Unit leaders and staff, hospital and health system leaders and representatives from AMSN gathered together for a formal presentation of the award on Zoom at the end of June. вЂњDespite the pandemic, the unit has been able to continue to provide safe and efficient care and keep patients as our number one priority.вЂќ

вЂњThis award is an honor and a great way to celebrate the excellence of care thatвЂ™s provided here on 8C,вЂќ said Freeman.

Evidence-based interventions like aromatherapy, inspirational quotes, a massage chair and chocolate are used to create moments for staff to pause and recharge. The unit has a holistic room and launched a вЂњcode lavenderвЂќ initiative to help boost morale and prevent nurse fatigue and burnout. The 8C Unit-Based Committee, or UBC, implemented a вЂњno pass zoneвЂќ protocol focused on improving patient care and experience by encouraging nurses to treat every patient as their own and having staff respond to all call lights, regardless of who is assigned to the patient. Since implementing K-card rounds two years ago, the unit has seen a significant reduction in the number of pressure injuries each year. In the application, Freeman shared information about the unitвЂ™s efforts to improve patient safety and experience through K-card rounds used to evaluate safety compliance related to hospital acquired conditions like pressure injuries and central line and catheter associated infections, as well as falls.

LaToya Freeman, D.N.P., APRN, ACCNS-AG,В PCCN, clinical nurse specialist for 8C and the medical short stay unit (MSSU), completed and submitted the 50-page application on behalf of the unit. Unit 8C in University Hospital recently became the first unit in the state of Michigan to receive the distinguished PRISM Award for its dedication to creating and sustaining a healthy work environment for staff and providing exemplary care for patients.Д¬o-sponsored by the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) and the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB), the PRISM Award - which stands for Premier Recognition In the Specialty of Med-surg - was developed as a way to identify and celebrate medical-surgical units that achieve sustained excellence through effective leadership, recruitment and retention of competent staff members, utilizing evidence-based practices, achieving positive patient outcomes, creating a healthy practice environment, and fostering lifelong learning of unit staff members.

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