Performance Improvement/Research - The Quality Innovator - May 2019
This category recognizes nurses who promote new strategies and processes to enhance patient care. Honorees utilize the research process to promote quality and efficiency, as well as improvement of nursing sensitive indicators and patient and nursing satisfaction.
This year’s honorees are:
- Theresa Belcher, BSN, RN
- Maria Greene, BSN, RN, CCE
- Nicole Peters, BSN, RN
Theresa is such an amazing resource to all. Physicians reach out to her, as she will help them navigate through EPIC and create smart phrases to make their documentation easier. Theresa is proactive in researching and coordinating education so staff can have the resources and references they need to give exceptional evidence-based care. Recently we had a patient with a drain that we did not know how to manage. Theresa immediately researched the topic, discussed it with her peers and provided education to ensure that her staff had the proper knowledge and training to safely care for these types of patients. Theresa is also an active member in the DAPANA and OPANA so that she can learn from other peers and keeps up-to-date with the latest and greatest care in our region and nation. Our department is very fortunate to have an educator who is very thorough, research-focused and detail-oriented to ensure that our department is providing the best evidence-based care possible. We are very blessed to have Theresa as part of our team! 
Maria is very passionate about her job. She serves on several committees to improve the patient experience and lactation scores. She also oversees outpatient lactation appointments and does everything to make sure all patients are seen. She consistently seeks out evidence-based practices and research; and shares that knowledge with staff to best impact our patient outcomes. Maria is also our advocate with physicians in pursuing opportunities to increase our breastfeeding exclusivity rates, which begins with education of clients by office staff, online information and childbirth education. She always inspires the staff to improve the patient experience by encouraging them to pursue more education by attending workshops and participating in the professional clinical ladder program. Through our department partnering with the physician staff, our patient experience goals are being achieved. Her leadership style inspires, encourages and motivates the staff to integrate best practices for improving both patient and employee experience outcomes. 
Nicole identified a need for performance improvement for consistent, effective domestic violence (DV) screening and support after the murder of one of our patients at the hands of her abusive husband. Our center exclusively treats female patients in the ambulatory setting and DV screening was not a part of the EPIC flowsheets we use. Nicole contacted a local DV resource center and arranged to have a representative provide education on how to ask meaningful questions for screening and provide therapeutic support. She also secured posters from this organization, along with business cards, and placed them strategically in all exam rooms and restrooms in the clinic and infusion room. She worked to have the DV screen placed into the ambulatory flowsheet in EPIC, and in the meantime suggested wording for screening and documentation in a nursing note. The DV screening was successfully added to our ambulatory flowsheet and is used at every patient visit. As a result of her efforts, we have successfully screened for and identified many patients who are at risk for or actual victims of DV. Our dear patient who passed away as a result of domestic violence is smiling down at Nicole! <<Back to Premier Nursing News - May 2019
