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MUSC Excellence at the Medical Center Employees recognized, patient care stressed People: Fostering employee pride and loyalty The next New Hire Reception will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Dec. 12, in the Storm Eye Institute Atrium. An invitation was sent to this quarter’s new hires and supervisors were also notified of the reception date. Employees of the Month—October Marie Lorenzo, a staff member in Therapeutic Services, was applauded by the family of a patient.  “Marie is being applauded for Excellence when my stepdaughter was injured in a serious car accident. She made all of the phone calls to get the accident report for our car insurance company. We are from out-of-state and needed car assistance. Thank you for going above and beyond.” Fredricka Wright works in Housekeeping/Environmental Services and received the following nomination from a patient.  “Fredricka is being applauded because she went outside of her job and helped a patient. She works in Housekeeping/ Environmental Services. I lost my purse and she stopped what she was doing to help me look for it. We did find it and I felt she really took her time to help me. I thank her very much.” Daisy Award for Nursing—October Kelly Burns works on 9 PCU and was recognized by a fellow staff member.   The nomination read: “My father was admitted to 9PCU due to severe shortness of breath. He developed complications that led to a transfer to STICU. My father never became responsive, and after talking with the physicians, my family made the decision to discontinue ventilator support. My father was then transferred back to 9PCU. We arrived on the unit at 7:30 p.m. (right at the change of shift). Kelly was assigned to my father. After the report she came in, introduced herself and asked if we needed anything. She explained she would be there all night and to call if we needed anything. I never had to make that call. Kelly was in our room nearly every hour. She even chastised me for turning and repositioning my father without calling her for help. My father had to be admitted to Palliative Care Services and Kelly made sure he had morphine or ativan as soon as it was due. About 2 a.m., things started to become very difficult. My father was very restless and struggling to breathe. Kelly was right there with us. She administered his medications and came back every 30 minutes to evaluate its effectiveness. She made sure he was turned every two hours and popped her head in just to talk. At about 5:30am, my father settled down and was much more comfortable. I was exhausted and tried to get some sleep. Kelly opened the door to check on us. She thought I was asleep. Kelly quietly closed the door and moved on. It was at this moment that I thought “angels really do live among us.” I knew my father would die soon. Kelly made those last hours of his life as comfortable as possible. She was not only there for him but for me as well. I’ve always been proud to work at MUSC; I have never been as proud as I was to see the true care and compassion Kelly showed to my father and me.” Physician of the Month—October The following nomination was submitted recognizing Julio Chalela, M.D., assistant professor of neurology, for his support with a patient.   “I had to take a patient with neurological changes to head CT stat. While we were down there, the patient got very upset, refusing to lay down and eventually blowing her IVs. When we got back to the unit, Dr. Chalela and the neurosurgery team were at the bedside wanting her to go to MRI stat. I was trying to get a blood draw on the patient without luck. Dr. Chalela drew blood for me! I was so grateful and surprised that an attending would be so kind and helpful to a nurse. I really appreciated it. I wish every attending could learn from Dr. Chalela.” Quality: Providing quality patient care in a safe environment “Sorry I missed you!” Hourly Rounding launches   Imagine being a patient in the hospital. You have just been wheeled back to your room after a long day of testing, when you notice something on your pillow. It’s a card. “Sorry I missed you…”   Who was here while you were gone? You look closer at the card. It says, Hourly Rounding and is signed by Josh, the clinical associate who has been taking care of you today. Then you remember. Your caregivers explained to you that they are doing rounding on their unit to ensure that their patients always receive very good care. They were here to check on your needs while you were gone, and wanted you to know that they would return in an hour. How does that make you feel? More satisfied with your care? Safer? Less anxious about your stay?   According to recent research, these are exactly the types of responses that patients are having with Hourly Rounding.   So what is Hourly Rounding? It is a proactive model for patient care that helps staff anticipate the needs of their patients, instead of waiting for the call lights to blink.   During the shift, every patient is visited every hour during the day, and every two hours at night. While in each room, staff assesses the four P’s: Pain: “How is your pain?” Medicate for pain or inform nurse of need. Position: “Are you comfortable?” Move patients up in bed. Help patients up to a chair. Re-arrange pillows. Offer extra blankets. Turn patients at risk for skin breakdown. Potty: “I am here to assist you to the bathroom if you need help.” Possessions: Assess the environment. Move phone, call light and Kleenex within reach. Arrange over-bed table. Fill water pitcher if needed.   Another essential part of Hourly Rounding is communication. Letting the patient know that someone will be back in an hour, and asking, “Is there anything else I can do for you? I have time,” reduces anxiety and helps the patient feel more secure, because they know someone is watching over them.   Why is Hourly Rounding so important? Because the evidence shows that it produces results for both patients and staff. Hourly Rounding: --Reduces call light use --Saves time for staff --Decreases amount of steps staff take per shift --Decreases patient anxiety by building confidence and trust --Increases patient satisfaction --Improves clinical outcomes by reducing falls and skin breakdown   The time has come to make Hourly Rounding a reality at MUSC. This proactive patient care model has proven benefits for patients and staff, and MUSC wants to make sure every patient always receives very good care.     Friday, Nov. 30, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.