Nursing Notes June 2008 - The Medical Center

Nursing
Notes
at
CHC
~ Communicating Helps Caregivers ~
June 2008
Big Thanks To Education Department For Cultural Diversity Fair!
IN THIS EDITION
1 Cultural Diversity Fair
2 Betsy’s Corner
3 Snippets From Shared
Governance
3 Franklin-Simpson
Community Health Fair
4 Magnetic Moments
4 Nursing Notes At CHC Wins
Award And Recognition
5 Convocation Held At
Western Kentucky
University
5 First Impressions
6 Myra Sanders, RN, CCRN
7 Nursing Orientation

Betsy’s Corner
Betsy Kullman
Chief Nursing Officer
June is here with
Father’s Day celebrations,
barbeques, vacations,
and water activities
galore. Summer Solstice,
the longest day of the
year and the first day of
summer, is quickly approaching
us on June 21.
We also will be welcoming
29 new graduates into
our Medical Center family
this week as they
begin their orientation
process. Please make
them welcome on your units as they transition from student
to RNA.
We have received our first Gallup Patient Satisfaction
scores, and the inpatient scores were very good. I want to
congratulate all nursing and ancillary employees that participate
in the care of our inpatients for your contribution in
making these scores happen. Your caring attitude and concern
for our patients and families make a difference. Your
managers will be sharing these results with you in your staff
meetings and you will be asked to participate in the development
of plans for sustaining your scores and continued improvement.
Our Outpatient Services didn’t fare as well in
their Gallup scores but I know with everyone’s participation,
we can attain the same good scores as the inpatient units did
in future months. Please work with your mangers in the
coming weeks to develop plans to improve our customer
service plan in these areas.
Does the name Dorothy Orem sound familiar to you? If
it doesn’t, you will come to know it well in the coming
months. Orem describes nursing as “the giving of direct assistance
to a person, as required, because of a person’s specific
inabilities in self-care, resulting from a situation of
personal health.” Our nursing philosophy at CHC is based
on Orem’s self-care theory meaning that we help patients to
learn to care for themselves within the limitations of their
disease process. If patients are unable to care for themselves,
we involve the family and significant others in learning to
help care for the patient. Each nurse will be expected to be
knowledgeable of the nursing theory that our philosophy is
based upon. The Magnet surveyors will ask questions about
our philosophy during their survey on your units. Each unit
will be receiving information on Dorothy Orem and her
“self-care” theory in the coming weeks. Our goal is to provide
everyone with the information that you need to have a
successful visit with the surveyors.
Once again our hearts are saddened as we lost two of our
Medical Center family this month. Jessie Lyons, who was a
long-time employee of our Engineering Department, left us
suddenly on May 19. Jessie will be long remembered for his
gentle spirit and his beautiful smile. He will be missed by all
as he was always eager and willing to help us with any need
that we had. Bessie Westerfield, whom many of our children
remember as the “sick bay lady” on 5C died on May 29 after
a brief illness. She will be remembered for her caring attitude
for sick children and patients. Please extend your support
to these departments as they cope with the loss of their
co-workers.
EMS Rolls Out Inflatable Unit
~ Page 2

Snippets From Shared Governance
Standards and Practice Council – Beth Curtis-Gilbert
RN, ADN from Infection Control, continued discussion on
“bundling” process for foley catheters, central line bacteremia
and VAP. The VAP bundling is a good example of
how nursing works with other disciplines. Courtney
Calloway RN, BSN and Mary Fathbruckner, RT are working
with Beth to assure we are using evidenced-based practice
and will implement this bundle as a pilot on the ICU soon.
JoAn Pearson presented standards of practice and the importance
for nurses to understand them.
Recruitment, Retention and Recognition Council –
This council assembled and delivered baskets of food to all
units in appreciation for their hard work during high census
days. It also honored all the new graduate nurses from
Western Kentucky University’s ADN and BSN programs
with a lunch and door prizes. Nurses at The Medical Center
were given a beautiful mug in honor of nurse’s day.
Distribution was made possible through this council.
Research Council – Melinda Joyce, Director of
Pharmacy and Chair of The Medical Center’s Institutional
Review Board (IRB), delivered a presentation that helped the
Research Council better understand research that will need
patient consent and approval through the IRB. The Medical
Center currently has seven nurse research projects ongoing.
Nurse Development Council – Each unit is working on
writing unit-specific nurse competencies using EBP as a
framework.
Nurse Quality Improvement Council – This council
discussed the volume of linen waste and potential savings if
we decrease that waste. An estimated 210,000 pounds of
laundry is returned each year to laundry in its original folded
condition to be cleaned again. This council will look at opportunities
to decrease/eliminate laundry waste. The savings
may be used to purchase needed supplies. This council is
recommending that pink pads not be used unless the patient
is incontinent or on units that require them such as 5B and
OB. This will also reduce costs. A draw sheet is preferred for
moving a patient. 4B reported QI efforts including compliance
with using the blood administration form and CHF education.
The Surgery area reported their success in decreasing
turnover times by designing staffing pods between four OR’s
and redesigning their work flow. NICU has had success with
the development of “the golden hour” protocol for patients
under 2000 grams.
Staff Advisory Committee – This committee voted to
reallocate their meeting time to the Unit Practice Chairs. The
first meeting was an education session to guide all nursing
units in developing a successful Unit Practice Council. This
committee voted on a standard bulletin board. Nursing administration
will order two boards for each nursing unit.
Informatics – Nurses and staff from other disciplines
continue to revise the Meditech system. Particular attention
is paid to I & O’s.
Policy and Procedure Council – Nurses from various
units along with Risk Management reviewed policies that
were scheduled for renewal.
Clinical Support Recruitment and Retention
Committee – This committee discussed the desire to develop
a clinical ladder system similar to the nurses’ system.
Planning for the annual competency fair was also discussed.
– Dee Tallon, RN, MA
Magnet Coordinator
Franklin-Simpson Community Health Fair
The Franklin-Simpson Community Health
Fair, hosted by The Medical Center at Franklin,
was held on Saturday, April 19. By all accounts,
it was a huge success, welcoming 23 vendors
and over 150 participants.
The featured speaker, Dr. Robert Wesley,
spoke on, “Diet and Exercise: What Really
Works.” There were also various screenings including
glucose, cholesterol, pulmonary functions
tests, back, osteoporosis, body fat, blood
pressure, oxygen saturation, and eye exams.
According to Mandy Coffee, RN,
Occupational Health Nurse, “It was great fun,
and I feel anyone who attended walked away
with some great information.”
– Mandy Coffee, RN
(Left) Kerry Jones, RN, Shannon
Gerlach, Director of Respiratory
Care and CardioPulmonary
Rehab, and Janet Metzger, RN,
enjoy a quiet moment.
Karen Waffer, Massage Therapist,
gives some relief.
Dr. Robert Wesley provides some education.
~ Page 3

Magnetic Moments
Magnet Force 14 – Professional Development
Magnet Force 14 requires opportunities for competencybased
clinical advancement, along with resources to maintain
competency. Value is placed on personal and
professional growth and development. Emphasis is placed
on orientation, in-service education, continuing education,
formal education, and career development. Life-long learning
has an important role in a Magnet-Recognized hospital.
Kennedy (2005) shares a statement by Domino (2005) in
her article, Celebrating Excellence in Nursing Practice, that
nurses must posses a personal commitment to the ongoing
acquisition of knowledge to truly claim themselves as professionals.
We are so proud to announce 18 staff nurses who
have advanced their nursing degree this past month, and 2
unit clerks became new graduate nurses! What better example
is there to demonstrate commitment to professional
development?
Nurses completing a MSN: Heather Goodall RN,
MSN; Emily Howard RN, MSN; Jason Shuffitt RN, MSN;
Rachel Givens RN, MSN; Melissa Travelsted RN, MSN;
and Hillary Lovell RN, MSN.
Nurses completing a BSN: Kristin Bratcher RN, BSN;
Paula DeVore RN, BSN; Tasha Groves RN, BSN; Leslie
Meador RN, BSN; Jackie Pardue RN, BSN; Trenya Pierce
RN, BSN; Jennifer Thomson RN, BSN; Thomas Vogler RN,
BSN; Jenny Whitley RN, BSN; Karen Wilson (ICU) RN,
BSN; and Karen Wilson (QRM) RN, BSN.
GREEN TIPS
Did you know that if you purchase
energy-efficient appliances or windows
that some of the cost can be
deducted from your income when
filing taxes? This way everybody
wins because it is good for the
Earth, good for the homeowners
and less energy is used. Also, we
are using reusable grocery bags.
They are GREAT!
–Sarah Graves
LPN advanced to ADN: Melissa Lindsey RNA, ADN.
Unit Clerks completing a BSN: Heather Martin RNA,
BSN; Christal Tucker RNA, BSN.
Let’s not stop there! We have eight additional nurses
who successfully challenged the clinical ladder: Amy
Ausbrooks RN, BSN, CNIII; Susan Breslin RN, ADN,
CNIII; Paula DeVore RN, BSN, CNIII; Jodi Hanna RN,
CNOR, CNIII; Marita Hockstedler RN, BSN, CNIII; Kaye
Miller RN, ADN, CAPA, CLNC, CNIII; Lesa Williams RN,
ADN, CNIII; and Tamara Wisdom-Burden RN, ADN,
CNIII.
Kennedy (2005) shares that all licensed nurses have a responsibility
to promote and strengthen nursing. Delaney and
Piscopo (2007) state in their article, There Really is a
Difference: Nurses’ Experiences With Transitioning from
RNs to BSNs, that healthcare workers must be more knowledgeable
in response to our changing health care system.
Additionally, the research indicates that advancing your
nursing education improves critical thinking skills. This correlates
positively with improved patient outcomes.
A special thanks to all the nurses mentioned above for
taking personal accountability for strengthening the nursing
profession! We are proud to have them on our team.
– Dee Tallon, RN, MA
Magnet Coordinator
“Nursing Notes at CHC”
Wins Award and Recognition
Each year the Kentucky Society for Healthcare Public
Relations & Marketing hosts the Thoroughbred Awards competition
to recognize the work of healthcare marketing professionals
over the past year. This year, Commonwealth
Health Corporation won a Certificate of Merit in the Internal
Newsletter category for Nursing Notes at CHC.
The idea for a nursing newsletter was realized in
November of 2006 with the premier edition Nursing Notes at
CHC. It was the goal of the newsletter to bring nursing-related
articles in the form of education, features stories and
announcements to all clinical nursing staff within CHC.
Under the guidance of Karen Ray and Betsy Kullman,
Nursing Notes has flourished. Karen has added two Nursing
Notes editors for 2008, Paula DeVore, RN and Tamara
Wisdom-Burden, RN. Together with the Nursing Notes committee,
they will lead this award-winning publication to another
year of success.
Congratulations to Karen Ray, RN, the Nursing Notes at
CHC committee, the Marketing Department, Micro Images,
and all others involved with the publication of Nursing Notes
at CHC for their achievement.
– Rebecca Lee
Marketing
~ Page 4

Convocation Held At Western Kentucky University
Ever since 1577, when Oxford University used the word
“convocation” to describe the assembly of its MA graduates,
students around the world have been admitted to the order of
scholars in a convocation ceremony. Graduation ceremonies
consist of both a commencement and convocation, with the
commencement being the larger, university-wide ceremony
and the individual colleges presenting degrees at convocation.
Congratulations to the spring 2008 WKU graduates!
BSN class of spring 2008
– Karen Wilson, RN
Graduation picture of Jenny Whitley,
RN, BSN, and Karen Wilson, RN,
BSN, S.A.N.E., from The Medical
Center.
First Impressions
Karen Wilson from QRM receiving her
degree post-RN (BSN).
Post-RN BSN students present Dr. Jones and Wanda
Cullam with award.
Do you remember your first day ever as a new nurse? In
June, we will welcome new nurses to our team. Here is some
silliness on making those first impressions and some suggestions
on welcoming the new nurse to your team.
Top Ten List for New Nurses
Don’t…
1) Say “I’m not sure who your preceptor is.”
2) Ask “Did you bring your running shoes? Because we
won’t sit down.”
3) Direct “Just wait over there and we’ll get to you
when we have time.”
4) Welcome “You’re new...that’s great, we hope you
stay longer than the last one.”
5) Respond “You did what? Just what did you learn in
nursing school?”
6) Request “Will you go get me lunch?”
7) Sigh “I don’t have time to help you right now.”
8) Exclaim “I hope you ate breakfast, we won’t get a
break.”
9) State “Well forget the orientation, today you count in
staffing. Today you will learn about code brown.”
10) Forget to smile.
Do…
1) Say “Welcome to our team.”
2) Ask “Can I show you around the unit?”
3) Direct “Call me anytime you need help.”
4) Welcome “Let me introduce you to everyone.”
5) Respond “Tell me about yourself.”
6) Request “Can I take you to lunch?”
7) Smile “Do you have any questions for me?”
8) Exclaim “How do you learn best? We’ll do this that
way.”
9) State “Please tell me your goals.”
10) Prove nurses DON’T eat their young!!!
– Karen Ray, RN
Attention All Poets
Nursing Notes is looking for poets who would like to
share their work in Nursing Notes at CHC. Please submit
your poem in Microsoft word format email attachment
to Rayk@chc.net by July 26. Winners will receive
publication in Nursing Notes at CHC and a groovy
prize! Looking to hearing from you.
Karen Ray RN CNIV
Co-editor Nursing Notes at CHC
~ Page 5

Myra Sanders, RN, CCRN
“I always wanted to be a nurse
from the time I was a little kid.”
This explains the enthusiasm Myra
Sanders RN, CCRN, has for the
nursing profession. “I completed the
LPN program first because my family
didn’t have a lot of money, and I
had three younger brothers at
home.” Myra was an LPN from
1978–1981. She has been an RN
since 1981, earning and maintaining
CCRN certification in 1985. Myra is now going back to
school to earn her BSN. “Looking back, I wish I had completed
BSN when I was young. It is something I have always
wanted.”
Myra has taken her passion of caring for people to her
hometown community. She is currently a First Responder in
Edmonson County. “I had a 35-year-old neighbor who had a
heart attack in the middle of the night and died,” Myra explained.
“It was then that I decided to be a First Responder
because help is so far away.” And so in the summer of 2007,
Myra took classes with the Medical Center EMS and became
a certified First Responder. Kentucky law requires all First
Responders to be certified, and the job is strictly voluntary.
“I went to classes two nights a week after work for about 16
weeks,” Myra stated. “After the 16 weeks, there is a practical
and a written exam. I have a radio at home, and I keep all of
my gear in my car. We have now grown to three First
Responders, and that really has helped.“
Myra explained that she must step out of her nursing role
when she responds to First Responder calls. “I am not a
nurse; I am a First Responder when my radio goes off. I
can’t give meds…not even nitro, but I can assist the person
to take meds. If their blood sugar is down I can assist them
to eat and drink. It is very hard sometimes because I know
what they need.” The First Responder’s role is to take vital
signs, obtain a brief history, confirm allergies, get their home
meds, give oxygen if needed, and follow BLS protocol. “We
have an AED available now, and I really think that will make
a big difference,” Myra stated.
Myra said that she has responded to everything from
shootings to wrecks with severe injuries to wrecks without
injuries. “One of the most interesting calls I got was to come
to a wreck. As it turned out, the driver wasn’t injured but I
had to help remove a dead cow from the road. Everyone
knows everyone in this area so I feel an obligation to go to as
many calls as I can no matter what time it is.”
Myra has taken our CHC mission statement to heart not
only on the clock but on her own time as well. Myra does
care for people, and she is improving the quality of life in the
communities we serve.
– Paula DeVore, RN
Fresh Salsa
From Linda Madison
6 to 8 fresh medium tomatoes, chopped
1/8 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 tsp. chopped garlic
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp. dried cilantro, crushed (use more if fresh)
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
½ tsp Tabasco sauce (or chopped jalapeños)
2 tsp vinegar & 1 tsp oil (optional)
Gerri Glenn, Director of Quality Resource
Management, says that this Fresh Salsa recipe is
a great way to use fresh tomatoes.
Todd Gibson puts his best face forward to help raise
money for The American Cancer Society’s Relay for
Life. Congratulations to all who helped in this worthy
cause.
~ Page 6

Nursing Orientation
May 14, 2008
Left to Right: Tosha Willoughby (Cal
Turner Pavilion), Ashley Centers (Cal
Turner Pavilion), Maranda Mosby (Cal
Turner Pavilion), Shantel Jones (MCS
Acute Care).
Left to Right: Jenny Whittinghill (CRSH),
Maegan Eason (5B), Melissa Harper (Cal
Turner Pavilion), Katy Havens (4A).
May 29, 2008
Left to Right: Mike Sims (PACU), Vanessa
Hodges (2A), Lateshia Brunson (2A), Janet
Childress (4B).
Left to Right: Patricia Steele (Surgery),
Emily Long (5A), Lori Beth Smalling (Cal
Turner Pavilion), Beki Ledogar (Surgery).
Left to Right: Robin Sewell (5C), Katie
Sanderson (2B), Kimberlee Gant (4B),
Lindsey Larkin (4C).
Left to Right: Shasti Miller (3B), Lindsay
Spears (2B), Rebekah Skeeters (4C).
Left to Right: Bethany Richards (5A), April
Ford (ER), Mandy Matthews (5B).
Left to Right: Ashley Bell (ER), Katie Wolfe
(5B), Pamela Poghen (4A).
Left to Right: Rachel Burgess (Open Heart
Recovery), Ross Pennington (Outpatient
Services), Blaire Lillybridge (5B).
~ Page 7