San Leandro’s Professional Governance Council Structure, IMPACT, launched the 4-part 4 month Caring Science series to ensure each professional governance nurse was trained in Caring Science principles to deliver Caritas care to their patients. This strategy has spread to our Nurse Residents, Nurse Leaders, and caring partners to ensure our CNE’s vision of each patient has the opportunity to be cared for by a Caritas Nurse.
Quality outcomes, care experience data, and workplace injuries are shared monthly on San Leandro Visibility Boards and aligned with new Daily Management Systems Boards on IMPACT Professional Governance Council Day. IMPACT Council members review data, align projects based on data, and update the board each month.
SPI – improved overall quality care by decreasing patient harm by 18% in 2024 compared to 2023.
Care Experience – each area MCH, Adult Services, Periop has an area project supporting their care experience initiatives. Compared to 2023, 2024 has improved in support of Nurses Listened Carefully and Family involved in care.
Workplace Injuries – improved safety of our staff and each other by decreasing overall workplace injuries after the launch of our joint KFH & TPMG Safe Patient Handling Taskforce.
Walking ventilated critical care patients, also known as early mobility, is a crucial intervention that offers numerous benefits for both short- and long-term recovery. Prolonged bed rest in the ICU can lead to muscle atrophy, including respiratory and skeletal muscles, as well as complications like deep vein thrombosis (DVT), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and ICU-acquired weakness. Early ambulation helps maintain muscle strength, improve circulation, enhance lung function, and reduce the risk of these complications. It also promotes better oxygenation, reduces the likelihood of lung collapse (atelectasis), and supports cardiovascular health.
Beyond physical benefits, walking ventilated patients improves mental well-being by reducing the risk of delirium, anxiety, and depression, fostering a sense of engagement and independence. Studies show that mobilizing ventilated patients can shorten ICU and hospital stays, accelerate recovery, and reduce the long-term effects of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which impacts physical, cognitive, and emotional health. With proper precautions and a multidisciplinary team to ensure safety, early mobility is an essential practice that significantly improves patient outcomes and quality of life.
Surgical site infections (SSI) contribute to increase length of stay, and serious complications. A multidisciplinary SSI Reduction Multidisciplinary Performance Improvement Team implemented the following interventions:
The multidisciplinary c-section SSI workgroup implemented the following interventions:
The Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center’s Cardiothoracic Telemetry Unit has earned the prestigious Beacon Award for Excellence, Silver Designation, from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). This recognition highlights the unit’s exceptional performance in quality, work environment, and nursing workforce, surpassing national benchmarks.
The award, secured through a comprehensive 48-page application, acknowledges the dedication of the 31-bed surgical telemetry unit, which serves patients with critical cardiothoracic needs. This achievement is a key step towards the medical center’s goal of Magnet Designation, aligning with Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to high-quality care and a healthy work environment.
The Beacon Award emphasizes the staff’s expertise, continuous learning initiatives, and commitment to delivering top-notch patient care. These initiatives include robust orientation programs, mentorship, and ongoing development. The recognition, coupled with previous accolades such as being named a top cardiothoracic surgery hospital and receiving consistent “A” grades for hospital safety, reinforces Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara’s reputation as a leader in healthcare excellence. It motivates the staff to continue pursuing higher standards in patient care and professional practice.
Nurses at the Walnut Creek Medical Center noticed that some of our patients were experiencing longer hospital stays than they’d like, and the team wanted to use innovation to work on getting our patients back home quickly.
After interviewing many patients and staff, our team learned there’s a bit of a gap in understanding when it comes to the discharge process. Sometimes, patients aren’t aware of the things that might be holding up their release, which can make it hard to feel motivated to participate in activities that could help. Sometimes families aren’t able to provide the level of support needed after discharge, which can add to the delay.
To help address this, our team developed the “Road to Discharge” checklist tool. Imagine a visual guide that clearly shows all the tasks and goals needed for the patient’s specific situation, whether it’s related to surgery, a medical condition, or something else. Thorough patient education about their care plan is an included in the tool, and nurses use a “teach-back” method to ensure everyone is on the same page.
We believe that setting clear expectations right from the start will help everyone feel more confident about the discharge timeline. And, involving the patient family and support system every step of the way, so they can be a part of the journey home.
Our goal is to make our patient’s hospital stay as comfortable and efficient as possible, and we’re committed to working with them to ensure a smooth and timely discharge.