard of care as well as provide opportunities for this population to remain out of the hospital and help the institution with readmissions, bed availability and throughput.
Research on patient education from the HFP has recently been published in the scientific journal Heart and Lung and received the podium presentation award from the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses. Currently, the HFP is engaged with Upstate's Spiritual Care Department on a research project involving spiritual care intervention and its effects on anxiety of heart failure patients in the acute care setting. The next research project will be a retrospective study on the innovative standard of care with thoracic fluid monitoring paired with at-home subcutaneous diuresis.
The Burn Program offers outreach and education to 38 counties in New York state. Utilizing data, prevention initiatives are created to try to reduce the number of burn injuries in the CBC's coverage area. Programs include:
• Install the Device/Save a Life: These events partner with local fire departments to educate citizens on how to install a smoke alarm in their home. Participants take home a free smoke alarm. This program was the recipient of the American Burn Association’s (ABA) 2023 Burn Prevention Award.
• Rural Teen Outreach: This school-based program teaches students from grades 8-12 about cooking safety, fire extinguisher use, escape drills in the home, and the dangers of youth fire-setting behavior.
• Youth Fire-Setting Intervention Program: Assessment, intake and intervention are provided to kids who have been burned by or had an incident of fire play or arson.
The HFP consists of a Heart Failure Program manager, Natasha Zmitrowitz, MSNED, RN, CHFN, (left); and two nurse educators and data coordinators, Leah Rizzo, BSN, RN, and Erin Cottrill, BSN, RN.
The HFP maintains the highest level of recognition through the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines 2024 Gold Plus award.
• Burn Prevention for Older Adults: Partnering with the Onondaga County Office for the Aging, educational presentations and materials on preventing burn injuries due to smoking on oxygen, cooking and scalds are provided to the elder adult population.
• Baby’s First Bath and Peds Scald Prevention: A bath temperature testing card and child scald prevention tips are provided to parents at Labor and Delivery at Upstate Community Hospital, UHCC and in the community. Scald burns are the No. 1 cause of burn injury in children.
• ABLS Course: The ABA’s Advanced Burn Life Support course is offered four times per year at Upstate as well as at Fort Drum. This course is for RNs, PAs, NPs MDs, DOs, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics.
The center also participates in several community health fairs and outreach events throughout the year.
From January to June 2024, Clinical Nursing Education issued more than
2,500 AHA BLS CPR cards.
Nursing Mission
United in our expertise to enhance nursing excellence through education, advocacy and change.
Nursing Vision
• Engage all Nursing employees in education and learning to provide high-quality patient care.
• Inspire a culture of respect, integrity, equity and excellence.
• Drive innovation and scientific inquiry.
Nursing Values
Accountability, Respect, Excellence, Integrity, Collaboration, Teamwork, Innovation and Advocacy for Learning.
CLINICAL NURSING EDUCATION
In August 2023, Clinical Nursing Education (CNE) transferred from Professional Development and Learning (Human Resources) to Nursing.
The CNE department is a dynamic team that develops, facilitates and evaluates nursing educational activities and supports nursing departments/units. They are responsible for coordinating nursing clinical education activities, curriculum development and design that focuses on developing the expertise of nursing staff. The CNE team coordinates hospital-wide (nursing orientation, CPR, CPI, etc.) and unit-specific education in collaboration with nursing leadership and clinical experts. The team teaches more than 1,000 classes annually and creates and updates innumerable Brightspace classes
Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) is defined by the American Nursing Credentialing Center as “learning activities intended to build upon the educational and experiential bases of the professional RN for the enhancement of practice, education, administration, research, or theory development, to the end of improving the health of the public and RNs’ pursuit of their professional career goals.” NCPD credits are offered through CNE nurse planners, who use a formal continuing education activity process to award CEUs
upon completion of course requirements within specific courses. CEUs are offered for monthly Nursing Grand Rounds, through some Brightspace courses, inperson classes and webinars. In 2023, CNE provided 47 contact hours (this does not account for repeat classes), and 1,129 RNs collected contact hours, in addition to interprofessional staff who attended programs.
CNE nurses facilitate education plans and education to support accreditation programs and new supplies, equipment and technology. They swiftly create action plans and education to address DNV, Department of Health and Department of Labor corrective action plans.
The CNE department has collaborated with the Nursing Practice Excellence department to offer a new and improved annual educational needs assessment to anticipate and support the annual educational needs of the Nursing Department. To capture the immediate educational needs, the CNE team developed and implemented an updated education request process to align with Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) standards. This new process helps to identify clear educational gaps and opportunities for education and innovation. It enculturates nursing excellence into education and quality improvement at all levels of nursing.
In 2024, the CNE team developed a robust mandatory skills super-user retreat to bring skills to the bedside and have staff
We currently have more than 374 nurses enrolled in certification review courses, providing $71,200 in savings so far.
be comped off while providing patient care; this decreases time that staff are pulled away from the bedside and off their unit. This enables real-life feedback and enhanced quality while allowing staff to remain on their units caring for patients. From March to July 2024, super-users have consistently observed over 45% of mandatory skill return demonstration competencies.
To support and encourage nursing certification, in September 2023, CNE collaborated with Nursing Practice Excellence to bring Nurse Builders certification review courses to all Upstate nursing staff. Thirty-six review courses are offered, and new courses are being added based on
nurses’ suggestions. Currently, 374 nurses are enrolled in certification review courses, saving $71,200 so far.
As this team progresses, they employ strategic goals to improve the education and support they offer to the Nursing Department. Some include the implementation of badge scanning to more easily capture class attendance, implementation of a more robust and integrative competency management system, gaining more dedicated educational space, increasing utilization of the simulation lab, and continuing collaboration with stakeholders to be innovative and provide meaningful education.
In 2023, the CNE department trialed a virtual mandatory skills option that was highly successful in the ambulatory areas. This concept was presented at the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing conference in Chicago in April 2024.
Lauren Calloway, BSN, RN, CDCES, OCN - Cancer Center
Tyah Tejera, RN - 10E
Lauren Bonilla, BSN, RN - 12F
Alexandra LaBarge, BSN, RN - Adult ED
Ahlam Thabet, RN - ED
James Spinelli, BSN, RN - 3W
Deborah Sawmiller, RN - TCU
ING AWARD WINNERS
DAISY & BEE AWARDS 2023
DAISY Award
This award was developed by the family of Patrick Barnes, who wanted to honor his memory and say thank you to all nurses who took care of him during his sudden illness. This international nursing award program was introduced to Upstate Nursing to recognize the extraordinary work of our nurses who go above and beyond the call of duty to care for our patients and their families.
DAISY Individual Award:
Samantha Neuser, BSN, RNHematology/Oncology
Beth Corrice, RN - 12E
James Zampini, RN - CG OR Kelie Oliver, RN - 4N
Kristin Byrne, BSN, RN - 6H
Edward Halpin, BSN, RN - Family Medicine
Ashleen Mitchell, BSN, RN - 6A
Shaun Lamphear, MSN, RN - Peds Hem/Onc & Infusion Center
Kayla Farmer, RN - 12E
Michael Denova, RN - 6K
Arthur Guercio, RN - Children's Surgery Pre/Post
DAISY Nurse Leader Award
Nellie Diez, MSN, RN, NEA-BC - 10E
DAISY Team Award
Orthopedic Nurse Navigator Team
Peter Jaskula, BSN, RN – CG OR Theresa Reaume, RN - CG OR
BEE Award
Just as in nature, bees are loyal, hardworking and cannot exist without the daisy. Neither can the daisy exist without the bee. The BEE Award is complementary to our DAISY Award and recognizes the extraordinary work of our unlicensed nursing support staff.
BEE Awards
Shawn Carey, Medical Assistant, Family Medicine - CG
Arron Taylor, UST, CG HCT/UST Float Pool
Christopher Batt, HCT, Peds ED
Lonnesa Reese, HCT, 10E
Edith Gomez, HCT, 3W
Shannon Sherwin, HCT, 9G
Dajanae Worley, Unit Clerk, 9E
Ben Whitt, HCT, 5B
Carli Capria, CPhT, Special Pharmacy, Patient Care Coordinator
Tek Bhattarai, UST, CG HCT/UST Float Pool
Amin Thabet, UST, CG HCT/UST Float Pool
Gabriel Bolanos, HCT, 4W
2023-2024 HONORS AND AWARDS
Cathy Narcavage-Bradley, DNP, RN, LCCE, CLC, PHNA-BC, SANEA, SANE-P, AFN-BC, a clinical outpatient health educator at the Upstate Community Hospital Family Birth Center, has received the Award of Excellence in Practice from the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses.
Upstate was honored by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) with a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence for its medicine intensive care unit.
The Beacon Award for Excellence — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. There are 576 Beacon-recognized units nationwide, of which only 198 have achieved their highest designation — a gold Beacon Award for Excellence. Units such as 6I MICU that achieve this three-year, three-level award with gold designations meet national criteria consistent with the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.
Congratulations to these three programs and all involved in making them as incredible as they are!
Upstate Nursing Recipients of 2024 President’s Employee Recognition Awards
Erin Murphy, MSN, RN Nurse Manager, Connect Care Clinic
Non-Clinical Team of the Year
Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Coordinators
Clinical Team of the Year Center for Vision Care
and Heart Failure.
Adult Resuscitation, Stroke
EXPANDING UPSTATE’S REACH
Nappi Wellness Institute
The Nappi Wellness Institute at Upstate Medical University is a five-floor, nearly 200,00-square-foot health and wellness complex.
The NWI brings key ambulatory services under one roof with a needed focus on wellness, healthy aging and brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease research and care.
Upstate Triage Center
• Across 46 out of 62 NYS counties:
Upstate Cancer Center at Verona
Services at UCC Verona include radiation oncology, hematology-oncology, urology surgical clinics, pathology and radiology. With 15 infusion chairs, 15 examination rooms and two minor-procedure rooms, the facility is designed to provide comfort and convenience during your cancer journey.
1. Upstate has 14 revenue-generating contracts for after-hours nurse triage with physician offices.
2. Upstate has eight revenue-generating contracts for after-hours nurse triage with group homes.
• The Triage Center answers the 4THEM line after hours and on weekends; it's a resource for all questions relating to COVID for anyone with an Upstate ID.
• The center does transition follow-up phone calls for:
• patients over 65 that visit one of the two adult EDs and get discharged to their home
• patients that receive more than 5,000 milligrays of radiation during a procedure to check on the patient’s skin
• anyone that leaves one of the EDs without being seen
• anyone that has been discharged after a stroke from either hospital at 30 and 60 days post-discharge
• anyone over 65 that has diabetes and was discharged to their home after a hospitalization
• anyone that has a hospitalization at either hospital that indicates during their CIPHER health phone call that they need to talk to a nurse
Hyperbaric/Wound Center
Renovation
University Hospital has the only accredited, hospital-based Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy unit in Central New York, as well as the first accredited hyperbaric program in New York state.
Upstate Connect
Upstate Connect enables patients to contact an Upstate nurse 24 hours/day in an attempt to prevent readmissions. Whatever the issue may be, whether a patient is missing medications at the pharmacy, experiencing complications from a procedure, or in need of clarification on discharge instructions, “it’s like having a call bell at home.” In the 2024 fiscal year, Upstate Connect took over 12,000 patient calls.
We serve 46
New York state counties
RESEARCH, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
The Upstate Center for Nursing Research and Innovation provides support services for those looking to participate in quality improvement (QI), evidence-based practice (EBP) and nursing research. Staffed by a research scientist nurse and an EBP nurse research program manager, this department provides education, 1:1 mentoring and micro credentialing for nurses who are looking to improve processes and products within the organization. The infrastructure is built to support nursing staff with the guidance needed to facilitate the conduct, translation and dissemination of projects, studies and initiatives.
University-level support is available through the research administration, research technology core, clinical trials unit and the CNY Biotech Accelerator. Grant opportunities are also available to support projects or studies. The Upstate Center for Nursing Research and Innovation has partnerships with Red Cap (survey/data building and tracking), Upstate Librarians and the Institutional Review Board (human subjects research). This team is eager to support and guide those looking to improve practice.
There are unlimited ways in which Upstate nurses can impact care and flow at or beyond the bedside. Having a culture of clinical inquiry is an essential element to health care improvements and innovation. The following are examples of Upstate nurses’ submissions, publications and presentations. Congratulations to those who have completed this work and have shared their work on a larger scale to improve practice. This work is exciting and, most importantly, achievable. Visit upstate.edu/nursing/research/index.php for details.
• Microcredentials to Advance Flexible, Individualized Learning in Academic Medical Centers (AAMC)
Dr. Lynn Cleary; Dr. William Darko; Renae Rokicki, RN; Dr. Ann Botash; Dr. Jennifer Vaughn, Lisa Phelan
• Compassion Fatigue and Nurse Leaders (IHI Forum)
Dr. Jennifer Vaughn, Dr. Jessalyn Rose
EMPIRICAL OUTCOMES — NURSING BY THE NUMBERS
PATIENT SATISFACTION
Inpatient
Upstate Nursing outperforms the benchmark for patient satisfaction in the following areas:
• 82.9% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Care Coordination
• 77.1% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Patient Education
• 77.1% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Careful Listening
• 70.6% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Responsiveness
Ambulatory
Upstate Nursing outperforms the benchmark for patient satisfaction in the following areas:
• 72.2% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Careful Listening
• 66.7% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Pt. Engagement/Pt.-Centered Care
• 65.0% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Safety
• 64.8% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Patient Education
RN SATISFACTION
Database: Upstate University Hospital’s nurses participate in the Press Ganey RN Satisfaction/Engagement survey.
Benchmark: Upstate University Hospital’s performance is benchmarked against the following:
• National Nursing Excellence October 2022 NURSE MANAGER Mean
• National Nursing Excellence October 2022 RNs w/ <50% Direct Patient Care Mean
• National Nursing Excellence October 2022 Academic Mean
Survey Date: The most recent RN Satisfaction survey was conducted in October 2022.
Nurse Participation: Our overall response rate for the most recent survey was 73%.
Outperformance: 42 out of 81 reporting units/areas outperformed three of four selected categories resulting in 51.85% outperformance.
Categories: The survey categories we’ve selected to report include:
• Adequacy of Resources and Staffing Autonomy
• Autonomy
• Leadership Access and Responsiveness
• Professional Development
Inpatient
• 88.89% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Inpatient Falls with Injury
• 80.65% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Central Line Associate Blood Stream Infections
• 78.13% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury (Stage 2+)
• 69.70% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Clostridium Difficile (C-Diff) Infections
• 51.61% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections
AACN has been at the forefront of critical and progressive care nursing education for five decades. Alongside visionaries, educators and practitioners, we come together every year at the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) to reshape ourselves, our careers and the world of nursing.
Pictured here are some of our Upstate staff who attended the AACN NTI conference in Denver.
Ambulatory
• 100% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for ED Door to Needle (% of Ischemic Stroke Patients Time from Hospital Arrival to Initiation of Thrombolytic Therapy Administration of 60 minutes or less)
• 94.44% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Ambulatory Falls with Injury
• 100% of nursing units outperform the national benchmark for Surgical Errors
OUR FUTURE
Magnet Re-designation Journey
On Jan. 21, 2021, Upstate University Health System was the first-ever SUNY Health System to achieve Magnet recognition through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This was an outstanding accomplishment and recognition for Upstate Nursing.
Upstate is now on the Magnet re-designation journey and must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from staff. The process begins with a Magnet re-designation application to the ANCC, followed by written documentation demonstrating qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding patient care and outcomes. The Magnet document — filled with 92 stories, data and graphs demonstrating nursing excellence and improved patient outcomes — is due for submission to the ANCC on Feb. 3, 2025.
Once the document meets the threshold of excellence and has been accepted by the ANCC, an onsite visit will occur with a team of ANCC Magnet appraisers. The appraisers will validate, verify and amplify adherence to the Magnet component examples and requirements as well as determine enculturation throughout the organization. A site visit is anticipated in late fall 2025 or early 2026. The appraisers will visit all areas in which nursing is practiced, both inpatient and ambulatory settings. Upstate Nursing will be excited to showcase all the great work occurring in our nursing areas.
What does it mean?
Magnet-designated organizations support professional collaboration and the promotion of role development, academic achievement and career advancement.
Why is it important?
Magnet nurses support organizational goals, advance the nursing profession, and enhance professional development by extending their influence to professional and community groups.
• The standards that Magnet hospitals must attain are rigorous and demanding.
• Magnet designation requires continual improvement. Nurses at Magnet Hospitals consistently outperform non-Magnet organizations with better patient outcomes and report higher patient satisfaction rates.
• Nurses in a Magnet-designated organization research and develop evidence-based care models that lead the organization in making changes resulting in improved outcomes for patients, their families and the communities we serve.
• Magnet organizations have to outperform national benchmarks on nurse-sensitive indicators such as Falls, HAPI, CLABSI, CAUTI, VAP, Restraints and Pediatric IV Infiltrations to and maintain Magnet designation. The goal is to provide Upstate patients high-quality care, a safer environment and better patient outcomes.
The
12
Months of Magnet!
Monthly challenges focused on Magnet awareness, teamwork and unit engagement. Celebrating the one-year countdown to Magnet redesignation document submission!
Our Magnet Journey
n Magnet re-designation application submitted Jan. 15, 2023
n 92 Magnet stories submitted Feb. 3, 2025
n Magnet document accepted 2025
n Successful Magnet Appraiser Site Visit 2025 3
Upstate Nursing
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
For more information on our programs, visit upstate.edu/nursing.
