November 6, 2017: How are you sharing what you learn? Maybe you are in school or attended a class or conference that has you thinking, “we could do that here!” Today we will hear from several more co-workers who had some ah-ha moments at the 2017 Magnet conference.
Fiona Smith, BSN, RN, CPAN, PACU
Attending the Magnet Conference was eye-opening, insightful, and encouraging. One wonderful idea was about further developing our shared governance councils. We have a strong foundation, but one way to improve it is by utilizing a monthly Shared Governance Newsletter. Every month our councils meet, and the unit representatives disseminate the topics to their respective departments/units, but by using a hospital-wide newsletter, I foresee our HMSL staff having a “one stop shop” to learn what the news is from each council every month. Another idea that I took away regarding shared governance councils is to have a “Shared Leadership Day.” This day would allow the chairs of each council to work together to develop the framework to lead their councils with. This day will also promote collaboration and shared knowledge between the councils as well as open networks for joint projects and ideas. Overall the three days were fantastic and I took away so much knowledge and ideas that I look forward to working on with our entire HMSL staff. Now that we are designated Magnet, the work continues, as we continue to prove that we are Leading Medicine and providing exemplary care.
Thao Dang, BSN, RN, Main 4 West
This was my first time attending the ANCC Magnet Conference so I was thrilled to find myself surrounded by so many outstanding individuals who always strive to do the best for the patients. At the conference I had an opportunity to learn about different evidence based projects, as well as quality improvement projects designed and implemented by many health care facilities around the country. While most projects were designed to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes, I was impressed by the number of projects to improve nurse satisfaction and performance. One of the education sessions discussed how sleeplessness and long working hours place nurses at a very high risk of getting into car accidents, especially night shift nurses. In response to the issue, several recommendations were made to reduce tiredness and sleeplessness among working nurses. They include making it mandatory to give night shift nurses 30 minutes of undisturbed break to take a nap. During the 30 minutes, nurses are totally free of responsibility. In addition, the project introduced ideas on how to create quiet zones so that nurses can actually rest when they have a chance. For safety purposes, nurses are encouraged not to work too many days in a row. For example, there should be one day off for every 4 days worked. I can relate to this issue, because I am also a night shift nurse and there are several occasions in which I come home from work without remembering how I drove myself home. Sometimes it feels like I force my body to function even though the brain wants to shut down after a long night shift. I know most nurses put their patient safety above their own needs, at least for the 12 hours shift when they are on duty. Sometimes the busy work does not allow nurses to take break. I believe it is very important to bring awareness to nurses to also make their safety and needs a priority. It is somewhat difficult to share how great the conference was and its impact in a short paragraph. However, more than ever, I know how amazing it feels to work with the Magnet values and spirit and making positive changes every day.
Katie Vos, BSN, RN, CMSRN, Main 6 West
I was blown away by the magnitude of this conference and the Magnet culture. There were representatives from hospitals all over the country and the world! Hospitals world-wide are striving to achieve the designation that we just received! This is huge!! Be so proud of yourselves, your units, and your hospital because we truly are the best of the best and now everyone else knows it too! In fact, we are already doing many of the best practices that were highlighted at the conference, which is so encouraging!
I attended a few sessions on mindfulness and staff well-being. These sessions were completely full because this is such an issue for health care employees right now and each of us attending felt that. My biggest takeaway was to notice yourself and give yourself credit for the work you are doing, which a lot of the time is work that no one else wants to do. Get rid of the “I’m just doing my job” mindset. Celebrate your own integrity and skill and that of your coworkers. Approach your limitations with kindness and continuously remind yourself why you’re here. There is really not one thing you can do to fix the problems of stress and burnout. It is all about doing what you’re already doing differently – with intention and mindfulness. Humor is so important in the nursing profession! It’s also a big stress reliever. Bond with your coworkers, because they are the only ones who will truly get it!
– Janet Leatherwood, CNO