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I have wanted to be

a nurse since

CaringOur concern for others is greater than our concern for self.

OwnershipWe are accountable. Our patients, our nursing service, our hospital.

IntegrityWe are committed to honesty and truth. We do what we say we will do.

CollaborationWith strength and understanding, we work together to achieve excellence.

InnovationWe continue to explore new concepts that improve outcomes and influence future nursing practice.

UAB Nursing Values

u a b n u r s i n g 2 0 1 0 | ANNUAL REPORT

v e l i n d a b l o c k | dNP RN NEA-BC | ChIEf NURs INg Off ICER | UAB hOsP ITALWhen I was in the 4th grade, I had a book called Candystripers by Lee Wyndam. It consumed me. I read it over and over until the pages were worn and soft. I imagined what it would be like being a nurse. I related to Bonnie, the girl in the book who set out to be “ just ” a Candy Striper at her local hospital, and then found her calling as a nurse through the experience. I was entranced by what she did at the hospital, the people she helped, and the difference she made in her patients’ lives. That’s when I knew I wanted to be that to someone.

For all of us, there comes a time when we know. It may come from an experience of being treated, it may come from a book, but there is definitely a moment. It’s not so much a decision as a calling. I know this is true of the UAB nurse. Each of us has experienced a passion that comes upon us, the very passion that fuels what we do for the rest of our careers. In some ways I wonder if it isn’t the strength of that passion that defines the UAB nurse. One thing I know as surely as I’m writing this: the successes of all of us are a direct result of the passions of each of us. So, that epiphany and that passion that becomes such an ingrained part of our lives – these are the ideas that frame this year’s annual report. It’s a sharing of our collective successes. It’s an unveiling of some of our individual passions.

You’ll notice a change in this year’s UAB Nursing Annual Report. For starters, it’s smaller. You see, in the interest of both keeping what we do current and fresh, and in moving towards a more environmentally attentive sustainable effort, the complete content for this year’s report lives online at uabnursingAR2010.org along with more expanded content featuring stories from our nurses, historical bits, and little surprises along the way. I hope you take the time to visit. - With warmest regards. Velinda

H e d d i e J o n e s | RN | g I s U R g E R Y | U A B h O s P I TA L

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shared goverance The year 2009 saw UAB’s nurses adopt the Congressional Model of Shared Governance – a means for encourag-ing shared decision-making, collaboration, ownership, and account-ability. In January 2010, after a year of laying the groundwork, the Nursing Practice Congress (NPC), headed by staff nurse leader Kristen Noles, BSN, RN-BC, hit the ground running in its first year of addressing issues.

The NPC is made up of 39 representatives, including staff nurses, specialty nurses, educators, managers, and directors. This cross-sectional representation has opened previously challenging channels of communication and enabled the Congress to enact real change.

This congressional model is a significant departure from where we had been. The NPC provides a clear and structured channel through which bedside nurses can submit issues. When an issue is received in Congress, a vote is held to decide whether or not a subgroup called a PACT (Professional Action Coordinating Team) will be created to take on the issue and resolve it. These multidisciplinary work groups, led by staff nurses, work to resolve clinical practice issues. In total, eighteen issues were formally presented to Congress in 2010 and, of those, thirteen PACTs were created, resulting in eight clinical practice changes. for more on our Congress go to: uabnursingAR2010.org/sharedgovernance

My parents taught me to use my life - my time - to help people.

I ran from that advice. I was in marketing, but I was only existing.

I decided to change my life. I became a nurse.

k e n n e t H H a r r i s | RN | s I C U | U A B h O s P I TA L

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Patient and Family-centered care We recognize that patients don’t usually enter our hospital alone. Most are accompanied by family members who care deeply for them and have their best interests at heart. For many patients and families, being admitted to the hospital feels a bit like falling through a rabbit hole into an unfamiliar and often frightening world.

As nurses, we are often their guides through the journey. We have always known that we don’t treat just the patient; we also work with the family. In 2009, UAB Nursing adopted patient and family-centered care as our care delivery model.

Patient and family-centered care is an approach to the planning,delivery, and evaluation of healthcare, grounded in mutually beneficial relationships among healthcare providers, patients, and families. Patient and family-centered care improves the effectiveness and quality of communication; it is proactive rather than reactive. It recognizes and respects the profound influence families have on patients’ health and well-being and views patients and their family members as allies in quality healthcare. for more information aboutour delivery model visit: uabnursingAR2010.org/patientfamilycenteredcare

I had been in wholesale food sales. My mother lost her battle with lymphoma in 2000. Being with her through that gave me perspective. I went back to school.

J e f f g r e e n e | RN | s T R O k E / s T E P d O w N | U A B h O s P I TA L

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women & inFants center oPens In 2010, we wrote of the impending opening of the UAB Women & Infants Center. This year we are pleased to report a timely opening and a tremendous success! The painstaking effort that went into designing the building, fromits layout and amenities to the smallest details, has proven to be a worthwhile investment.

As part of the process, our nurses and physicians spent time in the facility before it opened, taking part in scavenger hunts and simply exploring their future home. By the time moving day arrived, they knew their way around the building and were familiar with its features, which made the transition of patient care seamless.

The move itself was actually ahead of schedule. Thanks to meticulous pre-planning and preparation, which included a considerable amount of nurse education, we conducted the entire move – patients and all – in just eight hours. As one might imagine, mothers and fathers expe-rienced trepidation at relocating from one building to another during a time in their lives that was already eventful. But, those fears were assuaged by the expeditious move and a healthcare team that made sure there were no lapses in patient care. read more about the Women & Infants Center : uabnursingAR2010.org/wicopening

They basically raised me.

I had childhood leukemia so I essentially

grew up in a hospital. My nurses became family.

e r i e f o s t e r | RN | T R A U m A B U R N U N I T | U A B h O s P I TA L

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nURSInG !

quality Some would say that you know quality when you see it. But to our Nursing Quality Council, quality is not so much seen as measured: How many falls? How many pressure ulcers? Is what we are doing better or worse than when previously measured? How much have we improved? Which units score lower? How can they improve?

And, while the goal is always to achieve better scores, the real brass ring is in patient care. Fact is, better scores mean better outcomes.

Last year, the nursing leadership at UAB determined that in order to enhance our focus on patient care outcomes, we needed to restructure the Nursing Quality Council under the umbrella of the Center for Nursing Excellence. So, in a thorough and deliberate fashion, a work team set about developing a new framework that started with a planning retreat in May 2010. From the retreat, they emerged with a redesigned structure. The new Nursing Quality Council includes staff nurses, nurse leaders, and others who expressed both interest and had the ability to make meaningful contributions. read about nursing quality accomplishments at : uabnursingAR2010.org/quality

I was five. This nurse came around our neighborhood. She wore a starched white uniform and a cape. I thought she was super!I thought, “Gosh, I want to take care of people!”

I wanted to be a nurse.

t e r r i m i d d l e b r o o k s | RN | ACUTE CARE fOR ThE ELdERLY | UAB h IghLANds

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In+eGRatIonof uab highlands

uab highlands As anyone who has been through a merger or acquisition will tell you, the integration of two entities is challenging. As human beings, we tend to resist change. But as nurses andprofessionals – individuals working in the ever- changing healthcareenvironment – change is the one constant in our lives. So we approached the integration of Highlands, another UAB hospital of over 100 beds, simply as a tremendous opportunity, one that would allow us to bring an excellent staff into the family, and to offer outstanding care to many more people in our community.

Open and active communication between Highlands and University Hospital was our first and most critical focus as we began blending our standards to create consistency across the two campuses (the Highlands facility is a half- mile from the UAB Hospital campus). The Highlands staff met the transition head on and with a can- do attitude, remaining optimistic, diligent, and never letting the quality of care falter while their entire workplace underwent tremendous change. Highlands’ entire building was wired to accommodate wireless, a new phone system, and Electronic Medical Record system, as well as Physician Order Entry, and Electronic Medication Administration Record (EMAR) for Impact. With the March 2011 launch of electronic clinical documentation, the conversion from paper medical records toelectronic records will be complete. visit: uabnursingAR2010.org/highlands

I was studying accounting in college.

One day, I found myself helping someone give birth.

It changed my life.

I began nursing school.

ebnP isn’t a new idea, or one that’s unique to UAB. What is unique to UAB is the Evidence-Based Practice Tiered Mentorship Programheaded by Connie White-Williams, Ph.D., RN. The program providesdedicated time for participating staff nurses to focus on evidence-based practice and research initiatives while partnering with a mentor from the Center for Nursing Excellence.

“The whole idea of evidence-based nursing practice and research is to infiltrate the culture and catalyze culture change. It’s about education,” says Connie. Her mission is to involve every nurse in evidence-based practice and research to continually improve nursing practice. Yes, it’s a massive undertaking. But it is one that is keeping UAB ahead of the curve when it comes to best practices and quality care.

The EBP Tiered Mentorship program is a competitive program in which applicants submit an essay answering the question: “What does evidence-based practice mean to me as a nurse?” The applications are graded blind, and the writers of the top essays are chosen to participate in the program.

EBNP at UAB aims to make clinical decisions by integrating the best available evidence, coupled with clinical expertise and patient values. It represents the nexus between scholarly pursuit and applied practice. And it is a skill that is absolutely vital to providing excellent care. learn more by visiting: uabnursingAR2010 .o rg/EBNP

s u s i e m a r t i n | RN | C A R d I A C C A R E U N I T | U A B h O s P I TA L

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E V I D E N C E-B A S E DN U R S I N G p R a c t I c e

My life changed on a church mission,

working with a pediatrician. I had this

incredible urge that wouldn’t go away

I was supposed to be a nurse.

e r i n b e n i t | RN | I N T E R N P R O g R A m | U A B h O s P I TA L

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Working as a photo editor during Katrina

I saw those pictures... I wanted to help

That began my journey of deciding

to become a nurse.

into the Future Each year we take stock of where we currently are with our nursing practice and set sights on where we should be. In our constant pursuit of organizational excellence, we have developed plans for 2011 and are addressing them with vigor. Consider one of them:

On-boarding : A New Approach to Nursing Orientation

Whether new hires are fresh graduates or seasoned veterans, our goal is to help them be fully functioning employees as soon as possible.

The way we had been doing things – eight hours a day of lectures and PowerPoint presentations for two weeks – wasn’t resulting in developing a high percentage of professional knowledge retention. So we’ve developed a process of blended days called “on- boarding.” On- boarding immerses new nurses in the culture of our facility from the beginning, focusing on leadership, professional practice, professional development, patient safety, evidence-based practice, and quality outcomes.

On- boarding allows the whole team to be involved. Individuals serve as “buddies” for our new folks, answering questions, making intro- ductions, and forming a bond. On- boarding began in 2011, and the results show that both new and existing employees are more engaged. read more about our 2011 pursuits: uabnursingAR2010 .o rg/lookingahead

Clinical Excellence Awards

susanna howell | BsN | RN | OCN | Bone marrow TransplantEllen dean Lazzare | BsN | RN | OCN – hematology | Oncologymargot Andison | Phd | BsN | RN | CCRN – medical ICULindsey harris | BsN | RN – gynecology | Oncologydanielle Baker | msN | RN – surgical ICUscywanda Cole | RN – highlands 4 main

Nursing Partners

karen Bolling-walker | BsN | RN | Care managementdeborah Thedford | msN | RN | wOCN – surgical division

Nursing support

wilma davidson | Us – Bone marrow Transplantfelicia Taylor | PCT – Vascular surgerydebra woods | PCT – highlands 5 mainElaine Pruitt | PCT – same day surgery

Advanced Practice

Paula midyette | msN | CCRN | ACNs -BC – Cardiovascular servicesCathy Ingram | BsN | RN | CRNP – surgical services, UAB highlands

Nurse Leader Award Toni gaston | BsN | RN – Nurse manager | Vascular surgery

One week every year in the spring is devoted entirely to celebrating our nurses. Nurses’ Week,which includes all sorts of activities and events,

culiminates with the presentation of theClinical Excellence in Nursing Awards to

select UAB nurses. The nurse leaderwho demonstrates outstanding

organizational leadershipis presented with the coveted Leadership

Award.

a w a r d s

This year we printed a brief annual report summary and let the majority of what we had to say live online. Next year, perhaps all of it will be virtual. The way we share information is evolving at light speed. Our annual report, living as it does in both the printed and virtual worlds, is just a tiny flash in that evolution. These changes enable us to engage in dialogue with people with whom we want to share information – people who used to be our passive audience. We believe it’s no longer enough simply to share our stories. So, we invite you, our readers and visitors, to share yours – to engage in dialogue with us. Find us on Facebook. Take a moment and share the story of why you were called to nursing.

Let’s talk

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Archival photography courtesy of UAB Archives, donated by the UAB school of Nursing

uabnursingAR2010.org