Transformational Leadership
Transformational LeadershipOur CNO, Patricia Hill, MSN, RN, NEABC, CENP, successfully advocated for resources that changed staffing patterns in several units. In addition, we welcomed a Clinical Educator of Evidence-Based Practice and Research to support the marked increase in evidence-based practice (EBP) and research among our nurse residents and nursing staff. Resources for our continued journey to Magnet® include dedicated hours for unit-based practice councils, Nursing Practice Congress (NPC), its subcommittees and the Magnet document writing team. Nursing leaders across the organization continue to drive our cultural transformation journey.
Structural Empowerment
Inova Fairfax Medical Campus embraces a culture of shared governance. Nurses from across the organization now come together the third Thursday of each month for dedicated shared governance activities. They begin with unit-based practice council meetings and transition to NPC subcommittees where delegates focus on collaboration and communication; professional development and recognition; quality, safety and outcomes; and research and EBP. All NPC members convene for the general session in the afternoon.
2018 NPC officers include Diane Bond, BSN, RN, MPH, CCRN, Chair; J. Renee Harris, RN, OCN, Chair Elect; Gail Manuel, MSN, RN-NIC, Secretary; and Tari Kovacs, MSN, RN, CCRN, Parliamentarian.
NPC members developed a quarterly newsletter, The Pulse, and a monthly communication, the MEMO to highlight nursing excellence and our Journey to Magnet Excellence™. Additionally, in partnership with Internal Communications, NPC members created a symbol for the journey. They chose the hummingbird, which represents IFMC nursing attributes of continuity, tirelessness, tenacity, hope, jubilation, renewal, sincerity, healing, loyalty and affection.
Our nurses’ commitment to professional advancement is evident in BSN and certification rates which reached 84% and 32% respectively. Nurses pursue lifelong learning through local, regional and national conferences. Twelve RNs from IFMC attended the 2018 National Magnet Conference® in Denver.
Exemplary Professional Practice
New nurses, and those partnering with them, benefited from implementation of the Vizient/ AACN Nurse Residency Program. Inova Fairfax Medical Campus welcomed 476 RN fellows this year. First-year RN turnover dropped significantly, from 20.1% to 14% thanks to the collaborative efforts of our professional practice team and nurse residency facilitators.
We continue to make significant strides in our journey to zero harm, realizing a 50% reduction in CLABSIs, a 49% reduction in HAPIs and a 30% reduction in CAUTIs. Additionally, the majority of our units exceeded the Magnet benchmark on the 2018 Advisory Board Nursing Engagement survey in all domains: adequacy of resources and staffing; autonomy; fundamentals of quality nursing care; interprofessional relationships; leadership access and responsiveness; professional development; and RN-to-RN teamwork and collaboration.
Rounding out ANCC’s “big three,” Inova Fairfax Medical Campus achieved its best performance relative to patient experience in 2018 with the majority of units exceeding the Magnet benchmark.
New Knowledge and Innovation
Integrating new knowledge and evidence into clinical practice is essential for continued professional
development. Our culture of clinical inquiry rose to new heights in 2018 with the development of 50 EBP projects. We disseminated results internally and externally at local, regional and national conferences. Two EBP fellowships were awarded to Socheat Long Elliott, BSN, RN, CCRN and Katie Scully, MSN, RN, CCRN, CAPA.
Additionally, Katie Scully received the People’s Choice Award at Inova’s Annual Evidence-Based Practice and Research Symposium for her work, Riding the (end) Tidal Wave to CO2 Monitoring; Using Capnography for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Following Anesthesia. Nursing research is expanding at IFMC as an area of deliberate focus with five ongoing studies assessing RN engagement, pediatric sleep apnea screening assessment, RN communication in the trauma care environment, heart failure education using iPad technology and the impact of RN education on breastfeeding.
