For PDF click PCA Recruitment Goal Status
News for Ambulatory Surgical Services and the MHS
The three-day 2009 Summer Institute on Evidence-Based Practice will take start on July 9th. There will be a pre-conference on July 8th.
Clinicians and educators, share your EBP successes. You are invited to submit abstracts for consideration.
Click here for futher information
In July 2009, the NAHN will be having their 34th Annual Conference here in San Antonio at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk Hotel. NAHN invites the submission of abstracts for presentation.
NAHN Call for Abstracts Biographical Data & Disclosure form
The submission deadline is 5PM, January 15, 2009.
The abstract and data form should be submitted to: mcgoon@uthscsa.edu.
Please click on the attached link to read the latest Update ME Newsletter for Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Centers.
When we talk about voice, we mean your ability to have a say in how things are done here…such as making improvements in working conditions affecting quality or safety. Here are just a few of the many ways nurses have a voice at Methodist Healthcare:
Employee Advisory Group- the purpose of the EAG (Employee Advisory Group) is to provide a forum for employees to voice concerns or issues that affect them in their workplace, share their ideas and suggestions for improvement, and work collaboratively with management to continuously improve the work environment. The volunteers on this committee come from a wide variety of departments. Look for the EAG posters or contact your Human Resource consultant if you would like to know the names of the employees that represent your facility.
Staff Nurse Leadership Council (SNLC)- as outlined in our Nursing Bylaws Organization and Function Manual, the SNLC addresses issues of nursing importance and provides input to the Staff Nurse Leadership Board on issues that may improve clinical practice, hospital operations and a healthy workplace environment. Every nursing unit/department should send a representative to the meetings. The representative facilitates communication between hospital administration, nurse managers/directors, and the nursing units. Often times the representative will return to the unit and gain feedback on a certain issue so that he/she can take it back to the next SNLC meeting. In effect, your unit representative will carry the voice of his/her unit back to the meetings in order to make decisions.
Unit/Department Staff Meetings- staff meetings are another time for two way communication. Although the manager/director may have a lot of information to share, staff meetings are also an opportunity for the employees to speak up and discuss things as a team. Leaders always appreciate your ideas and feedback.
Town Hall Meetings- these meetings are held on a quarterly basis and all employees are encouraged to participate. The meetings are led by Senior Leadership and the discussion is always interactive. There is always time on the agenda for an open discussion. This is a great time for employees to voice their comments and suggestions.
Bright Idea Boxes- just jot down your thought or suggestion and drop it in one of the boxes posted in the high traffic area of your facility. You can include your name or you can submit something anonymously.
Employee Satisfaction Survey- this anonymous survey is conducted once a year by an outside company. We use the survey to validate that we are doing well and to identify opportunities for improvement. The results are compared to previous years and to other HCA facilities. It is a very effective tool as directors are required to design a work plan in response to their respective department survey results. So by sharing their voice, employees’ concerns are targeted and addressed.
You asked us to make the nursing clinical ladder more streamlined and useful. Consider it done!
Nursing Clinical Excellence Program Flyer
Announcing the new MHS Nursing Clinical Excellence Program. For more information, including the policy and application packets, please visit the Nursing Clinical Excellence link under the Your Career/Career Development section of SANursing.com.
The National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE) announced that Sarah Villegas, RN, Diabetes Education Program Coordinator for MHS and Diabetes Educator, and Edward Corum, RN, Diabetes Educator have renewed their Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) status by successfully completing the continuing education renewal option process. Sarah has been a certified diabetes educator for 20+ years and originally opened the diabetes education office for MHS in 1986. Ed has been a diabetes educator since 2000 and a certified diabetes educator since 2002.
Candidates must meet rigorous eligibility requirements to be eligible for certification. Achieving the CDE credential demonstrates to people with diabetes and employers, that the health care professional possesses distinct and specialized knowledge, thereby promoting quality of care for people with diabetes. There are currently more than 15,500 diabetes educators who hold the CDE credential. NCBDE was established in 1986 to develop and administer a certification program for health care professionals who teach individuals with diabetes how to manage their disease. Through the development, maintenance and protection of the certification process and the CDE credential, NCBDE recognizes and advances the specialty practice of diabetes education. NCBDE supports the concept of voluntary, periodic certification for all diabetes educators who meet credential and experience eligibility requirements. For more information, visit the website at www.ncbde.org or call the national office at (847) 228-9795.
Employee Advisory Groups (EAG) are forums for employees to voice concerns or issues that affect them in their workplace; they are channels of communication for employee ideas and suggestions for improvement; and they are collaborators with management to continuously improve the work environment.
There is one EAG at Northeast Methodist Hospital; one at Metroplitan Methodist Hospital; and one at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital; one for Methodist Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services; one for the MASH and MASC’s; and one for the Methodist Hospital and the Methodist System Office.
The accomplishments of the EAGs vary widely, from major projects to minor adjustments. But even the simplest improvement can affect employees significantly. Here are just a few. Congratulations to the EAG teams and their colleagues for making these things happen!
Northeast Methodist Hospital: There is now an outdoor gazebo designated for non-smokers. People who want to enjoy a break outdoors now have a covered area away from designated smoking areas.
Metropolitan Methodist Hospital: A simple relocation of a dumpster provided increased visibility for staff as they are leaving the parking garage. Moving the dumpster also decreases the likelihood of people being late for work while waiting for the dumpster exchange, which blocks access to the garage.
Methodist Hospital: Driver names are now posted in the shuttles. This allows employees who have specific feedback on shuttle service to identify whom they are talking about.
Methodist Children’s Hospital: The EAG recommended to Administration that they have some sort of holiday celebration/recognition. It was a lot of work by the cafeteria staff, but a big hit. Human Resources staff served food and drinks, and employees’ names were drawn to win TVs, boom boxes and iPods.
Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital: The Simplex clock in the cafeteria has been checked to make certain that it is accurate so that the cafeteria will open at 11 a.m. daily. This was an issue for employees trying to get lunch at that time.
Debbie Flanagan, PHR, Human Resources specialist at Northeast Methodist Hospital, said the topics that EAGs may address are quality, communication, work environment, workload, supplies and equipment, ideas to improve organizational performance, job enrichment/education, employee recognition, community involvement, diversity and staffing. Issues that will be referred to Human Resources include salaries, wages and rates of pay, employee benefits, employment decisions, disciplinary actions, grievances and Human Resources-related Ethics and Compliance issues.
“The group is constantly probing for ways to increase staff satisfaction,” said Ron Hunsucker, operating room manager of Northeast Methodist Hospital, “and we are finding that all staff have valuable suggestions. The only bad idea is the one never voiced.”
