Daily Management is at the core of “Everybody, Every Day,” because each of you has a role to play to paint an unparalleled tomorrow. When the hospital introduced Performance Excellence, one item rolled out was Daily Management Boards. Now one of our HMSL charge nurses is sharing her experience, nearly two years later.
Maria Gordon, BSN, RN III, CCRN is a permanent charge nurse in Brazos ICU. They were designated as the COVID-ICU Unit. As you can imagine, the last few years the team has experienced many challenges. Gordon admits when the concept of a Daily Management Board was introduced to her team in September 2022, her initial reaction was ‘Why is this happening? It looks like a lot of work.’
“I thought, it is a lot of work,” Gordon said. Her team felt similar. “Why are they giving us more work? I know it’s human nature. No one wants change and more work.”
But once Gordon and her Brazos ICU team set up their Daily Management Board, feelings changed. She said the first few months went well. “This was a crucial way to start our daily workflow, because essentially it affects our workflow.”
When it came to wins for the unit, Gordon said there were many. Under the PEOPLE pillar, Gordon said they tracked the things they needed to have to deliver care promptly to ICU patients: infusion pumps, ICU beds, compression devices to name a few.
Under the SERVICE pillar, the group added a “Get to Know Me” initiative to improve their patient satisfaction scores. “Our scores have been phenomenally increased,” Gordon said. “At one point we were the highest in the hospital one month. This was after the pandemic – when we were the designated covid unit. Mind you, we were in the red for the most part regardless of what we did. So, our initiative worked.”
Another metric Gordon and her team in Brazos ICU focus on is patient transfer time. Though this can depend on outside factors, they want to make sure they transfer patients in a timely manner. This affects the FINANCE pillar.
Under the QUALITY pillar, Gordon said her team struggled with CLABSI (central line-associated blood stream infection) and HAPI (hospital-acquired pressure injury) for several years. “Now slowly but surely, we are taking a hold and owning our practice in preventing HAIs (healthcare-associated infections).”
Gordon says the VOICE pillar was a bonus for everyone. “Due to the voice pillar, they returned the better and more user-friendly feeding pumps for us to use. This came after somebody submitted an idea ticket. It was that easy.”
The Brazos ICU team has been utilizing their Daily Management Board for nearly two years now. Gordon says it’s now routine. “It provides a framework where the whole unit can participate and discuss the crucial needs, issues, and of course the wins and successes of the group,” Gordon said. “We don’t have to wait for the monthly staff meeting. We get to discuss things NOW and act on it NOW.”
Another change the Brazos ICU team is making because of their Daily Management Board is how they are handling their most vulnerable patients. Gordon says to help prevent HAPI, they are turning patients every two hours with the help of LEAF Sensors.
Gordon says the Daily Management Board has affected workflow on the unit, but in a positive way. Everything has a purpose. The PCAs are counting equipment. The staff is doing their part to make sure they are taking care of the central lines and following the care bundle to prevent CLABSI. The patients and families are impressed when they ask the questions from their “Get to Know Me” initiative. Everybody is helping each other.
When HMSL introduced Daily Management, the goal was to transform the way our hospital connects each of us, allowing for a more efficient and effective organization. Gordon said the Daily Management Board did that.
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