Community Teaching Hospital Reinvigorates Its Culture And Renews Its Commitment To Excellence
Background
U.S. Hospitals have made significant investments during the last decade in achieving distinction through national recognition programs including Baldridge®, Magnet®, Planetree and others. Emphasis on exceeding national benchmarks in quality, safety, engagement, and experience help hospitals stand out. Recruitment and retention of a strong nursing and clinical workforce continues to be a top strategic priority for healthcare leaders. You can understand why when you consider that RN labor costs make up 25.5% of a hospitals budget.
One of the most valued recognitions of distinction, when it comes to recruitment and retention of nursing, is Magnet® designation. Just under 10% of hospitals have achieved Magnet®. Significantly, many hospitals see this designation as a key to their future success and survival. While many hospitals have made progress, only a fraction of those who pursue Magnet® are successful. Re-designation, which must happen every 4 years, is similarly difficult to achieve.
Background
The solution had five parts.
- An investment in Relationship-Based Care, an ongoing program that promotes excellence in nursing.
- The implementation of Unit Practice Councils to drive continuous improvement.
- Incorporating best practices in co-worker communication and teamwork, using Manthey’s Commitment to My Co-Workers© behaviors and integrating them into job descriptions and performance evaluations.
- Holding an annual hospital-wide RBC summit during which UPCs celebrate and present measurable outcomes of their work and how they support patient care and the professional practice model.
- A series of experiential learning seminars called Re-igniting the Spirit of Caring, which helps people connect with the meaning of their work, and to discover the best in themselves and share that with others.
Re-igniting the Spirit of Caring Participants had some Telling Comments
I think everyone should be offered this class/program. In order to create change, it first needs to be within ourselves and if not given the opportunity to stop and reflect, then change will not happen. This class gave me a chance to do just that.
I had an amazing time. The workshop was very challenging, inspiring and it did re-ignite my desire to improve as a caregiver.
Outcome
- Patient satisfaction jumped from 55th percentile to 88th percentile between 2013 and 2015.
- HAPU rates decreased dramatically, with sustained performance over a three-year period.
- Nurse satisfaction went from underperforming to outperforming in four out of five criteria.
- The academic medical center achieved its 3rd Magnet® designation in 2015—and in 2016, a 2nd medical center in the system received a Magnet® designation for the very first time in 2016.
Department Outcomes are Equally Impressive
- Designated as a Baby-Friendly hospital.
- Rates of parental satisfaction in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit have gone up significantly.
- The number of falls and Hospital Acquired Conditions has dropped dramatically.
- The number of nurses certified for the operating room has increased.
- There’s been a stunning decline in CLASBI rates.
- And in the adult psychiatric unit, the incidence of assault has been significantly lowered.
