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"Earning my certification is a source of immense pride, symbolizing my unwavering dedication to constantly improving and providing the best care for our patients and community," said Rayne Soriano, Ph.D., RN, NE-BC,  Regional Director, Professional Excellence & The Kaiser Permanente Scholars Academy. Every March Certified Nurses Day recognizes nurses who achieve a national board certification, celebrating nurses who demonstrate a deep commitment to professionalism, excellence, safety, and service through achievement of nursing credentialing in their given specialty. “Certified nurses report a higher level of job satisfaction, and their patients experience improved safety and better clinical outcomes,” said Soriano. “Certification is also an important part of our shared journey to Magnet designation, and reflects our collective commitment to nursing excellence and lifelong learning.” In Northern California, 15 percent of our nurses are board certified in their chosen specialty. To celebrate the annual recognition day, a few of our nurses share what inspired them to pursue board certification:     Leslie Anderson, MSN, RN, CCRN, CEN, TCRN Staff Nurse IV, Intensive Care Unit Vacaville Medical Center I was inspired seeing the impact that board certified nurses have on the outcomes of their patients. I feel that staying current with the latest advancements in medicine and putting evidence-based practice into action leads to the highest quality of care for our patients. To me, becoming certified shows my commitment to excellence and competence which enhances credibility, confidence and trust with my patients and their families. With advanced knowledge, I'm better equipped to treat and manage my patients which leads to improved patient satisfaction. Certification offers an opportunity for personal and professional growth, and opens the doors to new opportunities. Kaiser Permanente provides financial assistance through vouchers and tuition reimbursement so why not take advantages of the opportunity!   Joy Ann Davila, BSN, RN, PCCN Assistant Nurse Manager, Cardiothoracic Telemetry and Medical Telemetry Santa Clara Medical Center I have been a critical care nurse for many years working with a diverse group of patients. These experiences gave me the confidence to pursue certification. I want to be proud of myself and tell everyone that I have that specialized body of knowledge and practice in critical care. Obtaining certification has demonstrated my commitment to professional development and dedication to staying current with latest clinical standards, especially in my role in leadership – I want to lead by example.  Kaiser Permanente patients and members feel safe and secure knowing they have nurses that provide the highest level of care. It aligns with our mission and vision to be the world leader in improving health. Go for it! There are so many benefits and thoughtful recognitions that come with getting certified. You will become more marketable in your field, you can help your patients more effectively,  and you will enhance your knowledge and expertise and demonstrate competency and professionalism to others. Don’t give it a doubt. Ashley Evje, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, CCRN Assistant Nurse Manager, Emergency department Santa Rosa I want to be the best nurse I…

Most nurses choose their career because they have a strong desire to comfort and care for those who are sick or in pain. The best validation they can receive is a compliment or thank you from a patient or family member whose lives they touched so deeply. The DAISY Award is a way for patients and their families, along with co-workers and volunteers, to recognize the extraordinary effort and compassion that our nurses display every day. Kaiser Permanente is a national DAISY Award hospital partner, and regularly recognizes nurses, nurse leaders and teams who meet the award criteria. Congratulations to all our new DAISY Award winners! Thank you for providing extraordinary nursing care, every patient, every time.

Please join me and the KP Northern California leadership team in congratulating our Nurse Residency teams at all 21 medical centers and our regional offices for achieving Practice Transition Accreditation Program® with Distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) – the highest recognition awarded by the organization’s accreditation program.  Our multi-site nurse residency program is among the country’s largest accredited transition to practice programs, which recognizes nursing excellence in transitioning nursing students into successful, independent practice. During the call when our team learned of this exciting news, the ANCC recognized that our former residents participate actively in shared governance committees, contributing their experience and insights; residents volunteer their time to support and assist their peers, fostering a collaborative and supportive community; and leadership is readily available and approachable for residents. Further, our residents are recognized with DAISY Awards for their outstanding contributions and achievements. This recognition validates the higher level of nursing practice at Kaiser Permanente. Our evidence-based curriculum offers residents a collaborative learning environment to successfully transition into clinical practice. Our residents are given the opportunity to work alongside experienced staff and learn in acute care clinical settings to be better prepared and more confident as they enter the workforce – and they are staying with Kaiser Permanente. Ninety-two percent of our Nurse Residency graduates remain with Kaiser Permanente after one year, compared to the national average of just 62 percent. This is a testament to our culture of nursing excellence, and the incredible support our team provides new nurses – something we should all be proud of! To our all our nurse preceptors, nurse leaders, new graduates – and all involved in making this program such a success, a heartfelt congratulations. Thank you for your commitment to nursing excellence.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California launched the inaugural session of the Caritas Coach Education Program (CCEP) Faculty Development, a cornerstone of the Regional Caring Science Academy. This pioneering initiative marks a significant milestone in our commitment to embedding Caring Science as the foundational theory within our Professional Practice Model and the Discipline of Nursing. Developed in partnership with the Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI), the faculty development program commenced with a transformative 3-day training from January 10–12, 2024, for Caritas leaders from our medical centers and regional offices, signifying a crucial step toward weaving Caring Science throughout our organization and beyond. This first cohort is a testament to our dedication to mentoring health care professionals into Caritas Coaches who epitomize empathy, compassion, and patient-centered care, in alignment with Kaiser Permanente’s core values. Under the guidance of the visionary nursing theorist, Dr. Jean Watson, the CCEP Faculty Development aims to cultivate a community of practice among faculty members, bolstering their capacity to make a positive impact on health care through the principles of Caring Science. As we embark on this journey with our inaugural CCEP cohort this Summer 2024, we celebrate the profound influence of Caring Science in transforming patient care and enhancing the essence of nursing and health care professions. We are committed to leading with compassion and excellence, forging a future where every patient experience is deeply rooted in the principles of Caring Science.

“We’ve all heard the story during DAISY presentations, but it brings tears to your eyes to hear the Barnes’ speak so passionately about why they were inspired to create the DAISY Foundation,” explained Melissa Hathcoat, MSN, RN, Clinical Nursing Director in San Leandro. Melissa was among 7 Kaiser Permanente nurses honored with a DAISY Award during Mark and Bonnie Barnes, FAANs, DAISY Foundation co-founders, 2-day tour of 8 Northern California medical centers with Toby Marsh, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, Regional Chief Nurse Executive and Vice President of Clinical Integration, and DAISY Foundation partners from Medtronic. “Not only is the award an honor, but to get a hug from Mark and Bonnie after receiving the recognition was so special,” added Hathcoat. The Barnes’ heard many stories from previous DAISY Award honorees from Oakland, Roseville, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Leandro, Santa Rosa, South Sacramento, and Vacaville, and shared messages of gratitude for all that nurses do — from the big things to the simple things — to care for their patients. Mark called on nurses to refrain from saying they are “just doing their job,” sharing his observation when a nurse receives the DAISY Award typically the humble response is, “I don’t deserve this, I was just doing my job.” “What the DAISY Nurse may not realize, however, is that when nurses are ’just doing their jobs,’ they have such an important and meaningful impact on the lives of so many people — their patients, families, and loved ones,” said Marsh. “Nurses are making the world a better place and are very special. What a powerful message.” While in South Sacramento, the Barnes’ held a virtual lunchtime presentation, titled “Shining the Light on All the Right — Elevating Nurses Through Meaningful Recognition,” so that nurses from around the region could learn more about their life’s work in memory of their son, why the couple created the DAISY Award, the long-felt impacts for recipients, and the couple’s strong relationship with Kaiser Permanente. “Bonnie and Mark gave an outstanding presentation that whisked us all back to the moment when we decided to be a nurse, remembering our purpose, and the extreme privilege we have as nurses,” said Rachel Wyatt, DNP, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, South Sacramento Chief Nurse Executive. “There were few dry eyes in the room as Mark closed out with exactly why nurses are indeed heroes.”

When a Kaiser Permanente patient was recently admitted to the Medical Psychiatric Unit (MPU) at the Fremont Medical Center she was unable to care for herself or her family due to severe anxiety, and unproductive thoughts, and was physically declining because she wasn’t eating or drinking. This patient is just one example of the unique needs being met at the Fremont MPU. The one-of-a-kind, 18 bed unit, which opened in 2019, provides treatment for patients who have an underlying medical condition along with an acute psychological disorder, eating disorder, substance abuse challenge or other mental health diagnosis. “That’s what makes our team unique — we have the skills and ability to provide care for both our patients’ medical and psychological needs,” said Brandon Holt, BSN, RN, Assistant Nurse Manager. Nurses in this unit are required to have at least six months experience in medical-surgical-telemetry and two years inpatient acute psychiatric care. Finding nurses with this specific training can be difficult according to Rajwinder Dhillon, MSN, RN, Nurse Manager. Nurses with either experience can be hired to training positions and then go through a specialized program with Kaiser Permanente to gain the required experience to join the unit. Additionally, all nurses on the unit go through conflict management and non-escalation training. Staff nurse II Stanley Lal, BSN, RN, shared that working here isn’t something everyone can do, but it’s important, rewarding work. “Our patients are unable to care for themselves due to their unique combination of physical and mental conditions. We become a familiar face and can guide them back to health and self-sufficiency.” The team of nurses spend a lot of one-on-one time during supervised meal and snack times, while passing medication, or when a patient requires more attention, and they work hard to build a rapport and trust with the patients in their care. “The positive care experience scores for our unit speaks volumes about the care our nurses and our interdisciplinary teams provide,” added Holt. And it’s not just the care scores that stand out for this team. The unit, which faces patient safety challenges and risks associated with no call light system and the effects of anti-psychotic medication, performs well above average on patient safety benchmarks. “Our excellent patient safety scores further demonstrate how strong the entire MPU team is and how hard we work to provide safe, extraordinary care to our patients,” said Dhillon. “This is a tough population to care for, but we can look back on cases like this one fondly, knowing we have provided the best care to get our patient back to baseline and safely discharged home,” added Dhillon. “As one of the very few inpatient Medical Psychiatric Units in our Northern California communities, the nurses and staff in the MPU truly live out Kaiser Permanente’s mission to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve,” said Fremont’s Chief Nurse Executive/Chief Operating Officer, Christopher Neilson, MHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC. “They treat their patients with great skill, expertise and, importantly,…