High
level of volunteerism — Whether our nurses are participating
in the Senior Wellness Fair, the Alzheimer
Associations’ Memory Walk, the “Relay
for Life” or other events, they are committed to reaching
out to those in need in the community. While supporting these
important events, they also
provide free health screenings, such as blood pressure, cholesterol
and bone density measurements.
“In
a way, all the volunteer activities are an extension
of the time our nurses spend with patients,” Christensen
explains. “They are well
aware of the health issues in our community and want
to help. They are also just very committed and very compassionate,
and they care about others who
are in
greater need than they are.”
The
RN “Angels” Program — Unique to OSF Saint Anthony, the RN Angels program
was introduced on 4 West in 2003. The program provides
nurses
who have
not recently served in direct patient care the
opportunity to be with patients without having full responsibility.
Although they do not function on their
nursing license, the RN Angels are a vital part
of
the nursing team. By sitting with
patients, providing diversionary activities, actively
listening, providing companionship, encouraging
patients to eat, taking vital signs and assisting
with the activities
of daily living, the RN Angels allow the nursing
unit staff more time for critical functions.
A
strong and effective group of clinical nurse specialists — For
a hospital of this size, OSF Saint Anthony
has a large number
of
CNSs. Masters-degree-prepared
and certified in their area of specialty, CNSs
work at the “grass-roots” level
to initiate procedures, programs and projects
to improve patient care. They assess procedures
for
patient care, identify needs and gaps, implement
changes
through
a practice model and education and then evaluate
the effectiveness of the modifications. Many
of the OSF CNSs are also involved in research
studies
and are in leadership
positions in professional organizations, often
serving as speakers for various educational programs.
Creating
an ethical decision-making model for nurses — The Nursing
Ethics Sub Council and
the OSF Saint
Anthony
Ethics
Committee
worked together
to create
a model to support decision-making for nurses
and other healthcare providers when faced with
difficult
ethical
decisions.
“There
are no clear, black-and white decisions,” explains
Christensen. “We
discuss the appropriate treatments for this
particular patient and ask if the decisions being made
are those that respect the patient’s dignity and
his or her rights to have something to say
about the type of treatment he or she
receives. There are many complex and sometimes
competing values and principles in this type of decision-making,
and all of them have to be weighed in each
situation.”
Christensen
remains elated about OSF Saint Anthony achieving Magnet
designation. “This
isn’t about just the nurses,” she
explains. “Achieving Magnet
status took everyone working together. Kudos
to all our employees!”
