Thursday, May 15, 2014
London Health Sciences Centre
LHSC Celebrated as a RNAO Best Practice Spotlight Organization
As a part of National Nursing Week, LHSC’s designation as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) was celebrated earlier today.
Dr. Doris Grinspun, Chief Executive Officer, RNAO, spoke at LHSC about best practice guidelines and recognized the work LHSC has done since becoming a BPSO in 2009.
LHSC was honoured for the implementation of best practice guidelines including the Best Practice Guidelines in Caregiving Strategies for Older Adults with Delirium, Dementia and Depression, as well as LHSC’s adoption of the RNAO’s Professionalism in Nursing Best Practice Guidelines.
Best Practice Guidelines in Caregiving Strategies for Older Adults with Delirium, Dementia and Depression
In October 2013, an interdisciplinary team on the Sub-Acute Medicine Unit at Victoria Hospital implemented a reality board orientation project for their patients, which included the use of white boards and flat screen televisions to enhance their patient’s environment in order to help increase their level of understanding of what is going on in the world around them.
Wayne Ottnad, a patient in Sub-Acute Medicine, uses the information on the whiteboard to help him engage with other patients and family members as part of much needed social interaction for patients with dementia. “I would read off the fun stuff on the whiteboards, like a quote, to my fellow patient on the unit and her husband,” says Ottnad. “We would then have something to talk about.” Ottnad, like many patients, also found the flat screen televisions in the common areas a great way to provide structure to his day. “The televisions have been great,” he says. “I can plan my day around the hockey game that will be on later in the evening.”
RNAO’s Professionalism in Nursing Best Practice Guidelines
In 2011, under the guidance of Dr. Vanessa Burkoski, Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive, Quality, Patient Safety and Professional Practice at LHSC, structures and processes for shared governance as a means to achieve continuous quality improvement. The creation of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) councils was guided by the RNAO’s Best Practice Guidelines, Professionalism in Nursing.
Driven by nurses, the CQI councils are an interprofessional team approach to identifying, formulating, executing and evaluating initiatives that elevate the quality and safety of patient care. Nurses along with their colleagues at the point-of-care are directly involved in shaping care delivery.
“The CQI model provides a structure aimed at engaging and empowering front-line nurses and interprofessional colleagues to make changes in their practice and work environment that will improve patient health outcomes and enhance the patient and family experience,” says Burkoski.
To date, LHSC has 70 CQI councils and over 150 quality improvement and patient safety initiatives at various stages of implementation and evaluation. These improvements range from evidence-based practice integration ‘firsts’ to staff-led process and system redesign.
“The nurses who use our guidelines are elevating patient care to a higher level of excellence,” says Grinspun, adding “health organizations that are interested in improving their performance also recognize the important role these guidelines can make in their health facilities. Congratulations to LHSC on being a Best Practice Spotlight organization for the past five years.”
Media Contact:
Sarah Muto
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500 ext 77062
sarah.muto@lhsc.on.ca
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