Nursing Excellence
Registered nurse Cheryl Tumia from the 3 East Patient Care Unit, helped present the Palliative Care poster.
Nursing Presents at Research Conference
The Kenmore Mercy Hospital Nursing team presented four research posters at the 2015 Research Day Conference in April.
The day long event, sponsored by the Professional Nurses Association of Western New York and the Nursing Honor Society “Sigma Theta Tau International” (Gamma Kappa and Zeta Nu chapters), brought together nursing colleagues from across the Buffalo area to share their contributions.
The four Kenmore Mercy research projects included: the Medical Rehabilitation Unit’s “STOP Light” fall prevention program, the Intensive Care Unit’s ABCDE Bundle, the Palliative Care Committee’s Champions Program and the Emergency Department’s tPa and ACE inhibitors case study.
The ABCDE Bundle, implemented by the ICU last year, follows national critical care guidelines to help get the hospital’s sickest patients up and moving, and off the ventilator quicker.
Kenmore Mercy Celebrates Nurses’ Week Nurses Week, May 6-12, is the time for celebrating the vital role all nurses have in communities spanning the U.S., including three individuals at Kenmore Mercy who were recognized for their caring and nurturing spirit.
2015 Nurse of Distinction Jessica Klug, RN, BSN, began her career at Kenmore Mercy Hospital as a medical-surgical nurse on the 2 West Patient Care Unit in the fall of 2012 after graduating from Genesee County Community College. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the State University of New York at Brockport. While a nursing student, she published an article on frontotemporal dementia in the August edition of Nursing2014, a well-known national nursing journal. While relatively early in her nursing career, she has emerged as a leader among her peers, acting as a preceptor and serving on multiple committees, including the Shared Governance Practice Council, to contribute to patient care, satisfaction and safety. As a member of the American Medical Surgical Nursing and Professional Nurses Association of Western New York, she fosters a positive public image of nursing.
Care Unit where she cares for patients following surgery.
Her attention to details, questioning attitude, and sensitivity to patients has earned her the respect of her peers. She places a high priority on patient safety and customer service.
2015 Outstanding Nursing Attendant Nancy Gargas, NA, started her career at Kenmore Mercy Hospital in 1985. She began in the Surgical Department, prior to moving to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit where she has worked ever since. Her nomination notes that she, “puts our patients first, has a positive attitude, and is always willing to help.” “Our nursing staff is the backbone of our hospital system; the link between the patient and family, the physician and the organization,” said Cheryl Hayes, vice president of Patient Care Services at Kenmore Mercy Hospital.
Held annually, National Nurses Week begins on May 6 and focuses attention on the diverse ways America’s 3.1 million registered nurses work to save lives and to improve the health of millions of individuals.
2015 Outstanding Staff Nurse Kathryn Scribner, RN, BSN, joined Kenmore Mercy Hospital in 1982. She currently works in the hospital’s Knee & Hip Center and on the 2 East Patient
The Palliative Care committee’s program, titled “Effectiveness of a Unit Based Palliative Care Champions Program,” was developed to improve the quality of life of patients who might benefit from inclusion in the outpatient palliative care program. The Emergency Department’s case study reviewed the relationship between tPa and ACE Inhibitors and the potential for developing the life threatening airway condition of orolingual edema.
The posters were very well received with many requests for more information on the studies and how to start these projects in other settings.
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Nursing team members – Cheryl Hayes, vice president of Patient Care Services; Ellen Swan, 2 West nurse manager; Jessica Klug, RN; Mary Hojnacki, Knee & Hip Center nurse manager; Kathryn Scribner, RN; Nancy Gargas, NA; and Margy Donofrio, nurse manager of ASU/PACU/PAT – celebrated these special recognitions.