The entire organization learns and transforms delivery practices based on her focus on excellence. She rounds on nurses and providers daily; attends interprofessional rounds on the units, where she facilitates conversations advocating for patients; and provides Just-in-Time education. This nurse is a dedicated, reliable advocate for the organization and nursing profession. A provider said, “This nurse has been an indispensable part of our neurology program at the hospital since the beginning. Her dedication to quality, eye for detail, and Maestro-savviness has, without a doubt, improved the quality of care delivered to our patients and ensured we could more accurately track and monitor this care for continued improvement. Further, her nursing education efforts have made our program’s growth possible and provided the groundwork for continued expansion of our specialty services. It is difficult to enumerate the work she has done behind the scenes that make the rest of us look good.”

This nurse relentlessly promotes patient-driven excellence and elevates the nursing profession as a subject matter expert in her specialty. Each day she reviews safety reports and infection prevention analyses for opportunities. She conducts quality rounds, including identifying patients on the unit, auditing charts, providing real-time feedback to nursing and providers. One Clinical Lead said, “This nurse and I did quality and safety checks on the unit several times a month. We audited each room on the floor for safety, infection prevention issues, and supplies. She took the information…and transformed it into a color-coded (Red/ Green) guide that we could share via email, staff meetings, and in the break room. We also gave instant feedback to nurses, so the staff could easily see what we were doing well and areas of opportunities.” Her hard work has reduced harms from FY19 to FY20: C. diffs reduced by 64%, CAUTIs reduced by 23%, CLABSIs reduced by 40%, and falls reduced by 54% across the service line. Overall, harms were reduced by 48% in the neurosciences inpatient units.

This nurse is passionate about the specialty population. She leads multiple projects and is not just a committee member. For example, this nominee identified a need to standardize DUHS policies and started the DUHS service-line specialty Clinical Practice Council (CPC). She continues to lead the CPC and mentors frontline staff, clinical leads, and managers to write, revise, and create policies. She develops new research standards and protocols, while striving to bring the most current knowledge into the clinical arena, bridging research findings and patient care. This nominee is also the founder and Nurse Champion for the Spine Patient Education Taskforce and attends the Spine Core Safety Team. Although these committees and patient population are not part of her service line, she recognized the need for patient education and opportunities to improve nursing practice for patients admitted to the units she covers at DUH and DRH.

When she arrives to work, she reviews the patients’ charts, any scans or X-rays the patients had overnight, and then rounds with the surgeons or providers. She collaborates with the interprofessional team to ensure patients are receiving the appropriate care. She stays late waiting for patients to come out of the operating room, so she can support and educate staff on devices they do not use frequently. She answers questions and adds to the plan of care. This nominee was instrumental during our most recent Joint Commission specialty survey. She spent countless hours preparing staff and providers, auditing charts, and reviewing policies. On the day of the survey, she rounded with the surveyor throughout the hospital, answering questions about the program. When it was time for the chart reviews, this nurse walked the surveyor through three patient charts. Her ability to navigate a chart and locate the documentation the surveyor was requesting was exceptional. The JC surveyor stated, “This nurse has exceptional navigational skills driving a chart. This is some of the best I have ever seen.”

This nominee is extremely passionate about the nursing profession and, most of all, our patients and their loved ones. She collaborates daily with the health care team, patients, and families to achieve the best patient outcomes. Her commitment is apparent in her desire to better the safety, quality, and experience for everyone. She is visible on the unit at the campuses she oversees. She is frequently offering assistance by helping nurses and nursing assistants with tasks and as an available resource. This nurse supported the new graduate nurses by making herself accessible, and encouraging staff to help mentor and support new nurses. She advocates for nurses to attend classes, obtain certifications, and be involved with the AACN/AANN educational opportunities/conferences. When staff experience a difficult event and request a Caring for Each Other debrief, this nominee is always present and supportive regardless of the time of day.

This outstanding nominee exemplifies a Friends of Nursing nurse who frequently goes above and beyond to improve clinical outcomes, serving as a liaison between the health care team, the patient, and the patient’s loved ones, and lending her expertise to improve health care delivery within our organization.