a nurse since
uab nursing 2 0 1 0 annual report
I have wanted to be
u a b n u r s i n g 2 0 1 0 | ANNUAL REPORT
Caring
Integrity
Our concern for others is greater
than our concern for self.
We are committed to honesty and
truth. We do what we say we will do.
Ownership
Collaboration
We are accountable. Our patients,
our nursing service, our hospital.
With strength and understanding, we
work together to achieve excellence.
Innovation
We continue to explore new concepts
that improve outcomes and influence
future nursing practice.
UAB Nursing Values
v e l i n d a b l o c k | d np rn nea - bc | c h ie f nur s in g o f f icer | uab h o s pital
When I was in the 4th grade , I had a book called Candystripers by Lee
Wyndam. It consumed me. I read it over and over until the pages were
worn and soft. I imagined what it would be like being a nurse. I related
to Bonnie, the girl in the book who set out to be “ just ” a Candy Striper
at her local hospital, and then found her calling as a nurse through
the experience. I was entranced by what she did at the hospital, the
people she helped, and the difference she made in her patients’ lives.
That’s when I knew I wanted to be that to someone.
For all of us, there comes a time when we know. It may come from
an experience of being treated, it may come from a book, but there is
definitely a moment. It’s not so much a decision as a calling. I know
this is true of the UAB nurse. Each of us has experienced a passion
that comes upon us, the very passion that fuels what we do for the rest
of our careers. In some ways I wonder if it isn’t the strength of that
passion that defines the UAB nurse. One thing I know as surely as I’m
writing this: the successes of all of us are a direct result of the passions
of each of us. So, that epiphany and that passion that becomes such an
ingrained part of our lives – these are the ideas that frame this year’s
annual report. It’s a sharing of our collective successes. It’s an unveiling
of some of our individual passions.
You’ll notice a change in this year’s UAB Nursing Annual Report. For
starters, it’s smaller. You see, in the interest of both keeping what we
do current and fresh, and in moving towards a more environmentally
attentive sustainable effort, the complete content for this year’s report
lives online at uabnursingAR2010.org along with more expanded content
featuring stories from our nurses, historical bits, and little surprises along
the way. I hope you take the time to visit. - With warmest regards. Velinda
n p c
H EDDIE J ONES | R N | G I S U R G E R Y | U A B H O S P I TA L
shared goverance The year 2009 saw UAB’s nurses adopt the
Congressional Model of Shared Governance – a means for encouraging shared decision-making, collaboration, ownership, and accountability. In January 2010, after a year of laying the groundwork, the
Nursing Practice Congress (NPC), headed by staff nurse leader
Kristen Noles, BSN, RN-BC, hit the ground running in its first year of
addressing issues.
My parents taught me to use my life - my time - to help people.
I ran from that advice. I was in marketing, but I was only existing.
I decided to change my life. I became a nurse.
uab nursing
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The NPC is made up of 39 representatives, including staff nurses,
specialty nurses, educators, managers, and directors. This crosssectional representation has opened previously challenging channels
of communication and enabled the Congress to enact real change.
5
This congressional model is a significant departure from where we
had been. The NPC provides a clear and structured channel through
which bedside nurses can submit issues. When an issue is received in
Congress, a vote is held to decide whether or not a subgroup called
a PACT (Professional Action Coordinating Team) will be created to
take on the issue and resolve it. These multidisciplinary work groups,
led by staff nurses, work to resolve clinical practice issues. In total,
eighteen issues were formally presented to Congress in 2010 and, of
those, thirteen PACTs were created, resulting in eight clinical practice
changes. for more on our Congress go to: uabnursingAR2010.org/sharedgovernance
pat ent
fam ly
k e n n e t h h a r r i s | R N | S I C U | U A B H O S P I TA L
Patient and Family-Centered Care We recognize that
patients don’t usually enter our hospital alone. Most are accompanied
by family members who care deeply for them and have their best
interests at heart. For many patients and families, being admitted
to the hospital feels a bit like falling through a rabbit hole into an
unfamiliar and often frightening world.
I had been in wholesale food sales. My mother lost her battle with lymphoma in 2000.
Being with her through that gave me perspective. I went back to school.
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As nurses, we are often their guides through the journey.
We have always known that we don’t treat just the patient; we also
work with the family. In 2009, UAB Nursing adopted patient and
family-centered care as our care delivery model.
7
Patient and family-centered care is an approach to the planning,
delivery, and evaluation of healthcare, grounded in mutually beneficial
relationships among healthcare providers, patients, and families.
Patient and family-centered care improves the effectiveness and
quality of communication; it is proactive rather than reactive.
It recognizes and respects the profound influence families have on
patients’ health and well-being and views patients and their family
members as allies in quality healthcare. for more information about
our delivery model visit: uabnursingAR2010.org/patientfamilycenteredcare
j e f f g r e e n e | R N | s tro k e / s tep d o w n | U A B H O S P I TA L
& infants center opens In 2010, we wrote of the
impending opening of the UAB Women & Infants Center. This year
we are pleased to report a timely opening and a tremendous success!
The painstaking effort that went into designing the building, from
its layout and amenities to the smallest details, has proven to be a
worthwhile investment.
women
I had childhood leukemia so I essentially
grew up in a hospital.
My nurses became family.
uab nursing
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As part of the process, our nurses and physicians spent time in the
facility before it opened, taking part in scavenger hunts and simply
exploring their future home. By the time moving day arrived, they
knew their way around the building and were familiar with its features,
which made the transition of patient care seamless.
They basically raised me.
9
The move itself was actually ahead of schedule. Thanks to meticulous
pre-planning and preparation, which included a considerable amount
of nurse education, we conducted the entire move – patients and all –
in just eight hours. As one might imagine, mothers and fathers experienced trepidation at relocating from one building to another during
a time in their lives that was already eventful. But, those fears were
assuaged by the expeditious move and a healthcare team that made
sure there were no lapses in patient care. read more about the Women &
Infants Center : uabnursingAR2010.org/wicopening
NURSING
!
e r i e f o s t e r | R N | trau m a burn unit | U A B H O S P I TA L
quality Some would say that you know quality when you see it.
But to our Nursing Quality Council, quality is not so much seen as
measured: How many falls? How many pressure ulcers? Is what we are
doing better or worse than when previously measured? How much
have we improved? Which units score lower? How can they improve?
And, while the goal is always to achieve better scores, the real brass
ring is in patient care. Fact is, better scores mean better outcomes.
I was five. This nurse came around our neighborhood.
She wore a starched white uniform and a cape. I thought she was super!
I thought, “Gosh, I want to take care of people!”
uab nursing
20 1 0 a n n u a l r e p o r t
Last year, the nursing leadership at UAB determined that in order to
enhance our focus on patient care outcomes, we needed to restructure
the Nursing Quality Council under the umbrella of the Center for
Nursing Excellence. So, in a thorough and deliberate fashion, a work
team set about developing a new framework that started with a
planning retreat in May 2010. From the retreat, they emerged with
a redesigned structure. The new Nursing Quality Council includes
staff nurses, nurse leaders, and others who expressed both interest
and had the ability to make meaningful contributions. read about
nursing quality accomplishments at : uabnursingAR2010.org/quality
I wanted to be a nurse.
11
in
+ egration
of uab highlands
t e r r i m i d d l e b r o o k s | R N | acute care f or t h e el d erly | uab h i g h lan d s
uab highlands As anyone who has been through a merger or
acquisition will tell you, the integration of two entities is challenging.
As human beings, we tend to resist change. But as nurses and
professionals – individuals working in the ever- changing healthcare
environment – change is the one constant in our lives. So we approached
the integration of Highlands, another UAB hospital of over 100 beds,
simply as a tremendous opportunity, one that would allow us to bring
an excellent staff into the family, and to offer outstanding care to
many more people in our community.
I was studying accounting in college.
One day, I found myself helping someone give birth.
It changed my life.
uab nursing
20 1 0 a n n u a l r e p o r t
I began nursing school.
13
Open and active communication between Highlands and University
Hospital was our first and most critical focus as we began blending
our standards to create consistency across the two campuses (the
Highlands facility is a half- mile from the UAB Hospital campus).
The Highlands staff met the transition head on and with a can- do
attitude, remaining optimistic, diligent, and never letting the quality
of care falter while their entire workplace underwent tremendous
change. Highlands’ entire building was wired to accommodate wireless,
a new phone system, and Electronic Medical Record system, as well
as Physician Order Entry, and Electronic Medication Administration
Record (EMAR) for Impact. With the March 2011 launch of electronic
clinical documentation, the conversion from paper medical records to
electronic records will be complete. visit: uabnursingAR2010.org/highlands
E V I D E N C E-B A S E D
NURSING practice
s u s i e m a r t i n | R N | car d iac care unit | U A B H O S P I TA L
EBN P isn’t a new idea, or one that’s unique to UAB. What is unique
My life changed
to UAB is the Evidence-Based Practice Tiered Mentorship Program
headed by Connie White-Williams, Ph.D., RN. The program provides
dedicated time for participating staff nurses to focus on evidencebased practice and research initiatives while partnering with a mentor
from the Center for Nursing Excellence.
on a church mission,
working with a pediatrician.
I had this
“The whole idea of evidence-based nursing practice and research is to
infiltrate the culture and catalyze culture change. It’s about education,”
says Connie. Her mission is to involve every nurse in evidence-based
practice and research to continually improve nursing practice. Yes,
it’s a massive undertaking. But it is one that is keeping UAB ahead
of the curve when it comes to best practices and quality care.
incredible urge that wouldn’t go away
I was supposed to be a nurse.
uab nursing
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The EBP Tiered Mentorship program is a competitive program in
which applicants submit an essay answering the question: “What does
evidence-based practice mean to me as a nurse?” The applications are
graded blind, and the writers of the top essays are chosen to participate
in the program.
15
EBNP at UAB aims to make clinical decisions by integrating the
best available evidence, coupled with clinical expertise and patient
values. It represents the nexus between scholarly pursuit and applied
practice. And it is a skill that is absolutely vital to providing excellent
care. learn more by visiting: uabnursingAR2010 . o r g /EBNP
e r i n b e n i t | R N | intern pro g ra m | U A B H O S P I TA L
Into the Future Each year we take stock of where we currently
are with our nursing practice and set sights on where we should be.
In our constant pursuit of organizational excellence, we have developed
plans for 2011 and are addressing them with vigor. Consider one of them:
On-boarding : A New Approach to Nursing Orientation
Whether new hires are fresh graduates or seasoned veterans, our goal
is to help them be fully functioning employees as soon as possible.
The way we had been doing things – eight hours a day of lectures and
PowerPoint presentations for two weeks – wasn’t resulting in developing
a high percentage of professional knowledge retention. So we’ve
developed a process of blended days called “on- boarding.” On- boarding
immerses new nurses in the culture of our facility from the beginning,
focusing on leadership, professional practice, professional development,
patient safety, evidence-based practice, and quality outcomes.
I wanted to help
That began my journey of deciding
to become a nurse.
uab nursing
I saw those pictures...
20 1 0 a n n u a l r e p o r t
Working as a photo editor during Katrina
17
On- boarding allows the whole team to be involved. Individuals serve
as “buddies” for our new folks, answering questions, making introductions, and forming a bond. On- boarding began in 2011, and the
results show that both new and existing employees are more engaged.
read more about our 2011 pursuits: uabnursingAR2010 . o r g /lookingahead
One week every year in the spring is devoted
entirely to celebrating our nurses. Nurses’ Week,
which includes all sorts of activities and events,
culiminates with the presentation of the
Clinical Excellence in Nursing Awards to
select UAB nurses. The nurse leader
who demonstrates outstanding
organizational leadership
is presented with the
coveted Leadership
Award.
Clinical Excellence Awards
Susanna Howell | BSN | RN | OCN | Bone Marrow Transplant
Ellen Dean Lazzare | BSN | RN | OCN – Hematology | Oncology
Margot Andison | PhD | BSN | RN | CCRN – Medical ICU
Lindsey Harris | BSN | RN – Gynecology | Oncology
Danielle Baker | MSN | RN – Surgical ICU
Scywanda Cole | RN – Highlands 4 Main
Nursing Partners
Karen Bolling-Walker | BSN | RN | Care Management
Deborah Thedford | MSN | RN | WOCN – Surgical Division
Nursing Support
awards
Wilma Davidson | US – Bone Marrow Transplant
Felicia Taylor | PCT – Vascular Surgery
Debra Woods | PCT – Highlands 5 Main
Elaine Pruitt | PCT – Same Day Surgery
Advanced Practice
Paula Midyette | MSN | CCRN | ACNS -BC – Cardiovascular Services
Cathy Ingram | BSN | RN | CRNP – Surgical Services, UAB Highlands
Nurse Leader Award
Toni Gaston | BSN | RN – Nurse Manager | Vascular Surgery
This year we printed a brief annual report summary and let the
majority of what we had to say live online. Next year, perhaps all of it
will be virtual. The way we share information is evolving at light speed.
Our annual report, living as it does in both the printed and virtual
worlds, is just a tiny flash in that evolution. These changes enable us
to engage in dialogue with people with whom we want to share
information – people who used to be our passive audience. We believe
it’s no longer enough simply to share our stories. So, we invite you, our
readers and visitors, to share yours – to engage in dialogue with us.
Find us on Facebook. Take a moment and share the story of why you
were called to nursing.
Let’s talk
uabnursingAR2010.org
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Archival photography courtesy of UAB Archives, donated by the UAB School of Nursing
uabnursingAR2010.org