Executive Summary: ‘Better Me, Greater We’

Executive Summary: ‘Better Me, Greater We’

Grand Canyon University: NRS-451VN

Executive Summary: Better Me, Greater We

Patient outcome and satisfaction and nursing satisfaction has been linked for a long time. Not all nurses possess the gift of producing quality care and also show great compassion on daily basis, which unfortunately, is often due to their job satisfaction. Many studies reflect the dissatisfaction due to longer shift hours, understaffing, and little career advance opportunities (Walker, 2018). In order to increase job satisfaction, a different work process should be executed for the surrounding environment to improve. Such program would consist of quarterly education and simulation training, that is done in a fun and safe environment. This implementation is geared toward growing nursing staff competency, knowledge, and compliance within the organization but also to improve patient outcome and satisfaction.

Program Purpose

The ‘Better Me, Grater Me’ program is geared to empower the nursing staff of Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, while building confidence and improve job satisfaction. Training and education are based on efforts to strengthen patient care practices. Quarterly skills check-off using clinical scenario, task-trainers based on each individual unit’s needs and scope, and scenario training are objectives of a hospital-wide incorporation of best practice procedures. Nursing staff have the opportunity to learn and test new technologies and equipment, have peer discussion in which they are able to address concerns and issues, as well as ideas in building a better staff and working environment.

Target Population

There a two different target population in this program based on the ‘Better Me’ and the ‘Greater We’ inspired concept. The first group ‘Better Me’ consists of nursing leadership and staff that will participate in a quarterly education session to better themselves not only a professional level but also on a personal level. This ‘Better Me’ group will fundamentally continue the acquired education on the job by applying the knowledge and evaluating how nursing staff adapt and execute the new practices.

While the main group progresses and utilizes the tools acquired in their training session, the second group ‘Greater We’ comes into significance. This group is comprised of patients and the quality system and are the beneficiary group of what the primary group has attained. The role of this group is from important significance. Without seeing an increase in patient outcomes and satisfaction and improved quality systems, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center would not be operating as a whole at the greater capacity.

Program Benefits

By adapting to simulations and education techniques, many potential benefits can be found. These are designed to fulfill the needs of the participating nurse in form of hands on training, printed reference material and peer discussions. Replicating unit specific scenarios, educating on the latest practice alerts, are known to affect the individual and the team performance. Reflection and debriefing, enhances learning and discovers barriers and patient care flow. This type of training proves higher rates in knowledge accumulation and clinical reason, but also technical performance (Aebersold & Tschannen, 2013). An additional benefit to this program is ability to test new technologies, equipment, and before practiced with daily patient care. Communication and peer discussions are encouraged, issues and concerns can be voiced, as well as feedback is welcome.

Cost Justification

The ‘Better Me, Greater We’ program is justified through the boost of productivity and quality of services. Funding can be prompted through the recent expansion fund released in March 2019 to the terms of a $2 million capital allocation (Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, 2019). With renovations and expansion of the telemetry and ICU units as well as trauma ER and unit, the main focus to this improvement program will provide guidance in the overall patient care experience, which will serve to promote our nursing staff education and empower them to work more efficiently and effectively.

Evaluation Basis

To assess program goals and to meet nurses and patient satisfaction, formative and summative evaluation will be utilized. While the formative evaluation will take place throughout each ‘Better Me, Greater We’ workshop and during everyday practice, the summative evaluation will occur yearly. The gathered data of the summative evaluation will be measured against the yearly Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Feedback is of great importance to this organization’s ability to understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement and compliance. Keeping these goals in mind, continuous improvement in patient experiences and employment satisfaction will be achieved.

Conclusion

At Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, we are proud to be a trusted hospital and part of our vision is to be the region’s most respected and recognized hospital in Pomona (Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, 2020). The principles guiding our hospital, are to keep patients first and everyone around us safe, work together as a team, as we pursue excellence, mange resources, and continue to learn. Keeping that in mind, we owe it to our patients, to reach out to the ‘Better Me, Greater We’ program. With a positive impact to our patients’ experience, we take pride in caring for them and keeping them safe. Also, it is the obligation by management to staff to continue the accountability in pursing excellence in order to advance to the next level of care.

Reference

Aebersold, M., (April 3, 2018) “Simulation-Based Learning: No Longer a Novelty in Undergraduate Education” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 23, No. 2. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No02PPT39

Aebersold, M., Tschannen, D., (May 31, 2013) “Simulation in Nursing Practice: The Impact on Patient Care” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 18, No. 2, Manuscript 6. DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol18No02Man06

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. (2020). Our Vision at Pomona. Retrieved from https://www.pvhmc.org/About-Us.aspx

Walker, A. (2018, March 2). Nursing Satisfaction Impacts Patient Outcomes, Mortality. Retrieved from https://nurse.org/articles/nursing-satisfaction-patient-results/