While physicians and employees were enjoying the Season of Gratitude, our Safety, Quality & Regulatory Services and Patient Care Services teams were also busy celebrating their own “Tis the Season for Quality” campaign.
The campaign focuses on patient safety measures, including correct testing of C. difficile and preventing surgical site infections, central line bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI), and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).
“Historically, our safety priority index (SPI) measures of harm increase in the fourth quarter of the year,” said Wilfren Esposo, RN, MSN, MBA, NP-C, CPHQ, Clinical Quality Director, SQRS Department. “The goal of the ‘Tis the Season for Quality’ campaign is to proactively keep staff focused on preventing harm by reinforcing bundle elements, especially those where compliance was a bit lower during the most hectic time of the year. The initiative also seeks to keep staff engaged by including prizes, snacks, and fun seasonal decorative themes. “
This marks the second year SQRS has held a year-end quality campaign and efforts this year have been led by Greg Woolf, RN, MS, CPHQ, Lead Quality Nurse Consultant, and the Quality Nurse Consultant Team in partnership with the Magnet Quality and Safety Council Chair and Co-chair. This year features a new celebrating the seasons theme and more direct involvement from frontline PCS staff in the planning and execution of the campaign.
The campaign features a decorated roving cart loaded with snacks and a large poster containing educational information. The cart is managed by frontline PCS staff who round on individual nursing units on all floors and talk with nurses about the different harm event bundles during their shifts. Staff who answer questions about the harm events are entered for a chance to win a prize that day. Staff in PCS, Perinatal/Mother-Baby, and Surgical Services can also take a quiz by scanning a QR code tailored to their specific care areas. Quiz questions are based on information provided during the campaign to check for understanding.
The unit with the most correct answers to the quiz will be awarded a party of their choosing, said Woolf. For those staff who do not get a chance to see the roving cart have the option to see the same information presented at a ‘Tis the Season for Quality’ table in the breezeway where they can engage with the Quality Nurse Consultants, spin a wheel to answer questions, and take the QR quiz on the topics presented.
“Staff have expressed appreciation for the opportunity to discuss specific questions about individual harm prevention bundles,” said Woolf. “They have also enjoyed the prize drawings and holiday themes making learning about quality measures more fun. The Quality Nurse Consultants and the chairs of the Magnet Safety and Quality Council have also had an opportunity to further strengthen their partnership, which will lead to improved consistency of messaging and create synergy for existing and future projects. The project has also allowed staff members to become experts in harm prevention bundles as they answer questions from their peers with the roving cart.”
Now in just its second year, the campaign is having an impact.
“Not only was there a heightened level of excitement as staff and leaders were asking when the drive would return this year, but we’ve seen an increase in participation and a heightened awareness of our hospital SPI trends,” said Esposo. “We’re confident that this will only grow as more and more teams engage in this annual effort. The SQRS team will evaluate both 4th quarter harm events and the staff’s understanding of the material based on quiz results and utilize this information to target ongoing performance improvement efforts into the new year.”
Picturedin main photo: Back Row: Edward Robinson, BSN, RN, CMSRN, NPDC, Harpreet Kooner, BSN, RN, CPHQ, Carminda Pantoja, BSN, RN, Lisa Rael, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, Jane Brinkerhoff, MSN, RN, Wilfren Esposo, RN, MSN, MBA, NP-C, CPHQ, Reid Hirsch, BSN, RN, CRRN, Lena Yaqubi, RN, Greg Woolf, RN, MS, CPHQ, Dr. Marelich, MD, Frank Kotowski, MBA, BSN, RN, CPHQ, Sherry Whitcomb, JD, MSN, RN, CPHQ, SCRN, Dr, Reza Sianati, MD, Chanae Joi Haylock, MSN, RN, PCCN, PMHNP-BC, Dr. Matthew Eldrich, MD, Middle: Pamela Jagur, BSN, RN, Bhupinder Kaur, BSN, RN, and Jamie Windsor, BSN, RN, RNC-OB. Bottom Row: John Kim, Dr. Jonathan Aron, Milanelle R. Guiao-Tranchina, BSN, RN, CMSRN, PCCN, Emily Morris, BSN, RN, Lulette Infante, MSN, RN.