It's holiday schedule time....May Peace Abound!

PICU and 7C Staff,

Just our annual holiday reminder that both units will be open 24/7/365 and ready to provide the best care to our patients.  Please note that your holiday requests are just that...requests.  If you have not worked a particular holiday in the past two years, then if we do not have an abundance of others signing up for the holiday, you will be given those shifts even if they are your last choice.  Also, please be aware that skill mix and charge nurses play a role in our determination of holiday assignments.  We cannot just put all the new people on the least favorite holiday.  Please remember:  DO NOT BUY PLANE TICKETS OR MAKE RESERVATIONS UNTIL THE SCHEDULE COMES OUT.  Also, start preparing your families/friends now that you will not be available on all holidays.  We will try to give people as many days off around whatever holiday you are off as we can.  However, we do not grant vacation days during the week of the holiday.  Finally, remember that I make all final decisions on the holiday schedule.  If you have a concern or question, bring that immediately (and in a professional manner) to me and the scheduler.  Complaining to your peers or talking about other people's schedules creates a negative work environment and is behavior that should be immediately u-turned.....I wouldn't want anyone getting a lump of coal in their stocking.  :)

I do know that working holidays is a bummer and truly appreciate the sacrifices you make to provide excellent care to our patients and families at all times.

Please let me know if you have questions.  Melinda

Education Updates

Hey Everyone

A few updates: I will be doing roaming inservices on both units to go over a few things and assess the need for clarification.  I am borrowing the SIM arm to practice PICC dressing changes with stat-locks.  I will also be borrowing the SIM pelvis to practice foley insertion and review foley care updates.  I will be reviewing secondary medication administration as well because the new guidelines have just been finalized.  I know this is a lot to go over but most of it will be a review with a few practice updates.  The inservices will take place at 0600 for nightshift and during downtime for dayshift- I am picking up supplies from the Sim Lab on Wednesday morning. 

The practice EVD set is now available for competency demonstration.  It is currently in PICU but is to be shared between both units.  Please use this opportunity to get signed off on this competency ASAP as we are borrowing the EVD from Peds ED.

Let me know if you have any questions!
Erin        

Isolation on Admission

Please remember to check the bed board when admitting patients for any known infections such as MRSA.  This information should be communicated in report, however, the ED nurses are not always aware of older infections.  We want to be sure to protect ourselves and our patients from exposure.  Thanks everyone!

Erin

September Staff Meetings and Updates

September Staff Meetings will be next week at the times below:

PICU:  Monday and Wednesday (9/9 and 9/11) at 0730

7C:  Tuesday and Thursday (9/10 and 9/12) at 0730.

If you work on one unit and the meeting is on the other, feel free to attend.  Most of the information will be the same.  I will post an update to the blog at the end of the week with all the information in case you are unable to attend.

Have a great weekend!

Melinda

Hand Hygiene Rates for August

Great job 7C and PICU!  Hand hygiene rates for August were as follows:

7C - 100%
PICU - 92%

Woo Hoo!  Remember our goal is 90% but that only gets us a score of 3 on our evaluation in 2014.  Let's get above 95% and stay there.  Thanks so much for all your efforts.

Melinda

Float RN Assignments

Hey guys,

Just a friendly reminder to review all float assignments to ensure they are appropriate for the person being floated in.  Please remember that it is generally NOT a good idea to give the float someone who has a very complicated discharge plan or who is rooming in and needs to be monitored/checked off on final skills before discharge.  Also, be mindful of giving the total care, chronic patients to float staff (unless there are no other appropriate assignments).  This is especially difficult if we do it shift after shift.  We want the families to have more consistency from out home unit staff.  I know this is hard sometimes when you have mostly true intermediate patients on 7C or mostly older or very complex patients in the PICU.

Please let me know if you have questions.  Both of our units will be running a bit tight the next schedule with people out on FMLA or until orientees are ready, so I want to be sure we are being supportive of any float staff.  This may include Meduflex if they are not really familiar with out patients/unit.

Thanks so much!

Melinda

EPIC

BIG SHOUT OUT to our EPIC SUPERUSERS!
7C: Kelly Grommersch, Kate Siegfried, Amy Russell and Julianne Walsh
PICU: Natalie Ball, Patricia Prause, Brooke Nitterhouse, ABG, Jason Williams and Kerry Bryers

Super Users- You will receive a folder in your mailboxes tomorrow with information regarding the time commitments involved and the approximate schedule.  Please sign up for Blocks 1 and 2 in CATTS.  Training will consist of 1-2 hour classes once or twice a month during the build, then in April, you will attend two 8-hour training sessions and a  4-hour refresher just before Go-Live.  For 2 weeks during Go-Live super users will be out of staffing to assist with the transition.  
Melinda and I will be super users as well, please see us with any questions, and thanks again for your help!

Erin 

Certifications to expire in 30/60/90 days

Check the list for your name to see if you have a certification that is going to expire within the next 30/60/90 days.

September 30th
None

October 31st
BLS - Jessica Green

November 30th
PALS - Amy Russell