Kevin Guffey

A project underway at Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrates HealthConnect, our electronic medical record system, to smart infusion pumps to help enhance how we administer medication to our patients. “After learning the advantage of decreasing incidences of error in medication administration, nurses appreciate the new system,” said jovie jabla, RN, staff nurse IV, of the B-Braun Large Volume Pump/KP HealthConnect Integration project. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gKkBzRCX #ThankYouNurses #KPNurses #YouBelongHere Tia Newell, RN, BSN, MSN, NEA-BC, Dr. Pavna Sloan, DNP, MSN, NEA-BC, RNC-OB, Michele Paulo, DNP, MBA, RN, CPHQ, NEA-BC, Liss L., Nicholas R. Webb, RN, DNP, ESQ

161

7 Comments

This Med-Surg Nurses Week, ATI celebrates the critical role of med-surg nurses. Did you know ATI offers a dedicated digital textbook replacement solution for med-surg nursing? Engage™ Adult Medical-Surgical is designed to impart the essential 'need-to-know' information for mastering the complexities of med-surg nursing. This solution maximizes student engagement in the classroom through various interactive activities that simulate real-life med-surg nursing challenges, effectively linking knowledge to practice. Rethink your use of a textbook and reimagine your med-surg course with Engage Adult Medical-Surgical! https://hubs.ly/Q02W86SR0

37

Part 2: Showcasing LTC Directors of Nursing Superpowers In Part 1 ( https://bit.ly/NurseVPart1 ), we celebrated the extraordinary leadership, crisis management, and quality improvement expertise of Directors of Nursing (DONs) in long-term care (LTC). Now, let’s explore additional skills that make DONs the backbone of high-quality care in these settings. Talent Development and Staff Retention **DONs are educators at heart, developing training programs to enhance clinical skills and competencies. **They mentor and guide staff, creating a pipeline of future nurse leaders. **By fostering a positive work culture, DONs improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover. Regulatory and Compliance Expertise **DONs are experts in navigating complex healthcare regulations and ensuring compliance with ever-changing standards. **They prepare for surveys and audits, addressing deficiencies proactively to maintain quality ratings. **Ensure policies and procedures align with federal, state, and local requirements, protecting residents and facilities alike. Resident and Family Advocacy **DONs champion person-centered care, ensuring each resident’s preferences and dignity are respected. **They serve as liaisons between families and the care team, fostering trust and transparency. **Advocate for resources and innovations that enhance the quality of life for residents. Visionary/Innovative Leadership **DONs are forward thinkers, anticipating challenges and proactively addressing them. **They inspire their teams to embrace change, adopt new technologies, and strive for continuous improvement. **Their leadership drives a culture of excellence and accountability across the organization. Directors of Nursing are more than nursing administration—they are educators, advocates, strategists, and innovators. Their multifaceted skillset ensures the delivery of exceptional care, the empowerment of their teams, and the success of their organizations. Let’s continue to recognize and celebrate the dedication and expertise of DONs as they shape the future of long-term care. 💙 #LTCLeadership #DirectorOfNursing #NurseLeaders #QualityCare #DON #LTC

6

1 Comment

QUESTION I am the lead of my unit's neonatal PICC team and serve on our hospital’s CLABSI reduction committee. I just completed your webinar “CLABSI-What are We Missing?” I am asking for some clarification on one particular issue which is the frequency of changing the needleless connector that is immediately attached to the hub of a central line. Am I understanding correctly that the recommended practice is to change it anywhere from 96 hours to 7 days according to the manufacturer recommendations? While this should be very straightforward, this particular topic has been a point of frustration for our unit recently as many fear breaking open the central line. ANSWER You are correct, needleless connector changes are dictated by: ▶️ Duration of 96 hours-7 days, according to the manufacturer's recommendations ▶️ Manufacturer's instructions that state to remove prior to blood draws and replace with a new connection (unlikely to apply to your patient population) ▶️ Whether or not blood is visible in the connector The goal is to maintain a closed system for as long as possible. The concerns over contamination tend to drive the need for regular connector changes. I highly recommend the use of anti-reflux needleless connectors that allow 7-day changes while also reducing occlusion caused by blood reflux into the catheter.

42

“We failed her miserably. She left OR nursing altogether.” The healthcare industry is facing a critical nursing shortage, and inadequate training is driving many nurses away from the profession.💔 During the pandemic Cynthia L. Garza, DNP, RN, CNOR, was the Director of Surgical and Endoscopy Services in a brand new 59-bed hospital with 3 ORs, 2 endoscopy suites, and a cath lab—and the facility lost 60% of its perioperative nurses. Recruitment efforts for experienced OR nurses were falling short, so Cynthia tried to onboard a nurse with no prior OR experience. Without a structured framework, the attempt failed. This experience drove home an important lesson: nurse retention requires support, structure, and teamwork. Cynthia rebuilt her approach by collaborating with surgical teams and using evidence-based onboarding strategies to create a more sustainable future for her team. ✨ With tools like Periop 101, she found a way to provide the consistency and guidance her nurses needed to succeed. The results? 💡 Two nurses trained during the program are still thriving years later. 📉 Turnover costs reduced significantly. 💙 A stronger team, better prepared to handle challenges. Cynthia’s story is a powerful reminder of the impact thoughtful training and leadership can have—not just on nurse retention, but on patient care and team morale. Share your stories of nursing retention success and failure in the comments below. #nurselife #ORnurse #Nursing #Nurses #Nurse #Periop #Perioperative #PeriopNurse #ORLife

40

4 Comments

Medicare does not recognize PRN orders for DME companies to provide supplies. Standing orders only! 🔔Story Time 🔔 You’re the nurse or provider who is assessing a Pressure Injury to an incontinent residents coccyx. You assess the drainage and document Moderate Serosanguinous. You order Calcium Alginate and Silicone Superabsorbent TIW and PRN. When asked why TIW, you reply “removing and reapplying a dressing can hinder healing”. NOT wrong 👏 However, wound care is NOT a one size fits all specialty. Many things are to be considered and this is one of them. This resident is Incontinent and has moderate drainage coming from their wound. While the PRN order covers the staffs ability to change the dressing “as needed”, the facility / corporation is now responsible for providing those dressings from their housestock since the DME company is only able to provide 12 per the practitioners orders. (Let’s be honest, the staff is most likely going to be changing this dressing at least daily based on this particular resident being incontinent and having a Mod draining wound to the coccyx) Share your thoughts below 👇 #Woundcare #Cost #Patientadvocacy #WholepatientNOTtheholeinthepatient

16

4 Comments

Prep for your upcoming SCRN Exam with a sample test question from MEDED today! Ready to see if you got it correct? View the answer in the comments below. #meded #scrn #nursingexam #nursingseminar

Prep for your upcoming SCRN Exam with a sample test question from MEDED today! Ready to see if you got it correct? View the answer in the comments below. #meded #scrn #nursingexam #nursingseminar

Prep for your upcoming SCRN Exam with a sample test question from MEDED today! Ready to see if you got it correct? View the answer in the comments below. #meded #scrn #nursingexam #nursingseminar

Congratulations to Rhafia Bucoy, DBA, MSN, RN, RN-BC, Regional Clinical Practice Consultant, Perioperative Services, NCAL Kaiser Permanente, recipient of The DAISY Foundation DAISY Nurse Leader Award.   Rhafia Bucoy is NCAL Perioperative Services’ clinical practice and financial performance consultant. She serves as an OR nurse informaticist and analyst, and she is definitely everyone’s “go-to person” for everything Perioperative data, clinical staffing, OpTime build, and all other things. Rhafia is the nurse in the background who silently gets things done, from report build to data mining, analysis, and presentations. She is the clinical liaison to the national teams for KPHC, national product council, and revenue cycle. She is responsible for the clinical testing and auditing of electronic med record documentation.   Despite the overwhelming demand for reports and other competing priorities, Rhafia manages them well and always willingly helps others. She has collaborated with revenue cycle in closing out unposted surgical logs and ensuring accurate implant documentation. She has also recently agreed to close out records related to bedside procedure recovery to ensure accurate capture of workload and patient throughout in the post operative space.   Rhafia serves as the clinical lead and resource for all of NCAL’s surgical system administrators as she lends her expert consulting hat in the OpTime domain from case creation to case closure and posting. Rhafia partnered with supply chain on the implementation of Case Pick App in 19 NCAL facilities, 11 of which went live in 2023. This application helps accurate accounting of supplies used in each surgical case leading to cost valuation and eventual supply standardization. With a few more sites going live in 2024, procedure card maintenance is key and Rhafia recognized this gap in some locations. With this information, she took the initiative to reinvigorate and develop training modules on procedure card updates. She partnered with the national training team and launched the first facilitator-led training in January of 2024.   Another important work that Rhafia is leading is the implementation of the Preop and PACU bay assignment to capture both medical and surgical workload in the perioperative spaces to inform staffing decisions. Her collaboration with the workforce and finance teams is critical in this important work.   Rhafia is a self-directed and a silent nurse leader in the Perioperative space. Her contributions to KP NCAL nursing can easily go unnoticed but definitely worthy of a recognition. She is an asset to have in the team.   #DAISYaward #Kpnursing #Kpnurses #YouBelongHere   Janet Jule, DNP RN, NEA-BC, Jason David Unger

152

60 Comments

The character of a respiratory therapist is just as important as the knowledge he or she possesses. 💙 In a profession where empathy, patience, and integrity are as crucial as technical skills, the impact of their character is profound. A respiratory therapist's ability to communicate effectively, demonstrate compassion, and maintain ethical standards under pressure not only enhances patient care but also builds trust and reassurance. In the complexities of healthcare, these qualities often make a significant difference in both patient outcomes and the overall healthcare experience. #respiratorytherapy #respiratorytherapist #respiratorytherapystudent #respiratorytherapyzone #respiratorycare #respiratorytherapyschool

39

2 Comments

The character of a respiratory therapist is just as important as the knowledge he or she possesses. 💙 In a profession where empathy, patience, and integrity are as crucial as technical skills, the impact of their character is profound. A respiratory therapist's ability to communicate effectively, demonstrate compassion, and maintain ethical standards under pressure not only enhances patient care but also builds trust and reassurance. In the complexities of healthcare, these qualities often make a significant difference in both patient outcomes and the overall healthcare experience. #respiratorytherapy #respiratorytherapist #respiratorytherapystudent #respiratorytherapyzone #respiratorycare #respiratorytherapyschool

12

2 Comments

❤️ In a post-cardiac arrest, it is critical to obtain an EKG as soon as possible. ❓ Why ❓ Two reasons: 1️⃣ To determine if emergent cardiac intervention is required. ➡ Do we need to activate the cath lab or call a CT surgeon? Does the patient need ECMO or a balloon pump? Will the patient imminently arrest again if a cardiac intervention is not initiated? 2️⃣ To determine a new baseline ➡ Myocardial cells were deprived of oxygen and then squished (repeatedly) during CPR. That's a lot of trauma for our heart ❤️! The rhythm may look different BUT be totally benign. A new bunch branch block, altered T waves, or a U wave are examples. EKGs are a SIMPLE way to know what to do next in the post-arrest patient. What's the craziest EKG you've seen? ⬇ ⬇ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Have any questions on a post-cardiac arrest case? Contact me below! Hannah Welk 🌹 Red Rose Legal Nurse Consulting 🌹 [email protected] 🌹 (717) 940-3717

4