2010 nursing annual report

FUTURE

2 0 1 0 N U R S I N G A N N U A L R E P O R T

oftheSHAPINGNURSING

3www.shorehealth.org

Nurse executive committeeChristopher Parker, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CHCQM, FAIHQ, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing OfficerBarbara Bilconish, MSN, RN-BC, Director of Professional Nursing Practice and Magnet Program Rita Holley, MS, BSN, RN, Director of Shore Home Care and HospiceRuth Ann Jones, EdD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Acute Care Christopher Mitchell, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Emergency and Outpatient ServicesPenny Aaron Pink, MS, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, Director of Surgical and Ambulatory ServicesDiane Walbridge, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Clinical/Financial Nursing Resources

NursiNg maNagemeNtthe memorial Hospital at eastonCynthia Beemer, MSN, RN, CCRN, ICU/TelemetryDona Benford, MSN, RN, CMSRN, Joint Replacement Center and Neuroscience Unit Martha Clark, BS, RN, Surgical UnitSherry Dolby, RN-BC, Requard Center for Acute RehabilitationElaine Frantum-Reed, RN, Wound Healing CenterGrace Gonzalez, BSN, RN, Emergency ServicesMarcia Groton, MSN, RN, Digestive Health CenterJacqueline Mowbray, MHA, BSN, RN, Shore Comprehensive Pain Care, SHS Surgery Center, the University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and EndocrinologyPatty McNeal, MSN, RNC-OB, NE-BC, Women’s and Children’s HealthJennifer Miles, BSN, RN, Multi-Specialty Care Unit and Renal UnitMary Sutphin, RN, CNOR, Operating RoomSusan Walbridge, MSN, RN, CAPA, NEA-BC, Ambulatory Care

Dorchester general HospitalJane Flowers, MSN, RN, CNOR, Surgical/Ambulatory ServicesRyan Foster, MS, RN, CNML, NEA-BC, Multi-Specialty Care Unit and Critical CareCathy Weber, BSN, RN, CEN, Emergency Services Jaclyn Weston, BSN, RN-BC, Behavioral Health Services

Queen anne’s emergency centerMary Alice Vanhoy, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, NREMT-P

shore Health systemJo Anne Thomson, MN, RN, Nursing Informatics Lauren Wade, BSN, RN, CIC, OR Materials and Sterile Processing

shore Home care Deborah Reeder, RN, COS-C, Home Care Patricia Starkey, BSN, RN, COS-C, QualityShelley Stone, MS, BSN, RN, Hospice

4 About Shore Health System

5 A Message from the Chief Nursing Officer

6 Exemplary Professional Practice

8 Transformational Leadership

11 New Knowledge, Innovations & Improvements

14 Structural Empowerment

17 Empirical Outcomes

21 Recognition and Research

26 Contact Us

table of contents

4 2010 Nursing Annual Report

memorial Hospital, easton, maryland• 120-bed acute care hospital for children and adults• 32-bed emergency department providing 24-hour emergency care• 20-bed CARF-accredited Requard Center for Acute Rehabilitation • General and specialized surgical services, including minimally invasive and robotic assisted procedures• Cardiovascular testing• Clinical testing laboratory• Infusion therapy and short stay procedures• Renal dialysis• University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology• Kidney Transplant and Dialysis Vascular Access Clinics • Shore Regional Breast Center• Cardio-Pulmonary Fitness and Wellness Center• Regional Sleep Disorders Center • Cardiac Catheterization Lab• Wound Healing Center• Joint Replacement Center• Shore Comprehensive Pain Care• Primary Stroke Center

Dorchester general Hospital, cambridge, maryland• 37-bed acute care hospital for adults • 16-bed emergency department providing 24-hour emergency care• 16-bed adult behavioral health inpatient unit • General surgical services• Endoscopy services• Cardiovascular testing• Clinical testing laboratory• Renal dialysis• Center for Cardio-Pulmonary Fitness and Wellness Center• Regional Sleep Disorders Center • Outpatient Chemotherapy Suite• The Eastern Shore’s only Balance Center

Queen anne’s emergency centergrasonville, maryland• 14-bed emergency center providing 24-hour care• Diagnostic imaging including x-ray and CT scan• Full-service clinical testing laboratory

outpatient network with facilities in easton, cambridge, centreville and Denton• Primary care physician practices• Specialty care physician practices in gynecology, pediatrics, urology, otolaryngology, neurology, neurosurgery, breast surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, endocrinology, psychiatry and rehabilitation medicine• Diagnostic imaging, cardiovascular and laboratory testing• Physical, occupational and speech therapy• Shore Regional Cancer Program accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons• Shore Health System Surgery Center in Easton• Digestive Health Center in Easton• Shore Home Care and Hospice• Center for Integrative Medicine

With 2,000 employees, a 200-member medical staff and hundreds of volunteers, Shore Health System meets the healthcare needs of the more than 100,000 people who live in Maryland’s Mid-Shore region. Our partnership with the University of Maryland Medical System and the University of Maryland School of Medicine makes it possible to offer sophisticated medical services uncommon for a rural community health system.

about shore Health system


Dear Colleagues and Community Supporters,

I am pleased to share with you Shore Health System’s 2010 Nursing Annual Report. As we reflect on the past year and look to the future, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank our nurses for their loyalty and dedication to our patients.

Last year I proudly shared the news that we had earned Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This honor recognizes our commitment to nursing excellence and places us in the top five percent of all hospitals and health systems in the country.

This report is organized around the five components of the Magnet model which guide our nursing practice. Through transformational leadership, exemplary professional practice and structural empowerment, we will maintain and sustain our success as a Magnet health system in an ever-changing healthcare environment. By encouraging the nursing staff to acquire new knowledge and to pursue innovations and improvements, we produce outcomes that are life-enhancing for our patients and their families.

This annual report contains a sampling of the many accomplishments of the Nursing Department, spanning all practice settings. You will read about how groups in our hospitals, out in the community and in outpatient clinics have achieved impressive clinical results while pursuing continuing professional education and undertaking nursing research.

It continues to be my privilege to serve as Chief Nursing Officer for Shore Health System. I am proud to be part of a dedicated nursing team and recognize that our success is due to the collective efforts of everyone working together toward a common goal - delivering quality patient-centered care, every day.

Christopher J. Parker, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CHCQM, FAIHQSenior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer

the magnet recognition Program® model of Nursing Practice

The American Nurses Credentialing Center developed a model that guides hospitals and health systems as they apply for and maintain Magnet® designation. As a Magnet designated health system, Shore Health System refers to the five components of the model as a guide for delivering quality patient care, for initiating process improvement initiatives and for conducting research that shapes the future of nursing practice.

a message from the chief Nursing officer

©2008 American Nurses Credentialing Center. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of the American Nurses Credentialing Center.


EX

EM

PLA

RY

PR

OFE

SS

ION

AL P

RA

CTIC

E

On morning rounds in the ICU at Memorial Hospital are (left to right) dietician Katie Ewers, RN, LDN; respiratory care practicioner Rhonda Isdell, RRT; pulmonologist Peyman Otmishi, MD; respiratory care practitioner Rassaele DeVivo, CRT; and ICU staff nurse Diana Lynn, RN.

A Magnet designated organization demonstrates exemplary professional practice through the relationships nurses foster with patients, families, co-workers and the community. The effectiveness of the nursing team and the satisfying relationships they develop stem from their familiarity with current knowledge and the application of evidence-based practice.

Patients benefit from team approach in icu

Nurses are integral to the never-ending quest to improve patient safety and the quality of care. Pulmonologists Martin Forrest, DO, Greg Oliver, MD, and Peyman Otmishi, MD, along with Clinical Coordinator Tracy Roe, RN, CCRN, led a team that initiated rounds in the hospital intensive care units at Memorial Hospital and Dorchester General Hospital.

“We continually implement proven practices and initiatives to meet national patient care and healthcare safety goals in our hospital intensive care units,” says Cynthia Beemer, MSN, RN, CCRN, Manager, ICU and Telemetry, Memorial Hospital. “One example is the planning that began in 2009 for multidisciplinary rounding in the ICUs as evidence was growing nationally that this process helps save lives.”

“The nursing staff helped formalize the process and flow of multidisciplinary rounding in the ICU in many ways, including the creation of the daily patient ‘dashboard,’ which we used to implement and track specific practice protocols and safety measures for each patient,” says Roe. This innovative tool allows physicians and nurses to instantly access the most important patient data that they rely on to make decisions about nutrition, medications and the status of any medical devices that are being used.

Multidisciplinary rounds, held twice-daily for each ICU patient, are led by an intensivist, a physician who is board certified in pulmonology and internal medicine. During rounds, the bedside nurse assigned to the patient reports on the patient’s condition to the team, which includes representatives from respiratory care, rehabilitation therapy, pharmacy, case management and clinical nutrition. The patient’s attending physician and family are also encouraged to attend whenever possible.

During morning rounds, the team evaluates each patient’s plan of care, sets written goals for that day and offers expertise that will address each patient’s specific needs. Every afternoon, the team reviews the day’s progress for each patient, addresses any new issues, and sets goals for the evening and night shifts.

“Severely ill patients can develop complications rapidly, so by working this closely as a team to prioritize and guide interventions, we can identify early warning signs and prevent complications,” says Ryan Foster, MS, RN, CNML, NEA-BC, Manager, Critical Care, Dorchester General Hospital.

Twice-daily multidisciplinary rounding coupled with continuous monitoring and explicit daily patient goals have resulted in more timely, efficient patient care. The team has seen a reduction of healthcare associated infections such as ventilator associated pneumonia, central line associated bloodstream infections and catheter associated urinary tract infections. This process has also shortened the number of days patients spend in the ICU and resulted in a lower mortality rate.

The initiative has also expanded points of communication between the medical team and patients’ families. “When patients are in the ICU, their loved ones are as much in our care as the patients themselves,” says Clinical Nurse Specialist Lori Geisler, MSN, RN, CCRN. “Having explicit daily goals helps to engage patients and families in the plan of care each and every step of the way.”


EX

EM

PLA

RY

PR

OFE

SS

ION

AL P

RA

CTIC

E

Nurse First Assists Lisette Vazquez, MHA, BSN, RN, RNFA, CNOR, and Wendy Towers, BSN, RN, CRNFA, CNOR, are part of the robotics surgical team at Memorial Hospital.

Accepting the Patient Satisfaction Bowls on behalf of their teams are (left to right) Sherry Dolby, RN-BC, Nurse Manager, Requard Center for Acute Rehabilitation; Ryan Foster, MS, RN, CNML, NEA-BC, Nurse Manager, Dorchester General Hospital, Multi-Specialty Unit; and Susan Walbridge, MSN, RN, CAPA, NEA-BC, Nurse Manager, Memorial Hospital, Short Stay Unit.

advocating for patients In 2010, nurses submitted several issues to the Patient Care Advisory Committee for clarification and support. Some of their concerns included tube feeding, elective Caesarean-sections, conflict among family members about care decisions, physician communications with family members about patient condition and prognosis, the needs of clinical caregivers, code status, advance directives and general end of life issues. Each concern resulted in a bedside consultation, a policy change or introduction of an educational program.

earning patient satisfaction Patients are routinely surveyed about their experiences at a Shore Health System facility. Nursing units at Dorchester General Hospital and Memorial Hospital, along with the teams that provide cancer care and rehabilitation therapy, were consistently high performers when the quarterly patient satisfaction scores were announced in 2010. Notable for their outstanding inpatient performance were the Joint Replacement Center and the Requard Center for Acute Rehabilitation. Top outpatient performers were Shore Home Care, the Balance Center, the Short Stay Unit at Memorial Hospital and the SHS Surgery Center. Cited for the most improvement were the Multi-Specialty Care Units at both hospitals, Shore Comprehensive Pain Care and Outpatient Chemotherapy.

earning high marks in home careShore Home Care was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the Home Health Quality Improvement National Campaign. The award recognized Shore Home Care nursing staff for revising medication reconciliation processes and for teaching patients and families about their medications with the goal of improving medication compliance. Shore Home Care also implemented multiple care paths for specific diagnoses that have lowered hospitalization rates. coordinating cancer careThe Radiation Oncology Interdisciplinary Team was formed to discuss patient cases and coordinate care. Monthly, radiation oncology nurse Robin Ford, MS, RN, OCN, meets with radiation therapists, an oncology social worker and a dietician to address plans of care, side effects, nutritional needs and psychosocial needs for each patient undergoing radiation therapy. The group also reviews a departmental dashboard, which includes patient satisfaction scores, productivity reports, several operational measures and financial contribution margins. growing the or robotics teamThe Registered Nurse First Assist (RNFA) is a valuable resource to surgeons in the OR and one that is often difficult to recruit. The need for additional RNFAs became apparent when the Memorial Hospital Surgical Services robotics program expanded to include gynecological surgery. The solution: Grow our own pool of RNFAs from existing staff. The first candidate was successfully educated and is on her way to completing certification.


TR

AN

SFO

RM

AT

ION

AL L

EA

DE

RS

HIP

The goal of transformational leadership has become a reality at Shore Health System through the careful analysis of core measures.

Core measures are specific healthcare practices that lead to better outcomes for patients. These standardized performance measures derive from evidence-based practices and must be followed and reported by every hospital in the country that receives funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS posts the results of these measures online, where they are available to the public.

In 2010, Shore Health System (SHS) and each of the other University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) affiliates focused special attention on core measures. At SHS, a Core Measures Team of elev-en department leaders and specialists focuses on specific practices for the prevention and treatment of surgical infections, pneumonia, acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), congestive heart failure and childhood asthma.

The hallmark of transformational leadership is a well articulated vision and movement to achieve that vision. Leaders inspire and motivate employees to become self-empowered leaders who meet future challenges with new ideas and positive changes.

Jennifer Miles, BSN, RN, and Mary Shortall, RN-BC, review a core measures report for a patient in the Memorial Hospital Multi-Specialty Care Unit.

Nurses take the lead in measuring quality of care

The Core Measures Team meets weekly to review data on how well the organization is meeting the core measures and to brainstorm ideas for improving the processes being used to give patients the recommended care.

Team leader Robert Carroll, MBA, CPHQ, CHCA, MHP, Director of Performance Measurement and Improvement, says the team set a goal for SHS to rank among the top ten percent of hospitals in the country for compliance with core measures. In September of 2010, Dorchester General became the first UMMS hospital to achieve 100 percent compliance with core measures.

When she joined the Core Measures Team, Penny Aaron Pink, MS, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, Director of Surgical and Ambulatory Services, brought with her a tool for tracking core measures in a surgical and ambulatory area that she and her staff had developed in col-laboration with the Clinical Information Management team. The Core Measures Team decided to build upon the successes of the perioperative nursing team as they considered what type of system


TR

AN

SFO

RM

ATIO

NA

L L

EA

DE

RS

HIP

The Core Measures Team includes (left to right) Robert Carroll, MBA, CPHQ, CHCA, MHP; Diane Walbridge, MSN, RN, NEA-BC; Gary Jones, RCP, PhD(C); Jo Anne Thomson, MN, RN; Kathy Gootee, MBA, RHiA, CPUR, CMT; Ruth Ann Jones, EdD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC; Susan Siford, PharmD, MBA; Chris Mitchell, MSN, RN, NEA-BC; and Penny Aaron Pink, MS, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR.

would be useful for acute care nursing units and the other clinical areas that are now tracking core measures.

Jo Anne Thomson, MN, RN, Nursing Informatics Project Manager, who was asked to assist the Core Measures Team with real time monitoring of the core measures data, says, “We needed a quick, efficient way to cull specific information about core measures from existing patient documentation without running reports and sifting through pages of information. Nurses have a computer tool, called a status board, which gives them a quick overview of general patient information. Using this tool, I built a status board specifically for core measures.”

The new status board displays core measures information, such as if a patient is eligible for a vaccine and, if so, when the patient received it. Nurse managers, charge nurses and frontline staff can scroll through all the patients on their unit using the core measure status board and quickly determine whether a core measure has been met.

Using the specific data gathered on the status boards, the team can quickly pinpoint and analyze issues, assess possible solutions

and take action. By sharing the core measures data and their goal with all of their staff members, the Core Measures Team sees staff involvement and enthusiasm rising along with results.

Carroll says. “The work this Core Measures Team has done would not have been possible without the full engagement of our nurses. We have nurses who want to make process changes so that they can deliver care consistent with these measures.”

“Our frontline staff nurses are much more involved in these initiatives now than they were when our team first started,” says Ruth Ann Jones, EdD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Acute Care. “Now we have staff members asking to be invited to Core Measures Team meetings to present ideas they have come up with and to address barriers or issues they have run into when working to raise core measure results.”

Penny Aaron Pink has seen transformation in Surgical and Ambulatory Services as well. “When our team started,” Pink says, “if there was an incident where we didn’t meet a core measure in my department, I used to jump in to figure out why.” Now, she says, it’s her managers who are eager to investigate the results.


more examples of transformational Leadership

TR

AN

SFO

RM

AT

ION

AL L

EA

DE

RS

HIP

The Queen Anne’s Emergency Center staff celebrated the facility’s dedication in September 2010.

Building an emergency care teamTeam development was a top priority when plans were being made to open the Queen Anne’s Emergency Center, Maryland’s first rural free-standing emergency medical facility. Manager Mary Alice Vanhoy, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, NREMT-P, led a process which prepared the staff to take on roles and responsibilities that went beyond the traditional duties performed by nurses, radiology technologists, medical laboratory technologists and other support staff. All of the employees who work at the center, including those responsible for patient registration, housekeeping and security, participated in cross training aimed at achieving the highest standards of medical care, patient satisfaction and work flow efficiency.

Leading the transition to new technologyNursing staff played a key role on the steering committee responsible for implementing an upgrade to the Shore Health System patient care system. Jo Anne Thomson, MN, RN, Nursing Informatics Project Manager, was a member of the Information Technology Command Center, which was established to respond to questions and Help Desk calls. Experienced nurses became “super users” who were available to assist their colleagues on all shifts and to serve as a communica-tion channel between the frontline nursing staff and the Command Center when issues arose. Other proficient system users stepped into expert roles to answer questions within their units.

Preparing for the futureIn 2010, 32 nurses participated in the Advisory Board’s Center for Frontline Nursing Leadership. One objective of this program is to groom the next generation of nurse leaders, retain the highest performing nurses and to recruit new talent to the profession.

streamlining preparation for surgeryNurses, surgeons and anesthesiologists developed a process that streamlines preparing patients for surgery. The new process begins in the surgeon’s office, where the physician orders the appropri-ate pre-surgical diagnostic testing. When a pre-anesthesia nurse meets with the patient prior to surgery, the test results are already in the medical record, which allows for a more comprehensive as-sessment of the patient. After making a pre-surgical evaluation, the nurse informs the anesthesiologist of any special medical needs and plans for providing the support patients need during surgery and at discharge. All of these steps lead to better patient outcomes and satisfaction.

taking surgery to an outpatient setting Shore Health System opened an ambulatory Surgery Center in Easton in 2010. The nursing staff assigned to the center transitioned successfully with the support of their peers. The surgical processes used at the outpatient center mirror those in place at SHS hospital-based ORs, which allows for greater opportunities for cross training and support.


New system tracks Patient medications

NE

W K

NO

WLE

DG

E, IN

NO

VA

TIO

NS

& IM

PR

OV

EM

EN

TS

Magnet organizations distinguish themselves by contributing new knowledge, innovations and improvements that benefit patient care, the organization and the profession. The future of health care depends on skillful use of existing information, development of new ideas and measurable application of both to the science of nursing.

Rahel Alemu, BSN, RN, a nurse on the Multi-Specialty Care unit at Dorchester General Hospital, reviews medications with a patient prior to discharge.

New system tracks patient medications

The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies healthcare providers, created a national patient safety goal for medication reconciliation to ensure that hospitals manage patient medications throughout all phases of care. Shore Health System, along with hospitals nationwide, has been on a journey to develop a more efficient, streamlined process for performing this complex task.

A SHS nursing leadership group was formed, comprised of frontline nursing staff from each clinical area of the organization. This multidisciplinary team, co-led by Susan Siford, PharmD, MBA, Director of Pharmacy Services, and Ruth Ann Jones, EdD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Acute Care, began to breakdown the process of medication reconciliation in order to re-build it.

Medication reconciliation is a process for tracking and checking a patient’s medications before, during and after a hospital stay. Initially a paper-based process, the medication reconciliation process was changed to a hybrid system in October 2008, using computer entry along with paper work. The discharge process, completed on paper by physicians, then required nurses to transcribe the information into the computer to generate a patient-friendly discharge medication list. The discharge process was labor intensive for nurses, averaging 60 to 90 minutes to complete for each patient.

The team determined that the computer platform in use was too limited to accommodate needed changes. A multidisciplinary subgroup led by nursing researched the best computerized medication reconciliation models based on predefined selection criteria. The team selected a software program and embarked on implementation and training staff to use it.

This advance in technology, implemented in August 2010, resulted in immediate improvements in patient safety, patient satisfaction, nursing satisfaction and quality measures. Medication reconcili-ation was transformed from a complex hybrid system that was nurse driven to a completely streamlined, computerized process that is nurse supported but maintained by physicians.

Now, when patients are discharged from a SHS hospital, physi-cians can quickly and easily reconcile medications directly on the computer, allowing the whole process to be completed in three to five minutes. The system also gives physicians the ability to automatically send records to patients’ primary care physicians. If new medications are prescribed at discharge, physicians can send prescriptions through the system to pharmacies. The medication instructions generated for the patient by the new technology, clearly indicating what medications are new, modified or discon-tinued, are also easier for patients to understand.


NE

W K

NO

WLE

DG

E, IN

NO

VA

TIO

NS

& I

MP

RO

VE

ME

NTS using data in the eD

Having the right data at the right time is key to monitoring progress, identifying issues, making changes and celebrating success. Emergency Services, in collaboration with data experts in Process Improvement, developed pivot tables to extract real time data from the patient care system. ED staff use the tool to adjust staffing to match patient needs, reducing the time from a patient’s arrival to treatment. ED physicians use the pivot table data to monitor their performance and to match resources with demand for care.

sharing knowledgeQuality, Evidence-based Practice, Research and You (QUERY) seminars have been implemented and offered quarterly by staff nurses to educate nursing staff about quality, evidence-based practice and research being conducted within SHS. One query session featured Memorial Hospital Multi-Specialty Care Unit nurses who discussed improving professional practice, neutropenic (low white blood cell) precautions, and enhancing patient satisfaction by making phone calls and sending cards after discharge from the unit. In 2010, 81 RNs attended three QUERY seminars.

calling “code White”An interdisciplinary task force was formed in 2010 to develop a coordinated response to bleeding emergencies. The task force developed and implemented a Code White response team comprised of clinical care providers trained to respond to hemorrhage or massive bleeding. Order sets for laboratory tests and blood product replacement were developed and “bundled” into the computer system so that all orders are initiated with a single selection on the order entry screen. The delivery of blood products was enhanced by increasing blood product supplies, developing a process for transporting blood between hospitals and reducing the time for delivery of blood products. With the support of senior leadership, the team recommended the purchase of rapid infusers, which allow fluids and blood products to be warmed and delivered at high flow rates.

Kyle Flater, MT(ASCP), (left) and Fareeba Birckhead, MT, (ASCP), prepare blood products in response to a Code White bleeding emergency.


NE

W K

NO

WLE

DG

E, IN

NO

VA

TIO

NS

& IM

PR

OV

EM

EN

TS

achieving reduced cost, greater flexibilityWith the expansion of urology services at Memorial Hospital, the Holmium laser was being used more frequently in the OR. The Surgical Services nurses investigated best practices for use of this equipment and developed a plan for OR staff to be trained. This new process eliminated the cost of using an outside equip-ment vendor and resulted in greater flexibility in scheduling and performing urgent procedures for which the laser is used. advancing skills in neurosurgery In 2010, with the addition of a second neurosurgeon, the Memorial Hospital nursing staff rose to the challenge of caring for patients in need of complex brain and spinal cord procedures. Staff in the perioperative setting and in the ICU advanced their skill set so that they are prepared to care for patients who, in the past, would have been transferred to a tertiary medical center.

improving hospice careShore Home Care Hospice redesigned how the Hospice Inter-discipline Team (IDT) conducts its work. Members of a task force visited other hospice programs and collaborated with informa-tion technology experts and a software vendor to transition to a paperless plan of care. Nurses use this new system to identify and address patient needs in the weeks between IDT meetings. As a result of this project, nurses are accountable for delivering care in ways that are consistent, efficient and well-coordinated with their colleagues in other disciplines such as volunteers, pastoral care, social workers, bereavement counselors, rehabilitation therapists and home health aides.

ensuring patient safetyOutpatient Chemotherapy transitioned to bedside medication verification (BMV) a process that uses barcode scanning to insure patient safety by reducing the risk of medication errors. Shore Regional Cancer Program was the first Shore Health System outpatient department to transition to BMV.

Memorial Hospital OR nurse Lynn Wagner, RN, and ICU nurse Holly Frase, RN, CCRN, consult with neurosurgeon Khalid Kurtom, MD.


ST

RU

CT

UR

AL E

MP

OW

ER

ME

NT When structural empowerment is in place, nurses are encouraged to find the best way to accomplish

organizational goals and to achieve desired outcomes. These goals can be internally focused; they can also be developed through partnerships with community organizations. In both cases, these goals have one primary focus - enhancing the health of the community we serve.

VISION: As a Magnet® designated organization, nursing embraces our responsibility to continually transform clinical and professional practice through the acquisition, discovery and dissemination of new knowledge, innovations and improvements.

STRATEGIC PRINCIPLE: Professional nursing at Shore Health System means exceptional nurses providing exceptional care, every day.

MISSION STATEMENT: To excel in quality care and patient satisfaction.

VALUES STATEMENT: As a premier provider of community based, family oriented health care, Shore Health System believes it can best maintain this level of service through a customer focus, where we continually strive to understand and exceed the expectations of our customers and to reduce harm in healthcare. This focus is enabled through effective communication systems, staff education, team building, process improvement, work redesign and an empowered work force.

These statements summarize what was accomplished by a group of nurses who met for a two-day retreat to shape the future of nursing at Shore Health System. The group, which included directors, man-agers, clinical specialists and staff nurses, developed Shore Health System’s third nursing strategic plan.

“This Nursing Strategic Plan flows from the Shore Health System strategic vision and mirrors the Magnet model,” explains Christopher Parker, MSN, RN, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services, and Chief Nursing Officer. “As a Magnet health system we are responsible for transforming the professional practice of nursing by empowering our nursing team to develop and deliver patient care according to the highest standards.”

Janet Wilson, RN, an admissions nurse and chair of the Nursing Shared Leadership Global Council, participated in the strategic planning process. Wilson comments, “It was exciting to be involved

in the process of exploring the future of nursing at Shore Health System. Those of us who work at the bedside were able to translate what was being considered into how the ideas would affect the nursing units and direct patient care.”

Deedra Abner, BSN, RN-BC, a staff nurse at Dorchester General Hospital, also attended the strategic planning retreat. She says, “During the retreat I learned a lot about team work. I saw what can happen when we all come together for the benefit of our patients and for Shore Health System as a whole.”

Parker calls the strategic plan a “living document.” He explains, “I weave the elements of the plan into conversations I have with my nursing executives and with the staff nurses who come to me with ideas and questions. When a member of my team raises a question or offers a suggestion about how we practice, I always ask, ‘How does this issue fit into our strategic plan?’ This question helps us stay focused on what is most important.”

In 2010, Nursing Department staff received a copy of the 2011-2014 Nursing Strategic Plan. Parker and the Nurse Executive Committee members review the plan quarterly to assess what actions have been completed, discuss what is in progress and decide if timelines need to be revised.

Over the next three years, Parker and the nursing team will measure the effectiveness of the strategic plan by assessing several critical success factors. Some of the signs of success include achieving quality outcomes for patients; providing ongoing education for staff; delivering relationship-based care; communicating across disciplines; and practicing with professionalism. Other success factors involve using financial resources responsibly, leveraging technology to most effectively use information and taking advantage of Shore Health System’s membership in the University of Maryland Medical System.

shaping the Future: Nursing strategic Plan – Fiscal Year 2011-2014


STR

UC

TU

RA

L E

MP

OW

ER

ME

NTParker says. “The responsibility for achieving each aspect of the

plan is being shared across the organization to include participation by nurses at all levels and in all departments at both hospitals and at offsite facilities.”

Reflecting on how the nursing strategic planning process has evolved since the first plan was developed in 2002, Parker says, “Now we have much more involvement from our staff nurses. They are more comfortable raising issues when they meet with me and the other members of the Nurse Executive Committee. I also see that they are more comfortable stepping out of their roles as staff nurses on a particular unit to offer suggestions to their peers in other nursing disciplines.”

Janet Wilson says, “The strategic plan gives me and my colleagues a sense of security because we see how the Shore Health System Nursing Department is proactively meeting the challenges of health-care reform. Currently, numerous nurses are actively participating in achieving this vision. We will be proud to see how our community benefits from our work.”

the Nursing strategic Planning team:Deedra Abner, BSN, RN-BC, Staff Nurse, Chair-Elect, Global Council Barbara Bilconish, MSN, RN-BC, Director Martha Clark, BS, RN, Manager Christine Clark, MA, ACC, Director Renee Edsall, MS, RN, CCRN, Clinical Specialist Grace Gonzalez, BSN, RN, Manager Marcia Groton, MSN, RN, Manager Rita Holley, MS, BSN, RN, Director Mary Horseman, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CCRN, CCU Faculty Ruth Ann Jones, EdD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, DirectorLisa Marshall, RN, CPAN, Clinical CoordinatorJennifer Miles, BSN, RN, ManagerChristopher Mitchell, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, DirectorJacqueline Mowbray, MHA, BSN, RN, ManagerMaria Mulinos, RN, Staff NurseJustine Murray, RN, Staff NurseChristopher Parker, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CHCQM, FAIHQ, Chief Nursing OfficerPenny Pink, MS, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, DirectorJo Anne Thomson, MN, RN, Nursing InformaticsDiane Walbridge, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, DirectorJaclyn Weston, BSN, RN-BC, Staff NurseJanet Wilson, RN, Chair, Global Council

Deedra Abner, BSN, RN-BC, and Janet Wilson, RN, review the Nursing Strategic Plan with Chief Nursing Officer, Christopher Parker, MSN, RN, NEA-BC.


ST

RU

CT

UR

AL E

MP

OW

ER

ME

NT

Loading up boxes of food and personal items donated to the elderly of Caroline County by Shore Health System employees are (left to right) Bernadette Wood, RN, CNOR; Linda Spear, MSN, Caroline County Health Department; Deedra Abner, BSN, RN-BC; Janet Wilson, RN; and Jaclyn Weston, BSN, RN-BC.

Ann Marie Hernandez, RN (left) orients Critical Care University student Jenny Leap, RN, to the Dorchester General Hospital Emergency Department.

improving patient satisfaction Brenda Smith, RN, and Jessica Denny, PT, co-chaired the Requard Center for Acute Rehabilitation Unit Based Council. The multi-dis-ciplinary council has been a catalyst for improving communication, scheduling of services and coordination of care among the nursing and therapy staff. The council’s work has also contributed to high patient satisfaction.

sharing knowledge with novice nursesStaff nurses pass on their knowledge and experience as lecturers, skills lab instructors and bedside preceptors for Critical Care University (CCU) and Graduate University (GU), Shore Health System’s innovative novice nurse orientation programs. Many of these adjunct faculty members are graduates of CCU and GU; they have also earned specialty certifications, advanced in the Professional Advancement Ladder and enrolled in and graduated from BSN and MSN degree programs.

staying current in nursing practice• Grants from the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board Maryland Business Works assisted 43 nurses who participated in continuing education and provided financial assistance to nine employees who achieved nursing assistant certification.• While completing a master’s degree in nursing, Kim Brice, RN, CCRN, applied for and was awarded a $10,000 grant for education in the ICU at Memorial Hospital. Five ICU nurses used the funding to complete their critical care certification. Three of the nurses used grant funds to pay for undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees. The grant enabled nine nurses to attend professional seminars in their field.

reaching out to the community• Neuroscience Specialist Christina Ball, RN, CNRN, leads the Talbot County support group for stroke survivors. At these monthly meetings, people recovering from stroke and their caregivers receive support, education and encouragement. • Shore Regional Cancer Center nurse Sharon Richter, BSN, RN, CCRC, coordinates the annual prostate screening program in partnership with the Talbot County Health Department and the physicians of Shore Comprehensive Urology. Since the program began in 2006, more than 475 men have participated in the free screening, which includes a PSA test and physical examination. Richter also facilitates a monthly meeting of the “Us TOO” prostate cancer support group for men and their family members. • In 2010, the Nursing Shared Leadership Global Council initiated a series of outreach projects in partnership with county health departments and other community agencies. The group’s fundraising activities benefited seniors in Caroline County and raised money for prenatal testing in Talbot County. Another project raised money for the cold weather homeless shelter in Dorchester County.


EM

PIR

ICA

L O

UTC

OM

ES

When people are ill, whether at home or in the hospital, their risk of falling may increase because of medications they are taking, disorientation from being in an unfamiliar environment, physical weakness and other factors related to their medical condition.

Diane Walbridge, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Clinical/Financial Nursing Resources, and Ruth Ann Jones, EdD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Acute Care, formed the Shore Health System Falls Prevention Task Force in 2009 to involve staff leaders in creating a safe environment for patients in the hospital and at home. Members of this interdisciplinary team represent acute care, home care, pharmacy, rehabilitation and quality.

The Falls Prevention Task Force meets monthly to review the data related to patient falls. They use evidence-based practices to develop and implement interventions that have resulted in significant reductions in patient falls.

One recommendation of the task force was to switch from quarterly to weekly reports that help update staff about the falls data. More frequent updates increase staff awareness and reduce the lag time between analysis of data and taking action to prevent falls. The team also improved communication about falls between the day and night shifts.

“We learned a lot about how to prevent falls by meeting with staff after a fall occurred and discussing what worked and what didn’t work,” Walbridge says. These meetings resulted in the acquisition of a new monitor that patients wear when they are at risk for fall-ing. The monitor’s alarm can also be linked to the patient’s call light, which allows the staff to respond more quickly to prevent a fall.

The Falls Prevention Task Force recommended purchase of high/low hospital beds for the Neuroscience Unit at Memorial Hospital. These beds can be lowered down to 18 inches from the floor. Soft mats are also placed next to beds of high risk patients.

The team saw another opportunity to prevent falls by educating employees who are not directly involved in patient care. “The team realized they needed to educate employees from dietary, environmental services and other areas so that they know how to respond if they find that a patient has fallen or if they see that someone at risk for falling is getting out of bed unattended,” Jones explains. “We wanted everyone on a nursing unit to know that they share responsibility for patient safety. Employees now know that if they hear an alarm or see a patient trying to get up without help, they should stay with the patient until a nurse arrives.”

For patients who need home care after discharge from the hospital, members of the Shore Home Care Safety Outcomes Satisfaction Team created the Falls Care Path Packet. Developed by nurses, occupational therapists and physical therapists, the goal of the packet is to increase communication between the members of the home care team and to educate the patient.

Shore Health System became a member of the newly formed Maryland Patient Safety Consortium (MPSC) in June 2009. The MPSC offers practical tips and solutions for fall prevention that have been tried at other healthcare facilities. The Falls Prevention Task Force has used information from the MPSC to make changes and implement innovations that have led to a significant reduction in the occurrence of falls for patients in the hospital and at home.

Shore Health System submits process measures twice a year to the MPSC. Initially SHS was meeting 84 percent of the MPSC process measures. By October of 2010, the score was nearing 100 percent. Outcome data is submitted monthly to the MPSC monthly and is shared with the staff.

Through the work of the Falls Prevention Task Force, SHS has significantly reduced the occurrence of inpatient falls and continues working to further reduce patient falls in all environments.

As pioneers in healthcare, Magnet® nurses are changing the questions they ask from “What do you do?” or “How do you do it?” to “What difference have you made?” Outcomes achieved represent the “report card” of a Magnet-recognized organization.

Working together to prevent falls

normal range

average number of falls

actual number of falls

goal


EM

PIR

ICA

L O

UTC

OM

ES

Celebrating more than 500 days without a central line associated blood stream infection on the Dorchester General Hospital Multi-Specialty Care Unit are (left to right) Nichelle Potter, Nursing Tech; Nurse Manager Ryan Foster, MS, RN, CNML, NEA-BC; Valdessia Wright, Nursing Tech; Sheila Willey, RN; Gidget Ross, Nursing Tech; Becky Wright, RN; Wanda Major, RN; Unit Secretary Dionne Walker; Clinical Nurse Specialist Renee Edsall, MS, RN, CCRN; and Rahel Alemu, RN.

The Requard Center for Acute Rehabilitation celebrated more than 500 days without a catheter associated urinary tract infection. Pictured are (left to right), seated, James Jenkins, Rehab Aide; Christine Copper, EVS Associate; Rosa Mateo, MD; Sherry Dolby, RN-BC, Nurse Manager; Marianna Edmonston, OTA; Stacie Peitras, RNC, Admission Liaison; Jen Collins, Nursing Tech; Maryanne Williams, Rehab Aide; standing, Teresa Blem, PT, Director, Rehab Services; Stephen Wills, MD; Donna Carroll, LPN; Andrew McCarthy, MD, Medical Director; Nancy Lepine, Speech Pathologist; Mary Walczak, PT student; Debbie Medford, RN-BC; Donna Martin, RN; Jess Denny, PT; Charly Hunteman, COTA; Greg Terry, PTA; Bill Roth, Senior Director, Rehab Services; and Gordon Corbman, PTA.

Shore Health System’s initiative to reduce healthcare associated infections celebrated its one-year anniversary in 2010. Nursing units at Dorchester General Hospital and Memorial Hospital along with the Shore Home Care team produced impressive results, treating patients for hundreds of days without anyone experiencing a catheter associated urinary tract infection, central line associated blood stream infection or ventilator associated pneumonia. As of the end of 2010, four nursing units had gone more than one-year without one of these serious medical conditions.


EM

PIR

ICA

L O

UTC

OM

ES

More than 400 days without a central line associated blood stream infection in the ICU at Dorchester General Hospital was reason to celebrate for (left to right) Chris Parker, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Senior VP, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer; Hope Bolyard, RN; Jeannine LeMeiux, RN; Mandy Bounds, BSN, RN CCRN, Clinical Coordinator; Renee Edsall, MSN, RN, CCRN, Clinical Nurse Specialist; Hope Padilla, BSN, RN, PCCN, and her daughter Camille; Stacey Kram, BSN, RN, PCCN, CCRN; and Ryan Foster, MS, RN, CNML, NEA-BC, Nurse Manager, Multi-Specialty Care and Critical Care Units.

The team responsible for reaching Target Zero for ventilator associated pneumonia for more than 12 months

at Dorchester General Hospital includes nurses from the Critical

Care Unit and respiratory therapists from both Dorchester General

Hospital and Memorial Hospital. Pictured are (left to right),

front row, Nikki Bailey, RT;Annie Chamberlain, RN; and

Stacey Kram, RN, PCCN, CCRN; back row, John Roberts, RT;

Nikki Dorman, RT; Judy Aaron, RT, RN; Helen Butler, RT;

Glenda Cornish, Monitor Tech;Ed Liske, RT; and

Hope Padilla, RN, PCCN.


EM

PIR

ICA

L O

UTC

OM

ES

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

TPA Timely Early Antithrombotics

DVT Prophylaxis Antithrombotics at Discharge

Anti-coag for Afib/Aflutter

Smoking Cessation LDL 100 or ND -Statin

Per

cen

t C

om

plia

nce

Go

al:

Ou

tper

form

th

e N

atio

nal

Ben

chm

ark

of

85%

Element

SHS Stroke Center 2009-2010 Performance on

AHA/ASA Get with the Guidelines

For 24 consecutive months, SHS Stroke Center has

outperformed the national benchmark for the

AHA/ASA performance

the shore Health system Primary stroke center earned a Silver Award from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. The award recognizes hospitals that demonstrate compliance with the seven Get With The Guidelines® stroke achievement measures. The Silver Award acknowledges that Shore Health System has met the guidelines for providing the highest standards of stroke care for 12

consecutive months. The Get With The Guidelines measures evaluate the timeliness with which people experiencing stroke symptoms are transported to the hospital emergency room and the percentage of patients who are given the appropriate treatment. The guidelines also require that stroke centers provide education to increase awareness about how to prevent stroke and how to respond when stroke symptoms occur.


RE

CO

GN

ITIO

N A

ND

RE

SE

AR

CH

Members of the nursing team are favorites when patients and their families nominate Shore Health System employees, physicians and volunteers as Everyday Heroes. In 2010, 25 nurses and five nursing technicians were honored when people who benefited from their care made donations to the Memorial Hospital Foundation in their honor.

Everyday Hero Carolyn Duval, CRT, Lifeline Coordinator, with Rita Holley, MS, BSN, RN, Director, Shore Home Care and Hospice

Accepting the Everyday Hero award on behalf of the Memorial Hospital Emergency Department team are (left to right) Chad Windsor, RN; Kathy Murphy, Nursing Tech; Donna Scharch, RN; and Grace Gonzalez, BSN, RN, Manager, Emergency Services. Also honored were Jenny Graziano, MD; Carolyn Zdana, RN; and Megan Stubbs, Nursing Tech.

Memorial Hospital Surgical Unit employees pictured receiving their Everyday Hero honor are (left to right), back row, Lisa Mand, Nursing Tech; Dimeta Little, Unit Secretary; Claudia Daileader, RN; and Stephanie Golebieski, RN, CMSRN; front row, Laura Lloyd, RN; Maila Wagner, RN-BC; Susan Walker, RN; Colby Foxwell, RN; Nina Lovett, Nursing Tech; Martha Clark, BS, RN, Nurse Manager; Ella McDowell and Ronnie Little, Nursing Techs.


RE

CO

GN

ITIO

N A

ND

RE

SE

AR

CH employees of the month

Fifteen members of the Nursing Department were recognized as Employees of the Month in 2010. In addition to Christina Ball, RN, CNRN, Neuroscience Specialist, Memorial Hospital, and Renee Edsall, MSN, RN, CCRN, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Critical Care, Dorchester General Hospital, who were chosen as Employees of the Year, the 2010 Employee of the Month honorees from Nursing were: Leroy Meyers, OR Assistant, MHE; Debora McAllister, RN, Surgical Services, DGH; Kim Brice, MSN, RN, CCRN, ICU, MHE; Rosalyn Farrow, Sterile Processing Coordinator, MHE; Demtria Potter, Endoscopy Tech, DGH; Karen Van Trieste, RN-BC, CCCE, IBCLC, Birthing Center; Beverly Anders, Unit Secretary, RCAR; Donisha Thomas, Post Case Data Clerk, Ambulatory Care Unit, MHE; Janice Adkins, Monitor Tech, ICU, DGH; Bill Shertenlieb, RN, ICU, DGH; Glenda Cornish, Monitor Tech, ICU, DGH; Kathryn Stranahan, BSN, RN, CGRN, Digestive Health Center; and Wendy Towers, BSN, RN, CNOR, CRNFA, Surgical Services, MHE.

Christina Ball, RN, CNRN Renee Edsall, MSN, RN, CCRN

spies Nursing research awardsLaura Hanlon, BSN, RN, Coordinator of the Joint Replacement Center at Memorial Hospital, won the Karen Spies Nursing Research Award for best nursing research study: Comparison of Cardiopulmonary Complication Rates in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty and Reinfusion of Shed Blood.

Karen Spies, RN, (second from left) presented the Karen Spies Nursing Excellence Award to Laura Hanlon, BSN, RN (second from right). Also pictured are Pat O’Shea, Director of Development for Shore Health System (left), and Barbara Bilconish, MSN, RN-BC, Director of Professional Nursing Practice and Magnet Program.

continuing education• Kathy Hurley RN, OCN, Chemotherapy Nurse Coordinator, completed the Maryland Hospital Association Healthcare Managers Leadership Institute program and the supervisory section of the Shore Health System Leadership Development Program. • The Shore Health System Spring 2010 Nursing Research Conference was attended by 62 nurses. Nationally known experts

and local nurses covered topics such as evidence-based practice, nursing research, performance improvement and QUERY. • Eleven nurses completed the Human Rights Protection Training in 2010, bringing the total number of nurses who have completed this education to 34. These educational programs ensure that nurses conduct research without causing harm to participants.


RE

CO

GN

ITIO

N A

ND

RE

SE

AR

CH

advancing in the practiceThe Nursing Professional Advancement Program provides the registered nurse practicing in the clinical setting a mechanism for career advancement by recognizing and rewarding professional growth, competence, experience and education. A goal of the program is to enhance recruitment and retention of nurses through increased job satisfaction and increased opportunity by expanding

nursing responsibilities while improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. Nurses who achieve Level III are proficient in practice by virtue of their past experiences; they can modify the patient’s plan of care in response to their changing condition. Level IV nurses are experts in their practice; their skills and competences are embedded in their patient care practices and in their teaching talents and intuitive ability.

PresentationsMartha Clark, BS, RN, “Fall Prevention: An Interdisciplinary Huddle to Reduce Falls,” and “Frontline Staff Empowerment: A Force to Reduce Falls and More,” 11th Annual Transforming Falls Management Practices Conference, Tampa, FL Martha Clark, BS, RN, “The Critical Success Factor: Staff Empowerment – The Key to Creating a Culture of Fall Prevention and More,” Minnesota Hospital Association, Minnesota Jane Flowers, MSN, RN, CNOR, “The Choice is Yours: Making a Difference,” Maryland Nurses Association, Annapolis, MD Ryan Foster, MS, RN, CNML, NEA-BC, “Nurse Driven Sepsis Protocol,” University of Maryland Medical System Patient Safety Conference, Baltimore MD Sharon Stagg, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, RN, COHN-S, “Evaluation of a Workplace Bullying Cognitive Rehearsal Program in a Hospital Setting,” The Washington Regional Nursing Research Consortium, in Washington, DC.

Sharon Stagg, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, RN, COHN-S, “Role Playing of Responses to Common Bullying Behavior,” Washington College, Chestertown, MD and Inova Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg, VA Mary Alice Vanhoy, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, NREMT-P, “The 3 C’s of Excellence,” Emergency Nurses Conference, Chicago, IL Mary Alice Vanhoy, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, NREMT-P, “Sudden Death of a Young Athlete; “Broken Heart Syndrome: Myth or Fact;” and “The Injured Athlete: Case Studies,” Emergency Nurses Association Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX Mary Alice Vanhoy, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, NREMT-P, “The Ice Man Cometh: Induced Hypothermia,” Winterfest Emergency Medical Services, Tilghman Island, MD


RE

CO

GN

ITIO

N A

ND

RE

SE

AR

CH Publications

Manuscripts published in peer reviewed journals:Jones, R. A. (2010). Patient Education in Rural Community Hospitals: Registered Nurses’ Attitudes and Degrees of Comfort. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(1) 41-48.

Stagg, S., & Sheridan, D. (2010). Effectiveness of Bullying and Violence Prevention Programs: A Systematic Review. AAOHN Journal, 58 (10), 419-424.

Manuscripts in development:Edsall, Renee; Geisler, Lori; & Bryan, Sandra H. Assessing Nurses’ Knowledge and Practices for Patients on Mechanical Ventilation. Target journal: Nursing Management.Stafford, Amy & Brower, Jeanne. Effectiveness of an Air Mattress Overlay and Chair Cushion for the Prevention of Pressure Ulcers. Target journal: Nursing Management.Trinkley, Devin; Bryan, Sandra; Speroni, Karen Gabel; Jones, Ruth Ann; & Allen, Hubert A. Retrospective Review of Domestic Violence Screening in Two Rural Hospital Emergency Departments. Target journal: Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care

Nursing research Studies begun in 2010: • Survey Research Evaluation of Workplace Bullying Program. Principal Investigator: Sharon Stagg, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, RN, COHN-S

• Survey Research of Patients’ Perceptions of Patient Care Providers (Nurses and Nursing Assistants) with Tattoos and/or Body Piercings. Principal Investigators: Heather Westerfield, RN-BC and Amy Stafford, MSN, CMSRN

• Prospective Study Comparing Body Mass Index and Obesity-Related Outcomes between Nurses’ Living Fit and Contrast Group of Nurses. Principal Investigator: Gail Shorter, MSN, RN, CEN; Sub-Investigator Sandra Bryan, MHA, BSN, RN-BC

Study completed in 2010: Evaluation of Workplace Bullying Cognitive Rehearsal Program in a Hospital Setting. Principal Investigator: Sharon Stagg, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, RN, COHN-S; Sub-Investigators: Daniel Sheridan, PhD, RN, FAAN, Bruce Singley, MSN, RN-BC, PMHCNS, and Ruth Ann Jones, EdD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC.

Nursing research studies ongoing in 2010: • A Prospective Randomized Single-Blind Study Evaluating the Tolerability and Effectiveness of Colonoscopy Bowel Preparations. Principal Investigator: Marcia Groton, MSN, RN. Sub-Investigators: Michael Fisher, MD, FACG, Kathryn Stranahan, BSN, RN, CGRN, Marilynn Higley, BSN, RN, and Dottie Waters, RN.

• Retrospective Review to Establish the Correlation of Menses and Psychiatric Hospitalization. Principal Investigator: Jaclyn Weston, BSN, RN-BC; Sub-Investigator: Terri Ellis, BSN, RN-BC.

Nursing Research Contest Frontline nurses submitted 38 contest cards to the Nursing Research Council with ideas for nursing research topics that were generated from questions that arise in everyday clinical practice. The 2010 research idea winners were Patty McNeal, MSN, RNC-OB, NE-BC, Manager, Women’s and Children’s Health, and Karen Van Trieste, RN-BC, CCCE, IBCLC, Birthing Center, and Christina Ball, RN, CNRN, Neuroscience Specialist.

Mandy Bounds, BSN, RN, CCRN, Lori D’Ambrosio, RN, and Brooke Wilson, RN, review patient charts in the ICU at Dorchester General Hospital.


RE

CO

GN

ITIO

N A

ND

RE

SE

AR

CH

Advanced Practice Ambulatory Care Ambulatory Women’s Health Care Breast Care Case ManagementChildbirth EducatorClinical Research CoordinatorCritical Care Diabetes EducatorEmergency Emergency Medical Technician - ParamedicEmergency PediatricsFirst Assist Flight Forensic Nurse Examiner Adult/Peds GastroenterologyGerontology Health Care Quality Management

HolisticsHome Care Coding Hospice & Palliative CareInfection Control InfusionInpatient ObstetricsIRB ManagementLactation ConsultantMedical-Surgical MidwifeNephrology NeuroscienceNurse Executive Nurse Executive, AdvancedNurse Manager & LeaderNurse Practitioner- Acute Nurse Practitioner – AdultNurse Practitioner-Family

Nurse Practitioner-OB/GYNOasis Specialist - ClinicalOccupational Health Oncology Orthopedics Pain Management PediatricsPerianesthesia Perinatal Perioperative Nursing Practice Post-AnesthesiaProfessional DevelopmentProgressive Care Psychiatry & Mental Health Risk ManagementUtilization ReviewWound, Ostomy & Continence

certifications

Professional certification is granted by specialty nursing organizations to nurses who demonstrate excellence in a clinical or professional area of practice. At Shore Health System, 163 nurses represent the following 53 nursing specialties:

Certified nurses celebrate their accomplishments at Dorchester General Hospital. A group of certified nurses gather at Memorial Hospital.


contact us

Chief Nursing OfficerShore Health System219 S. Washington StreetEaston, MD 21601410-822-1000, ext. 5241

Nursing Administration Shore Health System219 S. Washington StreetEaston, MD 21601410-822-1000, ext. 5451 or 5231

Nursing Opportunities Shore Health SystemHuman Resources219 S. Washington StreetEaston, MD 21601410-822-1000, ext [email protected]

Gifts to Support Nursing Memorial Hospital FoundationP.O. Box 1846Easton, MD 21601410-822-1000, ext. 5915

www.shorehealth.org

I wanted a hospital whereI’d find experts in results.

E X C E P T I O N A L C A R E , E V E R Y D A Y ..

That’s why I chose Shore Health.PARTNERS IN CARE WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL SYSTEM Trust. Reassurance. Hope. You’ll discover all that and more at Shore Health System. Because at Shore, we share a common goal – your good health. In everything we do, we strive to create a supportive and healing environment that will help you achieve the best possible results. By opening the door to all the possibilities exceptional care can bring, we also open the door to hope. umms.org | shorehealth.org

219 South Washington Street, Easton, Maryland 21601 www.shorehealth.org

2010 nursing annual report

Documents

director of shore home

hour emergency care

director of emergency

bed acute care hospital

multispecialty care

director of surgical

shs surgery center

home care patricia starkey