June 2010

How Does CVMC Measure Up?  National Registry of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (NRCPR®) is an international database of in-hospital resuscitation events that is sponsored by the American Heart Association. The NRCPR Hospital Safety Program’s Mission is to reduce disability and death from cardiac and respiratory emergencies by providing an evidence-based, quality improvement program of patient safety, medical emergency team response, effective resuscitation, and post-emergency care (http://www.nrcpr.org/).  The format of data collection used by NRCPR® makes it easy to collect consistent, relevant data from medical records, monitor performance internally, and make external comparisons.

As of December 31, 2009, there were 183,749 cardiopulmonary resuscitation events in the NRCPR® registry. CVMC began participating in April 2009. Data from Code Blue, Code Purple and Emergency Response Team events are entered into the database for comparison with facilities across the United States, Japan and Canada.  A total of CVMC 195 events have been entered as of March 2010 (Figure 1). NRCPR® allows the organization monitor times of day, days and shifts during which the events occurred as well as the location of events.  CVMC compares its performance, e.g., ACLS interventions, managing ABC’s, etc., with nearly 400 other hospitals via NRCPR®.  

Figure 1.  Distribution of Code Blue, Code Purple and Emergency Response Team events for 4 quarters begining April 2009 at CVMC.	Figure 2.  Percentage of CVMC Code Blue patients surviving to discharge versus the national survival average.

So how is CVMC measuring up? The percentage of Code Blue events occurring in critical care settings (CCU, ED, Surgical Suite, Nursery) rose from 55% in April-June 2009 to 86% in January-March 2010.  Fewer Code Blue events in non-critical care settings translates to more patient resuscitations in the intensive care setting where additional resources are readily available.  Furthermore, Code Blue survival at CVMC has been consistently better than the national average of 10% (Figure 2).  As nurses utilize the available rapid response processes of Code Purple and Emergency Response Team, patient outcomes are improving.  Participation in the NRCPR® is another example of continual evaluation and CVMC’s commitment to evidenced-based care for patients.

Recent Certifications and Award Designations

• Medical Surgical ANCC Certification: Drema Rice, RN-BC, Medical; Jeanie Muhammad, RN-BC, Medical 

• Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing Certification: Cindy Clark, RN-BC, Psychiatry Services

• Acute/Critical Care Nursing Certification: CCU Nurses- Jean Bassett, BSN, RN, CCRN; Natalie Johnson, BSN, RN, CCRN; Stacie Burleson , BSN, RN, CCRN

• Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner: Linda Scott, MSN, FNP, PMHNP-BC, Psychiatry Services

• Crystall Chapman, MSN, RN, CPN successfully completed all requirements and has been awarded the designation of Certified HealthStream Learning Center Generalist.

  
  
   

Stillwell's Slogan Wins Competition.  The Research and Evidence-Based Practice Council sponsored a slogan contest during EBP Week in April.  Over twenty entries were submitted from which five finalist slogans were chosen.  Electronic voting by hosptial staff over a short period resulted in the entry submitted by Teresa Stillwell, Help Desk Analyst, Information Systems, as the top vote getter.  The Council is proud to annouce its slogan "Improving patient care through evidence-based practice," and wishes to thank Teresa and all CVMC employees who participated in the contest.  A display of the finalist slogans and their creators will be posted on the service floor bulletin board outside the pharmacy in the near future. § 

CNO Goes Back to School.  CVMC's Senior Vice-President for Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer, Eddie Beard, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, has been accepted into American Sentinel University's Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.  Starting with 10 intensive days in Aurora, Colorado (near Denver), Eddie and his colleagues, pictured below, recently completed their first two classes (6 credit hours); however, most of the course work is online.  "So why, as I approach my 5th decade of life, have I decided to return to school to get another degree?  Maybe it's the fact that I'm reflecting on what I want to accomplish with the last 1/3rd of my life, and it's time to act so that I don't waste any more time.  Maybe it's that the programs have changed, and there are now options available for a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) that focuses on my goals and career." 

Eddie admits, "I've been professionally successful, have accomplished many new and innovative things, enjoy my job and like the people I work with.  This isn't a degree being sought in anticipation of changing to another organization.  This degree, while it will impact my professional credentials, is the first that is as much for my psyche as well as my career.  I have espoused the value of life-long learning my entire career...returning to school is a good reminder to demonstrate that I am willing to live up to what I advocate to others as a 'good thing.'  I also think that I'm ready to learn more.  A career that doesn't require life-long learning can become boring eventually.  I'm not bored.  I still get up and like going to work.  I just know in my gut, though, that the time is right for me to go back to school.  The final thing that plays into this is the ability it provides me to role-model for my children."  You can follow your CNO's back to school journey at http://dnp2012.blogspot.com.   Melanie Lutz, MSN, RN, OCN entered the following post on Eddie's blog: "...It is also encouraging to me that you are undertaking this challenge and can relate to stressors and achievements that many of us are facing as employees and students." §

What is the DNP Degree?   The Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree, unlike the research-focused PhD, is as the name implies practice focused.  The DNP builds on advanced practice specialization and provides additional preparation in the formulation, interpretation, and utilization of a) evidence-based practices, b) health policy, c) information technology, and d) leadership.   Regarding his pursuit of a DNP degree, Eddie Beard, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, states "[it] will hopefully help me be better at the things that I already do -- help create and guide new programs within the healthcare system, breathe new life into systems that we have, and work with the people who implement those programs to make things better for our facility and our patients.  I'm proud to be a nurse, and of the years that I spent as a front-line caregiver for hundreds of patients.  I recognized several years ago, though, that my contribution was more in leadership than continuing to be a direct caregiver.  I think the DNP program offers a very worthwhile credential to those who focus on administrative practice in nursing rather than on research.  It will help me continue to improve my contribution to health care by learning new ways to do things.

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