Nurses debut professional practice model during Nurse Week

THE
May 9, 2013 • Volume 36 • No. 9
BULLETIN
The Newsletter of Yale-New Haven Hospital
Nurses debut professional practice model during Nurse Week
Starting last summer,
nurses at the three Yale
New Haven Health System
hospitals began to work
on creating a professional
practice model (PPM) that
graphically represents the
excellence of their practice
and outcomes. The project
started before the integration
of YNHH and the Hospital
of Saint Raphael, so nurses
on the York Street Campus
reached out to their counterparts on Chapel Street and
included them in the project.
Have you
nominated a
Hero today?
Nominations due by
Thursday, May 23
on the
YNHH Intranet.
“We created our first
professional practice model
when we began our Magnet
journey in 2009 and it provided a unifying force to our
Yale-New Haven Hospital
effort,” Fitzsimons explained.
“This is our second PPM
and it visually represents the
work nurses in each of our
YNHHS hospitals do every
day for our patients. It is
absolutely stunning.”
Some of the graphic elements of the PPM include:
• The globe represents the
diversity of the patients YNHHS nurses serve
Each hospital developed
a core team of 10 direct
care nurses and a team
facilitator. In retreats, they
reviewed evidence, language
and shared values to determine the key elements they
wanted to include in the
professional practice model.
The groups came together
to create rough sketches of
their PPMs and then worked
with a professional designer
to finalize their vision.
• The 14 stars surrounding
the globe represent Virginia
Henderson’s theory of nursing practice; Henderson, a
former nurse educator who
accompanied nursing students on rotation at YNHH,
was a well-known instructor
at Yale School of Nursing
and an international authority
on nursing practice
“Our nurses – our frontline caregivers – do exceptional
work and this professional practice model reflects their
superb patient care and quality outcomes,” said Sue Fitzsimons, RN, PhD, senior vice president, Patient Services.
“The teams thoughtfully chose meaningful symbols to reflect the mission and values that represent Yale New Haven
Health System and how nurses practice individually within
the system.”
During Nurse Week, associate chief nursing officers
Diane Vorio, RN, MSN, York Street Campus, and Ena Williams, RN, Saint Raphael Campus, unveiled the PPM at the
annual awards receptions on each campus.
Currently, the three YNHHS hospitals are collaborating
on a multi-year effort to standardize nursing care throughout the system and the PPM supports this major initiative.
•
The heart within the globe represents Jean Watson’s
Theory of Human Caring; Watson was a professor
of nursing and is an internationally known writer of
nursing theory
•
The words around the globe reinforce the values of
the YNHHS nurse: professional development, quality and safety, healing environment, and professional
excellence
“Nurses worked hard to make sure the professional practice model was ready for Nurse Week,” said Lori Hubbard,
RN, manager, Office of Nursing Excellence and Magnet
Program. “We will announce an implementation and educational plan in the near future but in the meantime, during
Nurse Week, our PPM is a beautiful reflection of all that we
have to celebrate.”
YNHH dedicates its sixth Habitat for Humanity
home on Vernon Street
Yale-New Haven Hospital and Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven dedicated a new
home at 36 Vernon Street on April 29. This was the sixth house that the hospital has sponsored in the Hill neighborhood since 2008, with support from the YNHH medical staff and
hundreds of YNHH employees who volunteered to work on the houses. At the dedication,
YNHH President Richard D’Aquila congratulated the family on their new home. The hospital
expects to announce its sponsorship of another Habitat home this fall.
With theme of flight, BA Day takes off, with laughter
More than 300 business associates, unit clerks, information associates and clerical associates work on the campuses of Yale-New Haven Hospital and many were
able to attend the recent Business Associates Day celebration at 55 Park Street.
This year’s theme – “taking flight together” – reflected the integration of YaleNew Haven and the former Hospital of Saint Raphael, as well as the nature of the
job the business associates perform on busy patient care units. At the celebration,
more than one speaker referred to BAs as the hospital’s “air traffic controllers”
because their central responsibility assures that units run smoothly while avoiding
the turbulence of problems.
“This is our first BA celebration since becoming an integrated institution,” Renee
Vitello, BA, Orthopedics Unit, and member of the BA Steering Committee, told
guests in her welcoming remarks. “We are ready to take flight together and the
sky’s the limit. Now sit back and enjoy the flight!”
And what a flight it was! The BA Steering Committee, which organized the
week-long celebration, had prepared a skit which was a simulation of life as a BA
on a patient care unit. Kelly Bell and Jan Murphy, both BAs on General Surgery/
Trauma Unit, and Tywana Mitchell, BA, Transplant Unit, answered phones, accepted packages, and showed visitors their way to patient rooms as bells, phones
and beepers went off repeatedly. Jomel Collins, BA, Renal/General Surgery Unit,
played a visitor who kept asking where to find a patient’s room.
With interruptions and noise going on around them, the trio playfully donned
ear phones, ear plugs and an eye pad to remind the audience that quiet is the order
of the day – and night – for patients’ comfort. All of this went on while a nurse
– played by Darcy Hennessey, RN, assistant patient service manager, General
Surgery/ Trauma Unit – stacked packages on their desk until the audience could no
longer see the BAs.
Ena Williams, RN, vice president, Patient Services, associate chief nursing officer, Saint Raphael Campus, took the podium after the skit which had drawn laughter and applause.
“We are all on a mission to provide compassionate care and create a healing
environment,” said Williams. “Each of us has to find our place on the flight plan
because it takes all of us to execute a successful flight plan for our patients. The
purpose of why we are here is to make a difference in every patient’s life.”
The BA Steering Committee created an entertaining skit that captured what BAs do on a daily
basis. Getting ready for skit take-off at the BA Day celebration are (l-r): Kelly Bell, Tywana
Mitchell and Jan Murphy.
and member of its BA Steering Committee, told her friends she was looking
forward to going to the BA Day celebration because 15 years ago, when her
nephew had been a patient at YNHH, the BA on his unit had made an indelible
impression on her.
“I wondered whether the BA was still at Yale-New Haven – and she is and
she came to the party!” said Perry, who introduced herself to the BA. “I never
forgot her because she showed such compassion to my family when our nephew
was hospitalized. I told her that I learned from her how important it is to treat
families with respect and courtesy when they are in the hospital. I never forgot
her and now we’re on the same flight, flying together!”
Sharlene Perry, a unit clerk on the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit on the SRC
Newsbriefs
Time to update Smart Web listings May 15-31
As of Saturday, June 1 when the Saint Raphael Campus goes live on Epic on the Saint
Raphael Campus, YNHH will use a single online employee directory and paging system –
Smart Web and Smart Speech – on both campuses. In preparation for that, Information
Technology Services (ITS) is asking all employees to review their personal information in
SmartWeb and update it.
Between Wednesday, May 15 and Friday, May 31, employees must update their work
location and phone, fax and pager numbers in Employee Self Service. It is particularly
important for SRC employees to update their personal information because Smart Web will
replace their current directory – XTEND – on June 1.
To update information, employees can now go to the Employee Self Service page on the
YNHH Intranet and in the upper left-hand corner, click on Home/My Info/About Me. The
ESS system will update the employee’s entry in the Smart Web directory and the change
will be ready on the following day. If employees need more information on how to do the
ESS update, they may access a 20-second video at intranet/ynhhs/ist/telecom or call Telecommunications at 688-2767.
Auxiliary hosts talk on mobility and fall prevention
The Yale-New Haven Hospital Auxiliary will present a free community health education lecture entitled “Safe Steps,” a discussion on safe mobility and the steps one can take
to reduce the chances of falling. The talk takes place on Thursday, May 23, at noon at the
Cultural Arts Center at the Whitney Center, 200 Leeder Hill Road, Hamden.
Mary Tinetti, MD, geriatrician, Adler Geriatric Assessment Center, will share information
about how to reduce the risk of falling during daily activities. Dr. Tinetti notes that falls are
associated with significant injuries and are linked to reduced independence in older adults.
Effective fall prevention may reduce fall-related injuries.
To register, employees should call 888-700-6543 or register online at www.ynhh.org
(click on “community” then “classes & events”).
livingwell seminar on YNHH workplace savings plan, May 15, 24
YNHH livingwell is sponsoring another of its helpful financial wellness seminars. The next
seminar will cover the workplace savings plan: what the plan is, how employees can get on
a productive path to saving and how employees can make this employee benefit work for
them over time.
The seminar will be held on Wednesday, May 15 in the cafeteria conference room on the
Saint Raphael Campus, noon-1 p.m. It will be held on Friday, May 24, noon-1 p.m. on York
Street in room CH 201.
The speaker will be Ted Swiderski, workplace planning and guidance consultant, Fidelity Investments, which administers YNHH’s plan. To reserve a seat, employees should call
800-642-7131.
Fast-paced Epic lunch and learns help
SRC prepare for June 1 go-live
Epic transforming the hardware landscape on Saint Raphael Campus
Since March and continuing through May, members of Information Technology Services (ITS) are hard at work installing computer hardware that will help
employees access the Epic electronic medical record when it goes live on the
Saint Raphael Campus on June 1.
Careful preparation has paved the way for the delivery and installation of
more than 220 desktop workstations; 100 workstations on wheels (WOWs); 90
laserjet, 145 label and 80 wristband printers; 500 barcode scanners; and 120
electronic signature pads.
Prior to implementing Epic, each YNHHS site has undergone an assessment
of its infrastructure needs – network access and electrical upgrades – even before computer hardware was ordered for implementation.
“We interviewed patient service managers, clinicians and staff members to
understand their workflow,” said James Weeks, vice president, ITS, who noted
that Bridgeport Hospital is currently undergoing the assessment process for its
September 20 go-live.
At a recent lunch and learn, attendees followed up with the instructor after the class. Shown (l-r)
are: Sandra Howell-Gordon, RN; Epic instructor Cindy Charles, RN; Barbara Cardito, RN, Surgical Unit (Verdi 5N); and Julie Torello, RN, Medical Unit (SLA 4).
In addition to classroom training, shadowing on York Street, practicing in the
Epic playground and lunch and learns for discussing workflow topics, employees
on the Saint Raphael Campus are dogged in their pursuit of a flawless Epic golive on June 1.
Lunch and learns anticipate the questions that will come up at go-live and
provide helpful information on how to find everything in Epic that the clinician
or employee had used in the former hospital system.
“On the Saint Raphael Campus, we have installed or upgraded nearly 500
data ports which connect PCs and printers with the network and have added 700
power lines so that PCs, printers and barcode scanners can be located exactly
where staff will interact with their patients and the Epic workflow process,” said
Weeks.
“The staff on this campus are very serious about and involved in training,
which includes learning about the new hardware like the barcode scanners and
label printers,” said Michael Holmes, senior vice president, Operations, and
chief integration officer, SRC. “This is an important investment and reflects our
commitment to successfully adopting Epic.
“Go-live is almost here and seeing the equipment delivered reminds us it’s
right around the corner,” said Holmes. “It’s exciting to see the physical resources for Epic being deployed and realize what this investment will mean for this
campus – especially our clinical team.”
“Lunch and learns and the other educational opportunities such as the upcoming webinars are extremely helpful but it is the pre-go-live practice that will have
the biggest impact on day one,” said Mary Cleary, RN, coordinator of nursing
education, Nursing Staff Development, and clinical co-leader for Epic training.
“My advice is to practice in the playground and participate as much as you can
in the webinars and lunch/learns – it will make a difference when we go live.”
At one lunch and learn, the attendees delved into the fine points of documenting in the care plan and the Medical Administration Record – or MAR. They
also charted in Epic a patient named Molly who was insulin-dependent. They
learned how to create a customized note for Molly and how to save it in Epic for
possible use with other insulin-dependent patients.
“As a super user, I’ve had a lot of Epic training but the lunch and learns are
very beneficial,” says Sandra Howell-Gordon, RN, instructor, Nursing Staff
Development. “You take in a tremendous amount of information in the classes
and that can be overwhelming. If you missed a point in the training, the lunch
and learns let you spend a little more time on a question. I recommend lunch and
learns for anyone – they really help with the prep for go-live.”
The schedules for both the lunch and learns and webinars are posted on:
projectepic.ynhh.org/golive.
Before being deployed, the hardware is “imaged” and tested in the SRC basement. Shown (l-r)
with some of the ballooned WOWs before their delivery are: Mac Abuzneid, senior desktop
support technician; technicians John Trosell and Robert Hardcastle, Desktop Support; Sal Loiarro,
supervisor, Desktop Support; Michael Rosales, director of client technology; and Besmir Agolli,
technician, Desktop Support.
Chef Cary Neff stirs up interest in fresh food on Saint Raphael Campus
Chef Cary Neff, Oprah Winfrey’s former personal chef, nationally known cooking instructor and
television/radio personality, recently paid a visit to the Saint Raphael Campus where he stirred up
interest in fresh, nutritious food, prepared simply. Chef Neff prepared a hot pear salad with fresh
greens, and salmon with asparagus, mushrooms and herbs which he then shared with employees
and guests who had lined up to watch his energetic preparation. His appearance supports the
efforts of the Allspice Café which promotes wellness and healthy eating in the SRC cafeteria.
Holding some of the recipes he gave out at his demonstration are (l-r): Karen Lac, patient services
associate, Environmental Services (EVS); Joseph Mongillo, EVS technician, EVS; clinical documentation consultants Agnes Zbylut and Georgette MacCalla, Health Information Management; and
Roberta Bozentka, surgical scheduler, Perioperative Services
Newsmakers
Deborah Callan wins Laboratory Medicine’s ROSE Award
Deborah Callan, section coordinator for Clinical Microbiology,
was recently named the newest recipient of Laboratory
Medicine’s annual ROSE Award. The award – an acronym for
Recognition of Outstanding Service and Esprit de corps – is
open to the more than 435 employees of Laboratory Medicine
and is presented each year during National Medical Laboratory
Week.
Callan, a 33-year veteran of YNHH, is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where
she earned a BS degree in medical technology.
May 9, 2013 • Volume 36 • No. 9
Editor: Leah Colihan
Next issues: May 23, June 6
Graphic designer: Tracy Cole
Copy deadlines: May 10, May 24
Contributors: Katie Murphy, Myra Stanley
Photography: Katie Murphy
Submit story ideas to Leah Colihan,
688-9440, or to [email protected].
The Bulletin is available at www.ynhh.org/bulletin.
YNHH’s HOME program lays out welcome
mat for its 100th buyer
Emergency Department’s Project
ASSERT celebrates 13 years
Zoraida deJesus proudly stands in front of the New Haven home she was able to purchase with the
help of Yale-New Haven Hospital’s HOME Program.
With four children from the ages of 16 to 22, Zoraida deJesus knew it was time
to buy a home where they could bring their friends and enjoy a nice lawn.
Celebrating 13 years of Project ASSERT was a festive affair in the Adult ED. Shown (l-r) are: Gregory Johnson, Damaris Navarro, Alexei Nelayev, Ralph Soldano and Dr. D’Onofrio. Vanessa Brown was
unavailable for the photo.
Project ASSERT, a screening, intervention and referral program for patients with
unhealthy alcohol or other drug use recently celebrated its 13th year. The program,
active in the emergency departments on both the York Street and Chapel Street
campuses, directly links patients with dependence to substance abuse treatment
programs, primary care and social agencies.
Since 2001, Project ASSERT’s health promotion advocates (HPAs) on the York
Street Campus have screened almost 40,000 patients, performed 11,000 interventions, referred 7,000 patients to substance abuse programs and provided more than
6,000 patients with social or medical referrals.
“Project ASSERT has made a significant difference in the lives of many of our
patients,” said Gail D’Onofrio, MD, chief of Emergency Medicine, who introduced Project ASSERT to YNHH in 1999. “Our HPAs are skilled at finding the
appropriate community-based treatment that will best help patients on their road to
recovery.”
Last year alone, HPAs screened 1,240 patients at the York Street Campus, and
linked nearly 900 directly to substance abuse treatment programs. Of those whom
they referred to substance abuse treatment programs, at least 68 percent have
enrolled.
According to Dr. D’Onofrio, the merger with the Hospital of Saint Raphael will
make Project ASSERT an even more effective program.
“Patients with substance abuse problems frequently use the emergency services
on both campuses,” said Dr. D’Onofrio. “Now that we are one hospital, we can
better coordinate their care, improve their treatment and potentially lower healthcare costs.”
The Project ASSERT team on York Street includes HPAs Gregory Johnson, a
founding member of Project ASSERT, Ralph Soldano, an 11-year veteran, and
Damaris Navarro, and Vanessa Brown on Chapel Street. Project coordinator is
Alexei Nelayev, MA.
Her realtor told her about an interesting four-bedroom Cape on a cul de sac, but
she rejected it before even seeing it. “It was one of the few homes in New Haven
on a well and it had oil heat – and I didn’t want either,” recalls deJesus, a clinical
referral specialist in PFAS. “But I went anyway and when I walked into the house,
I knew this was the one!”
Fortunately for deJesus, she had qualified for the hospital’s HOME – Home
Ownership Made Easier – Program and was already involved with First Niagara
Bank, YNHH’s partner in the 7-year-old program for first-time homebuyers. In
fact, with the purchase of her home, deJesus was the 100th employee to qualify for
a loan through the HOME program.
Since 2006, HOME has enabled eligible full- and part-time employees to
purchase a home in New Haven with up to $10,000 in forgivable five-year loans,
as well as other incentives and homebuying support. Employees who purchase a
home in one of four New Haven neighborhoods – the Hill, Dwight, West River
and City Point – all close to either YNHH campus – would be eligible for a $200
a month mortgage subsidy for the first two years of their home ownership, for a
total of up to $14,800.
The loans are interest-free and forgivable over the employee’s five years of
continued YNHH employment. Employees must remain in good standing and
the home must be the employee’s primary residence. If these conditions are not
met, the employee repays the loan balance at the competitive rate specified by the
mortgage.
“This is one of our most highly valued employee benefits,” said Kevin Myatt,
senior vice president, Human Resources. “We are providing our colleagues with
that extra little lift they need to realize the American dream and have a lawn for
their kids or a basement where they can play their drums.”
DeJesus, who moved into her dream home in March, is a fan of the classes that
New Haven Home Ownership – in association with the HOME Program – offers
prospective homebuyers. The classes cover everything from how to insulate a
home properly, to the importance of changing locks, to roofing and light plumbing.
“By the time I moved in, I felt I was ready to handle the responsibilities of home
ownership,” said deJesus. “You don’t realize how important this stuff is – until
you’re a homeowner!”
“Our employees are our most valuable asset and New Haven is our community,”
said Myatt. “The HOME Program makes perfect sense because it allows us to
invest in our employees and in our community.”
For details and eligibility criteria for the HOME Program, employees should
contact the Benefits Office at 688-2401 or visit the Human Resources website.