Award for excellence recognizes expert care for little hearts

The moment Tina White looked at the ultrasound of her growing baby girl’s heart, she knew something was wrong. Then pregnant with her seventh child, her intuition turned out to be right: baby Gracey had a congenital heart defect and would need surgery before her first birthday.

While the news was devastating, White knew her daughter was in excellent hands with the pediatric cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons with Wolfson Children’s C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Heart Institute. When Gracey underwent open-heart surgery at 6 months old, the specialized Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) team at Wolfson Children’s Hospital made sure her recovery went smoothly.

The level of expert, compassionate care provided in the CVICU for children and infants like Gracey was recently recognized by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), Aliso Viejo, Calif., with a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence.

The Beacon Award for Excellence – a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments – recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria consistent with Magnet® Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

Nicole Lanier, MS-HSA, BSN, RN, C-NPT, previous nurse manager of the CVICU, said, “The entire CVICU team is dedicated to ensuring these vulnerable patients get the best chance at healthy futures. This award is a testament to their hard work and commitment to children and families.”

The Wolfson Children’s CVICU serves babies, children and even adults with congenital heart defects. The unit cares for patients with a full range of cardiac conditions, ranging from heart rhythm disorders to complex congenital heart conditions. The CVICU team includes pediatric cardiac surgeons; pediatric cardiologists, along with electrophysiology and imaging specialists; pediatric cardiac intensivists; nurses; certified nursing assistants; respiratory therapists; environmental services; vascular access, critical care transport and wound care teams; occupational, physical and speech therapists; a music therapist; child life specialists; social workers; chaplains; dieticians; pharmacists; and bioethicists.

Shamsur Chowdhury, MD, pediatric cardiac intensivist and local CVICU attending at Wolfson Children’s, added, “This recognition is based on data submitted by hospitals across the country, objectively measuring patient outcomes, as well as staff and parent satisfaction. Our CVICU brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts to provide the best care for patients and families.”

AACN President Elizabeth Bridges, PhD, RN, CCNS, FCCM, FAAN, applauds the commitment of the caregivers in the Wolfson Children’s CVICU for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence. These dedicated health care professionals join other members of the exceptional community of nurses who set the standard for optimal patient care.

“Receiving a Beacon Award for Excellence demonstrates a team’s commitment to providing safe, patient-centered and evidence-based care to patients and families. Creating healthy and supportive work environments empowers nurses and other team members to make their optimal contribution,” Bridges explained. “Achieving this award is such an honor and brings such joy to those who have worked so hard to achieve excellence in patient care and positive patient outcomes.”

The silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence earned by the CVICU at Wolfson Children’s Hospital signifies an effective approach to policies, procedures and processes that includes engagement of staff and key stakeholders. The unit has evaluation and improvement strategies in place and good performance measures when compared to relevant benchmarks. The Wolfson Children’s CVICU earned its silver award by meeting the following evidence-based Beacon Award for Excellence criteria:

• Leadership Structures and Systems
• Appropriate Staffing and Staff Engagement
• Effective Communication, Knowledge Management and Learning and Development
• Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
• Outcome Measurement*

“At Wolfson Children’s Hospital, we strive to provide patient- and family-centered care,” said CC Brooks, MSN, RN, vice president of Patient Care Services at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. “Awards like this continue to push us to be better both in our care and as a workplace. That’s good for our patients and our team members. This recognition is much-deserved.”

*Physicians providing care at Wolfson Children’s Hospital are not employees nor agents of the hospital. Services provided at Wolfson Children’s Hospital are provided primarily by pediatric physician specialists with Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville; University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville; Baptist Specialty Physicians, Inc.; and Emergency Resources Group. Dr. Chowdhury is employed by Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville.