Houston Methodist Nursing Magazine Spring 2018

NURSE H O U S T O N

M E T H O D I S T

SPRING 2018

HELP ADVANCE YOUR CAREER Program helps charge nurses, team leads prepare for nursing leadership

THE POWER OF CERTIFICATION

Achieving nursing certifications has multiple benefits, including better patient care

FILLING IN THE GAPS

Progressive Care Residency Program better educates IMU nurses

Liisa Ortegon Senior vice president and chief nursing executive Houston Methodist Hospital

Becky Chalupa Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital

Janet Leatherwood Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

Nancy Keenan Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital

NURSE H O U S T O N

M E T H O D I S T

Nurses always hear about the importance of certifications, but in this issue we really delve into certifications – why they’re needed and how more nurses can get them. The number of certified nurses is growing throughout the system and that shows dedication to excellence.

Two nurses who are in the United States under DACA – also referred to as Dreamers – are featured and tell their stories of coming here as children and the uncertain future they face. You’ll also read about the Progressive Care Nurse Residency Program, which caters to nurses who need more specific training for the IMU patients.

Email Kelli Gifford at kagifford@houstonmethodist.org if you have any comments about the magazine or potential story ideas.

MAGAZINE EDITOR Kelli Gifford Vicki Brownewell Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist West Hospital

Katherine Walsh Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist St. John Hospital

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Rosario Alvarado

Jackie Gendrich

Amy Barnett

Beverley LaMoth

Jessica Bright

Carlette Patterson

Rod Evans

Jessica Saavedra Serrano

Sarah Fleming

Joy Shiller

Shuntá Fletcher

Robyn Washington

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Patricia Garcia Merino Kerrie Guerrero Vice president and chief nursing officer Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital

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CONTENTS

05

08

20

05

Epic Update Launched

06

How to Take Your Nursing Career to the Next Level

07

Progressive Care Residency Program Fills Gaps

08

Nurses under DACA Face Uncertain Future

10

Cover Story: Nursing Certification

15

Nurse Shifts Career at LTACH

16

New Blood Pressure Guidelines Questioned

17 21

Hospital Digests Awards & Accolades LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 3

Walter Tower:

Houston Methodist’s Newest Addition Houston Methodist will soon open Walter Tower, a 22 story patient tower housing new beds and state-of-the-art technology to better serve the community and our growing patient population.

Here are some interesting facts about the newest building in the Texas Medical Center.

$697 MILLION

total cost of construction and fixtures for Walter Tower

957,705

square-feet of new space

366

patient beds

2

Neuro operating rooms with an intraoperative MRI – a first for HMH

4

Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center hybrid ORs

57,502

cubic yards of concrete, equal to 18 Olympic-sized pools

1.5 MILLION

pieces of tile relocated from Fannin entrance to atrium for “The Extending Arms of Christ” mosaic

1

helipad replacing existing Alkek helipad

Epic Upgrade Brings Greater Efficiency, Patient Focus to Nursing

By Jerrold Alwais It’s been almost a year since all of Houston Methodist went live on Epic, and while the last several years have been focused on getting people ready and engaged with the system, the next phase will be focused on enhancements to create even more operational efficiencies and greater focus on patients and patient safety.

Nurses have seen vast improvements in their work with Epic, including the integration of medical devices like Chart xPress and barcode scanners, which flow vital signs directly into a patient’s record and allow nurses to spend less time manually entering data and reduce the margin of error. Barcode scanners increase patient safety by helping nurses to verify patients prior to dispensing most medications.

And in the event of an emergency code, nurses use a “one step” process to scan a patient’s bar code and a medication, which creates the order and documents the administration all at once.

“In many areas, the tools and resources we have now are worlds apart from where we’ve been,” says Suzan Lee, IT director of clinical applications. “The need for documentation will never go away, but ultimately, Epic allows nurses to focus less on the paperwork and more on caring for patients. Now nurses can be nurses.”

Certain orders, like dressing changes or pain reassessments, will trigger

reminders or BestPractice Advisories within Epic to complete necessary documentation. The tasks then appear in a nurse’s work list and once the documentation is completed, it flows seamlessly between the flowsheet activity and the work list task. These features help nurses to be more efficient.

“The basic structure of Epic, with its navigators, activities and work lists, is designed to help guide nurses through their clinical workflows,” Lee says.

Epic has also helped nurses better communicate with patients by putting more patient data at their fingertips Rather than asking for a list of a patient’s medications, nurses can ask “Are you still taking XYZ?” These verbal prompts help patients more easily recall their prescriptions and eliminate guessing-game responses like “a little pink pill.”

The first major upgrade to Epic was completed in February, and the upgrade to Epic v2018 is slated for November. Houston Methodist continues to receive good marks from Epic Systems Corporation, and for the third year in a row has achieved top scores (Level 8) in their Gold Stars Program, which rates how effectively Epic is being used.

The IT team is working with operations on even more enhancements and integrations to Epic. The goal for nursing is to bring about staff efficiencies that can lead to better quality time with patients.

“As we use Epic, we’re going to find more ways to be even more efficient,” Lee says. “The tools are going to continue to evolve and improve. But the focus will remain, as it has been, on our patients.”

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 5

patients and sustaining our mission.

SDP will teach you about the four dimensions of the leadership competency model: leading people, leading change, leading coalitions and leading results. Each session of the program will focus on one of the competencies that leaders need in order to succeed.

For example, there is a session on communication that teaches the learner how to clearly convey messages in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message. Other topics include collaboration, trust, change, developing others and adaptability. Participants will look at some real-world examples in the class and learn how to hold others accountable and improve their coaching skill set. Since there will be members of each class from the system, participants have the advantage of expanding their leadership network and learning best practices for solving common issues.

Do You Want to Take Your Nursing Career to the Next Level? This Program Can Help

By Angela Young Are you ready for a new step in your nursing career? Charge nurse and team leads may be eligible to start preparing a career in nursing leadership. If it’s something you’ve thought about, you might want to sign up for the Supervisory Development Pathway in the Houston Methodist Academy of Leadership and Learning.

Supervisory Development Pathway is a 10-week program designed for employees who are in a leadership role but who do not have any direct reports like charge nurses and team

6 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE | SPRING 2018

leads. The program contains five half-day classes as well as some one-on-one mentorship sessions and coaching phone calls. If you participate in the program, you will be with a cohort of 24 other learners from across the system.

The curriculum for the program follows the Houston Methodist leadership philosophy: A Houston Methodist leader transforms our organization by exemplifying our I CARE values, inspiring others, engaging our people, serving our

How do you know if you’re ready for this next step? Ask yourself what you’d like to be doing 10 years from now and whether you’re willing to develop the skills that will take Houston Methodist into the future. If you are accepted into the next cohort, you’ll receive a survey that will help you assess what areas of leadership you need to develop most.

The next cohort for Supervisory Development Pathway will be open for registration in May and the course will begin meeting in June.

To register for the upcoming Supervisory Development Pathway program, look for course: SM200 Becoming a Houston Methodist Leader – Supervisory Pathway in the Learning Management System.

Remember to have your supervisor approve your registration.

Progressive Care Residency Program fills gap in training

By Kelli Gifford

When it comes to training new graduate nurses or even seasoned nurses, there are several options for those in med-surg or the ICU, but there was a definite gap when it came to progressive care, said LaDonna Christy, nursing program leader for critical care in the Center for Nursing Research, Education and Practice.

hiring more to the progressive care units. They needed more training than they were getting for med-surg, but less than the ICU training.

“They were getting good information; however, it wasn’t necessarily as in-depth as needed for their environment,” Senneff said.

So Senneff and Christy collaborated in order to hone in on those individuals and provide them with something more aligned to what they needed.

“I looked at it from the current viewpoint of the nurses on the unit, talking to the managers. Then we realized there was a gap,” Christy said. “Because the residency program

“We’ve evolved the course,” Christy said. “It comes with contact hour credit so we get feedback from the staff about what needs to change.

We’ve evolved and added more skills and case-based scenarios because that’s what they wanted.”

Christy said that going forward there will be discussion about incorporating the program on a system level for the tenured nurses as the classes for the new graduates include the system.

“The challenges here at Houston Methodist Hospital may differ from other hospitals in the system so we’d have to adjust our presentations,” she said. “That would be a conversation we’d have to have at the system level.”

Oftentimes those working on progressive care or intermediate care (IMU) units would be placed in the medsurge or ICU training, but there was still a gap for that specific environment.

To determine the best route, Christy met with Jo-Anne Senneff, coordinator and lead facilitator of the Nurse Residency Program.

“I wanted to know from the standpoint of nurse residency what their gaps were,” Christy said. “And (Senneff) had a lot of great information about what the GNs thought they were missing.”

Since going to a system approach for the Nurse Residency Program, Senneff said they were really trying to look at their transition-to-practice classes, those provided within the first eight to 10 weeks of hire, and align them with specialties so that the new graduate is really getting what they needed for their specific environment.

What they saw was that the med-surg classes didn’t meet the needs of the IMU group and the hospitals were

LaDonna Christy, Shedrick Kennedy and Jo-Anne Senneff

is accredited by CCNE, we wanted to make sure the caveat was it was a transition-into-practice instead of an actual residency program so it covers those gaps.”

The Progressive Care Residency Program, which is in its second year, is for graduate nurses as well as tenured nurses, but classes are held separately because there is a different learning curve. There currently are classes four times a year, but that may increase as the need and numbers increase.

Shedrick Kennedy, RN, the educator in charge of the IMUs at Houston Methodist Hospital, will be leading the Progressive Care Residency Program.

“The beauty of having this program is that it’s aimed at improving the nursing skill set and enhancing critical thinking in a progressive care environment,” Kennedy said.

“I am confident the program will expand IMU nurses’ knowledge-base, equipping them with vital tools to care for complex patient populations.”

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 7

Nurses with DACA status face a hurdle as its future is uncertain

By Kelli Gifford

When Houston Methodist nurse Susana Rosas was 6 years old, her parents separated and her mother brought her family to the U.S. from Monterrey, Mexico. The transition to living in a small apartment with six family members wasn’t easy. And now she may face an even more drastic change.

Susana, a nurse in the Emergency Department at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, has faced many hurdles in her life, but says she always finds a way to pursue — and achieve ­— her dreams. Doing so became a lot easier when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was established in June 2012. This American immigration policy allowed some individuals ­— now referred to as Dreamers ­— who entered the country as minors, and had either entered or remained in the country illegally, to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and to be eligible for a work permit.

As of 2017, approximately 800,000 individuals were enrolled in the program created by DACA.

The entire DACA policy was recently rescinded, but Congress is still deciding whether to grandfather the population that was previously eligible under the policy.

At Houston Methodist, DACA impacts many employees. At present, Houston Methodist employs 57 employees systemwide with DACA status. This number includes registered nurses, graduate nurses, a pharmacist and a medical transcriptionist, among others.

The impact on Houston Methodist employees prompted Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO, to express his concerns to Texas congressional members.

“Patients do not care about the immigration status of their doctors,” he wrote. “Instead, they ask that their doctor or nurse is well-trained, makes the right medical decisions and treats them with respect and care.

Dreamers are an essential part of the nation’s health workforce, and federal policies to terminate DACA without a workable solution will only diminish our nation’s health.”

recipients) would be the first ones targeted. Ultimately it defeats the purpose of immigration control because the first people you’re going to remove from the country are the ones doing the right things.

would not be able to practice nursing in the U.S. I may have to leave and say goodbye to growing up here. It’s just so unfair. You live one lifetime, you don’t want to feel like you can’t come back to the country where you grew up.”

“I understand the immigration problem as if I was born here, because I feel it just as much,” Susana says. “My taxes are just as affected, my W-2 is just as affected. … I’ve always paid my taxes even before I thought about something like this happening. It’s just who I am.

If the day ever came I wanted to be able to show that I’ve done the right thing, even when no one was watching me.”

Before DACA, getting a college education was difficult for immigrants because they lacked a Social Security number. Susana says she had to tell people she was in the U.S. illegally and just wanted to go to school.

The impact of DACA varies from person to person, even in the same profession.

Michelle Moreno-Lee, who also is a nurse at Houston Methodist Sugar Land, felt that before receiving DACA she and many others were hiding in the shadows, feeling shameful.

Michelle says she feels that people on DACA want to work, they want to pay taxes, they want to contribute, but they need to be given a path to do that.

“ALL I WANTED WAS TO HAVE A JOB AND TO FEEL LIKE A NORMAL PERSON. IT WAS ONE OF THE HAPPIEST MOMENTS IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.” Susana was approved for DACA in 2013 and has reapplied every two years, with it expiring in 2019. With two sons to care for, she is concerned about losing her job and her ability to support them.

“This is just another hurdle,” Susana says. “I really didn’t think (DACA

Michelle and her family fled Bogota, Colombia, when she was young to seek asylum in the U.S., as her father worked for the Colombian government.

Michelle doesn’t know what she would do if DACA was rescinded completely.

“I know that my job with Houston Methodist would not work out and I

“Then when DACA came I was able to get my foot into a hospital like Houston Methodist, which was my ultimate goal,” Susanna says.

Michelle’s first involvement in health care was when she volunteered at a hospital cleaning nurses stations and distributing newspapers. She loved the environment, especially since in her culture being in a hospital is considered a privilege.

When her mother became ill with several medical conditions, Michelle saw it was the nurses who were able to help her and educate her. So that, along with her volunteer work, drove her to nursing. She started working for Houston Methodist Sugar Land last summer.

“Working in a hospital, especially one like Houston Methodist Sugar Land, I felt was far beyond my reach,” Michelle says. “I never imagined I would get the chance. I don’t take any day for granted.”

She even describes how happy she felt sitting in HR filling out paperwork after she was hired. “All I wanted was to have a job and to feel like a normal person. It was one of the happiest moments in my entire life.”

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 9

CERTIFIED IN NURSING Certifications validate nursing knowledge, build confidence – and also are linked with patient safety Shella Shook, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Nurse Manager, Skilled Nursing Facility, Houston Methodist Hospital

“It’s all about our nurses being inspired to be the best that they can be so they can do the best for our patients.”

– Liisa Ortegon, senior vice president and chief nursing executive Houston Methodist Hospital

By Kelli Gifford and Allison Wollam

Nurses throughout Houston Methodist are among the best and brightest in their field, and those who hold certifications take this to the next level. According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), certification validates a nurse’s knowledge, skills and abilities, and a growing body of research shows a link between certification and patient safety.

Achieving certification is no easy feat, though, but Holly Rodriguez, RN III in the Fondren CCU, knows that anything worth having doesn’t come easy. Rodriguez ­— who is among the nearly 40 percent of Houston Methodist Hospital nurses who are certified — maintains two

already hectic schedule, she says it’s completely worth it.

“Honestly, I am very interested in learning about the latest and greatest practices that will improve patient outcomes, so it’s not a chore for me,” she said.

Professional nursing certifications: Rodriguez, who holds a certification in Medical-Surgical Nursing (RN-BC) awarded by the ANCC, an Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN) certification awarded by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), and a subspecialty certification in Cardiac Medicine (CMC) also awarded by the AACN, says becoming certified

EXCELLENCE specialty nursing certifications as well as one subspecialty certification and is committed to going above and beyond for her career and her patients. And, even though becoming and maintaining certifications adds a significant amount of work to her

The Benefits of Nursing Certifications

distinguishes her in her specialty area. Indeed, nurses who receive their certification from ANCC have nationally recognized credentials akin to board certification for physicians from an organization with 35 years of experience in nursing certification.

• Validate your nursing knowledge and build confidence.

• Show that you have made continuing professional development a priority and an integral part of maintaining your ongoing competence to practice • Validate specialized knowledge and indicate a level of clinical competence and professional credibility • Allow nurses to be chosen first for professional nursing conferences and additional professional development opportunities • Are the best measure of your ability to practice.

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 11

“Being certified makes you go that extra mile,” said Maureen Teoh, RN II at Houston Methodist West Hospital, who has held certifications for more than seven years, first in orthopedics and now cardiovascular.

“You have to work to maintain your certifications, too, so you have to brush up on the areas you don’t see on a daily basis. And the renewals keep coming, so it makes you stay abreast of new situations.”

As health care delivery and patient acuity become more complex, the demand for experienced, highly skilled providers with a depth and breadth of knowledge is on the rise.

“The preparation and study necessary for successful completion of certification examinations improve our ability to care for acute, chronic, or critically ill patients,” she said.

“Continued competency requirements for certification renewal ensure that we remain up-to-date with the latest developments in our specialties. Most importantly, certification contributes to better patient care and improves patient outcomes.”

In a survey of more than 11,000 certified and noncertified nurses conducted by the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS), more than 90 percent agreed that certification validates specialized knowledge, enhances professional credibility, and indicates a level of clinical competence; more than 80 percent agreed that certification promotes recognition from peers and other health professionals.

Even though most will agree that holding certifications is important, often the cost involved can be a hindrance. Houston Methodist offers a Take 2 program, which gives

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nurses the chance to take certification exams twice for the cost of one and the hospital pays for it. Houston Methodist hospitals also contract with ANCC on the Success Pays program, which gives nurses a discount code in order to take certain certification exams at no cost. Nurses are given two opportunities to achieve certification through this program.

“We find a stumbling block is people don’t want to put the financials behind it for the certifications, for getting the CEUs afterward, for getting the materials and for the classes,” said Houston Methodist Sugar Land OR Department Manager Karen Tobin, Karen Tobin, BSN, RN, CNOR.

“IT’S IMPORTANT FOR RNS TO BE CERTIFIED AS THIS IS EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE SOUND KNOWLEDGE IN THEIR AREAS OF CLINICAL PRACTICE.” She said once Take 2 was put in place, they found the eligible employees — those who haven’t taken it before — and talked to them about the importance of getting their certification and how it impacts patient safety. They even added it to the employees’ competencies.

“It was really getting the buy-in from the staff that says yes, we are committed and that will be my goal for the following year,” said Vicki A. Fox, BSN, RN, MPA,

director of Perioperative & Cardiac Catheterization Services. “Plus when they’re doing projects and continuing their education it also entices them to go for certification knowing they already know the information.”

Becoming certified not only boosts nurses’ reputations but also increases their paychecks. A salary survey conducted by nursing found that, among registered nurses, those certified in a specialty made $7,300 more per year than registered nurses who weren’t certified. Heather Chung, director of Houston Methodist Psychiatry Services, strongly encourages her staff to become certified and allocates the resources that aid them in being successful.

Chung says peer-to-peer support also plays a significant role in a nurse’s decision to become certified.

“They share study resources and help each other,” she said. Chung has encouraged her team to increase the percentage of certified nurses on staff and also shared the Houston Methodist reimbursement process.

“It’s important for RNs to be certified as this is evidence that they have sound knowledge in their areas of clinical practice,” she said.

During her quarterly one-on-one sessions with her RNs, she encourages them to work on a unit project, participate in a shared governance and consider certification. “As a growing Magnet unit, I strongly promote professional growth.” She adds that the career benefits of certification can be divided into several domains — personally it allows nurses to take pride to be recognized as an expert in the area of practice; clinically, nurses can serve as role models, professional experts and someone who is a lifelong learner; and finally, it allows nurses to demonstrate

to patients that they care enough to the highest quality care to patients.

In addition to setting her apart from other nurses, Rodriguez says maintaining certifications has played a tremendous role in her successful nursing career. It establishes professionalism, exemplary expertise, and dedication to a particular specialty area. “Because of my certifications and my commitment

to quality in health care, I have been sought out to participate in various initiatives both in the hospital and outside the hospital with other organizations,” she said. “I can bring my knowledge to the table to develop programs for new graduates and students in undergraduate nursing programs. The opportunities to grow are plentiful.”

(Continued on page 14)

CE Direct offers hundreds of educational courses Houston Methodist offers CE Direct, a large variety of engaging and practical ANCC-accredited continuing education (CE) courses all in one place to help nurses achieve their goals.

CE Direct is available to individuals in designated job codes and is easily accessible 24/7, from anywhere there is internet access.

To log in, go to the intranet homepage and under Reference Information, click on CE Direct and follow the directions provided. CE certificates are instantly printable and easy to access at any time from your transcript.

Here are a few examples: • HCAHPS Is All About Patient Satisfaction • Delegating to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel • Compassion Fatigue • Evidence-Based Practice for ICU Sedation, Central Line Infections and Early Feeding • Cardiovascular Nursing • Emergency Nursing • Gerontology Nursing

• Maternal Newborn (RNC-MNN) & Low Risk Neonatal Nursing • Medical-Surgical Nursing There are e-learning courses, webinars, self-study modules, state-required courses, and more than 600 online textbook topics covering 98 percent of what nurses see at the bedside. Choose from more than 1,000 contact hours of review material online to help you gain clinical knowledge and boost your confidence. Reviews for nursing certification exams are in a concise format designed to help you prepare for your certification exam or earn specialty hours for recertification.

Webinars offer a different learning experience from typical selfstudy courses and feature expert speakers on topics hot in health care right now. There are a variety of topics including leadership development, informatics, wellness and much more.

Learning is self-directed and at your own pace. Many courses include clinical scenario-style vignettes that help you apply the course concepts to your practice.

HMWB expands bariatric certification Recently Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital became a Center of Excellence in bariatric surgery from two accredited bodies.

The team felt that because of this designation, it was important for more staff than just the bariatric coordinator to have a certification.

They had four pass the test.

“Having certified bariatric nurses lends a higher level of care to our bariatric population and is an added asset to our comprehensive bariatric program,” said Sharla Stroup, clinical coordinator of the bariatric program. “This unique skillset assists the program by decreasing the patient’s length of stay, improves quality outcomes by offering patientcentered care and education to reduce readmissions, as well as promoting best practice standards.”

She says that it also allows nurses to participate in the bariatric multidisciplinary team by educating all health care modalities about Bariatric Medicine and how commonly there is crossover with other disease processes and comorbidities. Certified bariatric nurses have the opportunity to educate and care for patients through many modalities of bariatric medicine. Their focus begins with prevention of disease-related comorbidities ­— patients are educated well before their first hospital experience. The continuum of care is demonstrated from diagnostic testing, to preoperative visits, into the perioperative phase, to recovery on the surgical unit all the way through to the patient’s postoperative visits with their surgeon and primary care providers. This ensures continued and increased collaboration with all participating health care teams.

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 13

Houston Methodist Hospital Implements New Certification on Core Competencies Houston Methodist Hospital recently created a new certification — the Methodist Proficiency and Competency (M-PAC) Certification ­— which signifies nurses who work at HMH meet the standardized basic knowledge and skill competencies.

All HMH nurses will need to be M-PAC Certified by the end of 2018 with an annual recertification requirement. Although knowledge and skills will vary based on the nurse’s patient population, some of the M-PAC Certification competency requirements include: Core competencies (verified by simulation): • Performance and documentation of a normal (head-to-toe) physical exam and abnormal physical exam • Recognition and appropriate intervention in managing changes in a patient’s condition (prevention of failure to rescue)

• Integration of the Rothman Index into clinical practice and decision making • Fall, pressure ulcer, CAUTI, CLABSI, and DVT prevention • Delirium assessment, intervention and documentation

Rodriguez offers the following advice for nurses on the fence about becoming certified: “Certification holds numerous benefits for nurses.

When applying for a job or clinical advancement, it puts you in a league of your own. If you are looking to climb the clinical ladder, go back to school, or make changes in practice, certification shows your commitment to the profession and your specialty.”

• Basic EKG • IV start In January, all Main 7N nurses became M-PAC certified.

Shannan Hamlin, director of the Center for Nursing Research, Excellence and Practice says that the M-PAC Certification is separate and distinct from annual competency. She will be in communication regarding getting your nurses M-PAC Certified.

Starting in February all new nurses will obtain their M-PAC Certification during ELITE.

“IT’S ALL ABOUT OUR NURSES BEING INSPIRED TO BE THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE SO THEY CAN DO THE BEST FOR OUR PATIENTS.” While earning and maintaining certification is not a requirement, those who are certified show that they have taken that extra step to show their commitment to their profession.

“It’s all about our nurses being inspired to be the best that they can be so they can do the best for our patients,” said Liisa Ortegon, senior vice president and chief nursing executive at Houston Methodist Hospital. “And we reward them for that. Those who are certified are the first chosen to go to conferences and the first to be given additional professional development opportunities.

“We have very talented, dedicated nurses here who are certified and our work environment encourages everyone to be insightful and as knowledgeable as they can be in their chosen specialty.”

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HOUSTON METHODIST ST. CATHERINE HOSPITAL

Nurse transitions from bedside to LTACH educator

By Madelyn Wilson “As a nurse, you can change their experience, and hopefully make it a positive one,” said Cole.

Cole transitioned to a nurse educator by teaching new hires during their first days. “It was a natural transition; I really liked the role and working with the staff.”

Jennifer Gail Cole

Nurse educator Jennifer Gail Cole spends every day providing support to nurses at Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital – the system’s only long-term care facility – helping them to provide the best care to each patient through best practice and upto-date training.

Cole’s interest in the medical field began in high school. She always felt that becoming a nurse was the best opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.

As the only nurse education specialist at Houston Methodist St. Catherine, Cole’s role changes daily. She runs the orientations for new hires, helps existing nurses develop their skills and informs them of new equipment and procedures.

“I attend a lot of meetings, but it helps me be a better nurse educator because each meeting helps me see what the needs are for our nurses,” she said.

Cole is also the Pathway to Excellence coordinator and has a set plan to get St. Catherine’s this recognition.

Cole says she has formed a team at St. Catherine to get the document

done, and has worked with the administration at Houston Methodist West Hospital on the proofreading of the documents.

“Our goal is to get the designation and move to Magnet,” said Cole.

Cole believes a positive nursing environment comes down to the culture of the hospital.

“Keeping the patient as the focus creates an environment that highlights Houston Methodist’s I CARE values” said Cole.

As for the future, Cole envisions that the hospital will grow, and she hopes to help enrich that growth and hopefully receive Magnet recognition.

“Houston Methodist’s St. Catherine Hospital is a great place to work at with an amazing team, from the nurses at the bedside to the administrative support,” said Cole. “We aren’t just coworkers, we are family.”

Standardizing Wound Care Across the System

By Kelli Gifford Houston Methodist Sugar Land and Willowbrook hospitals have joined the other system facilities in standardizing wound care, which makes for consistent care for patients regardless of the hospital they visit.

The hospitals are purchasing new hyperbolic chambers, which are

bigger and more comfortable for the patients and used systemwide, as well as upgrading exam chairs so they are more ergonomic for the patient and the caregiver, according to Sally Shen, associate chief of nursing at Sugar Land. They also purchased the same EMR called Wound Expert, which leads to greater standardization.

The centers also have standardized their policies, Shen said, which will support more consistent care.

“This is in line with Dr. Marc Boom’s vision that we standardize as much as possible and reduce variation within our system,” Shen said.

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 15

Houston Methodist cardiologist says new blood pressure guidelines not good for everyone

By Lisa Merkl Houston Methodist Chief Medical Officer Robert A. Phillips, M.D., Ph.D, and a team of colleagues is challenging recently released hypertension guidelines, perhaps sparing up to 10 million people from unnecessarily aggressive blood pressure treatments.

The new guidelines redefine high blood pressure as 130/80, down from 140/90.

Phillips, who is an expert in hypertension and cardiovascular disease, says while patients at higher risk for cardiovascular disease benefited from the stricter guidelines, those with lower risk had more harm than benefit from the intensive treatment recommendations.

The findings are described in a paper titled “Impact of cardiovascular risk on the relative benefit and harm of intensive treatment of hypertension,” appearing online March 7 and in

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print April 17 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a leading medical journal in the field of cardiovascular disease.

This call for more aggressive treatment is based largely on data from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial, or SPRINT, which was a largescale study of more than 9,000 people, sponsored by the NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

“While it’s estimated that 107,500 deaths could be averted annually in the U.S. by implementing more aggressive treatments, it may be “Classifying patients by degree of accompanied by other serious, adverse future risk might be the best way events,” Phillips said. “This presents to identify who could benefit most clinicians and patients with a dilemma, from intensive treatment,” Phillips potentially trading one clinically said. “We developed a model using significant condition for another.” the 10-year cardiovascular disease risk and found that aggressive treatment The new rules were written by a of patients with a risk greater than or panel of 21 scientists and health equal to 18.2 percent would result in experts who reviewed more than more benefit than harm, while those 900 published studies. Issued by with a risk of less than that would the American Heart Association, fare better under a standard blood American College of Cardiology pressure management approach.” and nine other professional health organizations, the new guidelines These numbers are at odds with reclassify hypertension, making 46 the new guidelines, which suggest percent of U.S. adults considered treating patients with a greater than hypertensive, up from 32 percent.

10 percent risk.

Houston Methodist HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL

DIGEST

Nurses Learn Better Communication Through Series Dale Curd, master communicator and host of the Canadian television show “Hello, Goodbye,” hosted a 16-workshop series called “Listening Learning Bursts” with Houston Methodist Hospital nurses who better learned the art of communication and making deep connections in a short period of time. During his at Houston Methodist Hospital, Dale shared with attendees how to better communicate and connect with patients. Participants took in this new knowledge and were able to take it back to their units.

Surgical Services Fair Focuses on Resilience The Surgical Services Fair is an annual weeklong event held in celebration of PeriAnesthesia Week.

This year’s theme was “Houston Heroes: Achieving Unparalleled Excellence through Resilience.” The 4th Annual Surgical Services Fair kicked off with an opening ceremony, poster competition and fashion show on Feb. 13. Six departments competed in each event. The vendor fair, which offers an opportunity for staff to increase their knowledge about the various equipment, implants and devices, had 27 vendors present. The Educational Conference was attended by 127 people. The conference is comprised of speakers representing the different operating rooms and various types of surgeries

Dorothy Terry, nursing director of critical care, far right, with members of the Houston Methodist San Jacinto ICU staff.

that take place at HMH along with any topic that is seen as important in the perioperative areas.

Winners for poster competition: 1st place – APEC 2nd place – Main 4 3rd place – Dunn 3 PACU Winners for the fashion show: 1st place – Main 4 2nd place – APEC 3rd place – Main 3 Urology

achieved Beacon Award Gold level designation for an adult intensive care unit.

Seven Nurses Earn TNA Awards Seven Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital nurses were honored as “Hurricane Harvey Heroes” at the Texas Nurses Association (TNA) District 9 Nursing Excellence Celebration on November 9 at Houston’s Westin Galleria.

HOUSTON METHODIST HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL SAN JACINTO HOSPITAL ICU Earns Beacon Award The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital has earned a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of CriticalCare Nurses (AACN).

The award recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with the AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. There are currently 37 Beacon units in Texas, and of those, only seven have

Magnet Thanks and Giving Event

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Magnet Champions hosted their annual Magnet Thanks and Giving Event Nov. 15. The event began with a Thanksgiving Parade, complete with floats representing the Magnet® Domains of Transformational Leadership, Structural Empowerment, Exemplary Professional practice, New Knowledge, Innovation and Improvements and Empirical Outcomes. The Magnet Domain booths (Continued on page 18)

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 17

Houston Methodist (Continued from page 17)

focused on education and fun activities to help interprofessionals, patients and families increase their knowledge about the HMSL Magnet culture of excellence.

DIGEST

of $1,000 as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk to raise funds to cure cancer.

Led by HMWB Cancer Services Director Angie Tippit, 67 walkers from across Houston Methodist joined teams from around Houston on Nov. 17 to support the society’s annual evening stroll. At dusk, each of the teams were given gold, red and white illuminated lanterns. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk brings light to the darkness of cancer by funding lifesaving research and support for people battling cancer. Family, friends and co-workers gather together to celebrate, honor or remember those touched by cancer.

Luncheon Celebrates Excellence in Stroke Care

HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL Staff Participates in Parade On Nov. 18, the HMWB team participated in the 52nd Annual Tomball Holiday Parade presented by the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce. This year’s parade theme was “Texas Strong: Honoring Harvey’s Heroes,” celebrating all who were heroes during Hurricane Harvey.

Light the Night Walk Team Surpasses Goal The Houston Methodist Team Tumor Raiders more than tripled their goal

18 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE | SPRING 2018

Outstanding stroke caregivers were celebrated at The Excellence in Stroke Care Luncheon held in November in the Swadesh Khurana Healing Garden.

This annual event was established as part of the Swadesh Khurana Endowment, honoring the memory of Swadesh Khurana and advancements in stroke care at HMWB.

Honored at the Swadesh Khurana Stroke Awards for demonstrating excellence in the provision of stroke care were Annamma Thomas, Darla Amundson, Jiseon Park, Judith Jordan, Lani Marcusi, Mary Kash, Miracle Nickerson, Rosemarie Aldayo and Susan Scoggins.

This year, the event featured stroke survivor Kalvin Barker who spoke about the outstanding care he received at HMWB. The Khurana family and the Stroke Committee were also in attendance. Swadesh Khurana’s grandson, Shaan Khurana gave special remarks and provided HMWB with a generous donation.

Dr. Kasey Gildersleeve, Neurology and Vascular Neurology, shared some of the breakthroughs we’ve made in stroke care.

AHA Go Red for Women Kick Off Nancy Keenan, chief nursing officer, Barbara Quandt, director of Med/Surg 6 West and stroke program coordinator, and Christine Bradley, director of Cardiology

Houston Methodist

DIGEST

Services, attended the American Heart Association 2018 Go Red for Women Kick-Off event Jan 11. at the Hyatt Place Vintage Park. Houston Methodist Willowbrook is partnering with Houston Methodist West as the presenting sponsor of the 2018 Go Red for Women campaign, which raises awareness for women’s heart health.

Keenan spoke at the event about HMWB’s partnership with the AHA and introduced speaker and survivor Judy Shmid from Houston Methodist West.

and recognize its certified nurses.

The CNOR® certification program is for perioperative nurses interested in improving and validating their knowledge and skills, and providing the highest quality care to their patients. Certification also recognizes a nurse’s commitment to professional development. It is an objective, measurable way of acknowledging the achievement of specialty knowledge beyond basic nursing preparation and RN licensure.

HOUSTON METHODIST ST. JOHN HOSPITAL

HOUSTON METHODIST THE WOODLANDS HOSPITAL

The OR has recently earned the CNOR® Strong designation from the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) for the second year in a row. The CNOR Strong designation is given to facilities having at least 50 percent of its OR nursing staff CNOR certified, and provides programs that reward

Christine Bradley, director of cardiology services, Jessaca Rodriguez, AHA Corporate market director of Go Red Luncheon, and May Ann Caballero, HMWD senior marketing and media specialist

Infusion Center Staff Makes a Lasting Impression on Patients When a patient completes infusion therapy, it is a big deal and something that should be celebrated. Members of Houston Methodist Infusion Center at The Woodlands take this task seriously. First, they present each patient with a sparkling bottle of juice.

This puts a smile on their faces, but what happens next is “icing on the cake” when it comes to delivering an unparalleled patient experience.

The team of nurses and office staff personalizes each celebration based on the patients’ personalities and interests. They have presented patients with crowns and tiaras, gold medals and balloons. They gifted one patient with three pairs of crazy socks to add to his collection, which he proudly showed off at each session.

While this is already going above and beyond, the team recently started showcasing their impeccable dancing

skills. They surprised one patient with a choreographed routine to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” while they brought a Texas boot-scootin’ routine to another patient. His wife said he was “tickled to see the effort the ladies put into congratulating him.”

Raymond Shultz and wife with Infusion Center team members as they surprise him with a Texas 2-step performance while wearing cowboy hats ­— his signature look.

Houston Astros Help Spread Holiday Cheer Astros fans started lining up at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, outside Houston Methodist Emergency Care Center in The Woodlands to meet Houston Astros’ shortstop Carlos Correa. The emergency care center teamed up with Correa for a toy drive benefiting underprivileged children in Montgomery County and children in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria.

Fans showed up with new, unwrapped toys and were excited to see the world champion brought his fiancée, Daniella Rodriguez, and Astros’ relief pitcher Michael Feliz.

The players signed bats, gloves, baseballs and jerseys for Astros enthusiasts while collecting more than 800 toys.

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 19

Houston Methodist

DIGEST

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout and the number of toys we were able to collect in a short time,” said Pablo Vasquez, associate chief nursing officer, Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital. “Carlos Correa, Michael Feliz and the Houston Astros organization were wonderful to work with and really helped make the drive a huge success.”

“It really means a lot to be able to help a lot of kids this Christmas that wouldn’t be able to get gifts. To be able to help with this drive and bring presents to their homes means a lot,” said Correa.

Texas United for Puerto Rico, a nonprofit group that organized to offer relief to those affected by Hurricane Maria, distributed half of the toys to children in Puerto Rico, while Interfaith of The Woodlands organized the distribution to local children.

Med/Surg nurses pose with Med/Surg nurses pose with members of the Astros Caravan during their visit to HMTW.

Astros Caravan visits patients and staff The World Series champions Houston Astros Caravan made a stop at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital on Jan. 12 to visit with patients and hospital staff.

Houston Astros’ manager A.J. Hinch, along with All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, his fiancé Daniella Rodriguez, and 2016 first-round draft pick, Forrest Whitley, surprised patients and staff when they visited the hospital.

Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa greets a young fan at toy drive at Houston Methodist Emergency Care Center in The Woodlands.

20 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE | SPRING 2018

“It was great to have our hometown Astros take a moment to visit our hospital,” said Debbie Sukin, CEO of Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital. “It meant a lot to our patients, as well as our hard-working staff. Houston Methodist is proud to serve as the official healthcare provider of the Houston Astros, and

Carlos Correa takes a moment to pose with Amanda Cosme and Dr. K. Sullivan.

we wish the team much success in the coming season as they embark upon spring training.”

Carlos Correa and fellow Astros graciously signed autographs for patients and nurses as they visited Med/Surg, the Childbirth Center and physical therapy.

NURSING NEWS HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL CERTIFICATIONS Mary Watzek, RN in the Dunn 3 PACU, graduated the FNP program and passed the licensure Candice Blaylock, BSN, RN, CVRN I, and Daffy McCurdy, BSN, RN, CVRN I, of the Fondren 10 Cath Lab, passed the CVRN I (one) certification exam Taylor Francis, RN on D10E, passed the MedicalSurgical certification examination and is now a certified RN-BC Emily Roxas, RN in the BMT Outpatient Infusion Center, passed her OCN certification

ACCOLADES

Julia Idarraga, Lluvialy Faz and Linnea Richardson of the MICU were promoted to RN III Shawntay Fernandez and Robyn Cash from Main 7SW have both been promoted to RN III. Congratulations to Elizabeth Joseph from Main 4 for her promotion to RN III.

AWARDS Nena Bonuel is the 2018 recipient of the HMRI’s Moran Foundation Publication Award for outstanding publication! This award was based on Nena’s publication in the Journal of Nursing Education and Practice titled “Acuity-Adaptable Patient Room from the Patient’s Perspective.”

Heather Vick was the DAISY Award winner for October, and Cheryl Bressler was the winner in January.

Diana Jean, BSN, RN, obtained her CCRN

PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

The following Outpatient Infusion/OP BMT nurses passed the Oncology Nurse Certification exam:

Nakeisha Washington, manager of the Cath Lab, is co-author to a recently published article in the Journal of Nursing Education and Practice titled “Operating room nurse residency and specialty educators: Paramount in the success of novice nurse retention.”

Gabe Medrano, RN, OCN Brandi Perry, RN, OCN Jonee Guerrero, RN, RN-BC, OCN Nyruby Julien, RN, OCN Emily Roxas, RN, OCN The following nurses passed the Blood & Marrow Transplant Certification exam: Felicia Guillory, RN, BMTCN LaTarvia Moore, RN, OCN, BMTCN Beverley Lamoth, RN, OCN, BMTCN

DEGREES Marlynn Baros, RN, DNP, MBA, RNC-MNN, NE-BC, from L&D, graduated December 2017 from the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing Doctorial Program in Nursing MICU has two nurses who finished graduate school in December: Amber Gardner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Linnea Richardson, MSN in nursing education Desiree Bingley, RN on Dunn 8W, graduated with her BSN and got her Med-Surg Certification Robyn Washington graduated with her MBA from Texas Women’s University David Deabreu, RN in the Dunn 3 PACU, graduated from Texas Tech with master’s degree in Nursing Informatics Shawntay Fernandez received her BSN from UT-Arlington

PROMOTIONS Elizabeth Joseph, RN on Main 4, was promoted to RN III Jessica Klein on OPC 21 Cancer Center Infusion was promoted to RN III

Haley Edmiston, Erin Doss and Mandela Onunkwo, RNs in the Surgical & Liver ICU had their poster abstract titled, “Daily Environmental Decontamination Reduces Healthcare Associated Infections in a Surgical & Liver Intensive Care Unit” accepted for presentation at the 2018 Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program Annual Conference in March 13-15, 2018, in Savannah, Ga. Mary Hunt, Gian de la Calzada and Kevin Infante, RN IIs in the Surgical & Liver ICU, had their podium presentation abstract titled, “Liver Transplantation for Alcoholic Liver Disease: Current Guidelines and Future Directions” accepted for live presentation at the 2018 Transplant Nursing Symposium to be held Sept. 28-30, 2018, in Chicago. Misty Mendoza, Kelly Kaczorowski and Jose Sala, also from the Surgical & Liver ICU, will also be presenting a poster titled, “Infectious Complications After Liver Transplantation” at the same conference.

Marjorie Matekwa, MSN, BSN, RN, Fondren 12 night manager, and Shirley Ann Simmons, MSN, BSN, RN II on Fondren 12, recently graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with an MSN. Michele Ramirez, Ashley Eugene and Jef Sala from the Surgical & Liver ICU. Their poster abstracts titled, “Daily Line Necessity Rounds Reduces Hospital Acquired Infections in a Surgical Transplant ICU” and “Flash Rounds: Implementing the ABCDEF Bundle in a Surgical Transplant ICU” accepted for presentation at the NTI National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses on May 21-25, 2018, in Boston.

Ebony Mitchell, MSN, RN from OPC 18 OR,

had two posters that have been selected to be presented at the AORN Surgical Conference and Expo. The posters titled, “Perceptions, Perspectives, and Knowledge of Preoperative Nurse Competency in Organ Recovery/ Procurement” and “Improving Nurse Retention and Turnover through Transformation of Retention Strategies” will be presented.

Katie Broadway, RN IV in Neuro ICU, had her poster abstract titled “Implementation of a Mobility Program in a Gold Beacon Neuroscience ICU” selected for presentation at the National Teaching Institute (NTI) and Critical Care Exposition in Boston on May 21-25, 2018.

Several Center for Nursing Research, Education and Practice staff members had their posters selected for presentation.

Stephanie Jeansonne, MSN, RN, CNRN, CCRN, SCRN, Katie Broadway, MSN, RN, CNRN, SCRN (CNREP) and Jason Lee, BSN, RN, SCRN

(Neurology Stroke Center) presented “Post TPA Neuro Vitals, a New Approach with the Help of an Old Friend” at the International Stoke Conference.

Ayumi Fielden, MSN, RN, CCRN; Pamela Northrop, BSN, RN, CPAN; and, Laura Ortiz, MSN, RN, CCRN (also co-author is Holly Rodriguez, BSN, RN, RN-BC, CCRN-CMC from

ICU – Fondren CCU) will present three posters at three conferences: 1. “The Barriers of PACU Residency That No One is Talking About” at the AORN (Association of perioperative Registered Nurses) Global Surgical Expo & Conference in March.

2. “Bridging the Gap: Critical Care Knowledge and Skills in PACU Nurse Residents” at the ASPAN (American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses) in April.

3. “ICU in the PACU: Increasing Novice Nurse Knowledge Levels” at the AACN (American Association of Critical Care Nurses) National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition in May. Karen Edwards, RN, BSN, MBA, CNOR will

present “New PACU Residency Program to Help Nursing Shortages in the Recovery Room Lessons Learned” at the AORN (Association of perioperative Registered Nurses) Global Surgical Expo & Conference in March.

Tracy Mouton, BSN, RN, CCRN, NE-BC, and Jennifer Nguyen, BSN, RN, CCTN, from D4W Transplant Inpatient Unit, have had two abstracts accepted for presentation at the 2018 International Transplant Nursing Society conference this September in Chicago. The first one is “Decreasing CLABSI Rates in the Post-Transplant Patient” and the second one is “Multidiscplinary Discharge Planning Meeting Decreased Length of Stay for Liver Transplant Patients.”

Janet Ramundo co-authored an article titled “Do Prophylactic Foam Dressings Reduce Heel Pressure Injuries?” that was published in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing.

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 21

NURSING NEWS “Managing of Mental Health/Substance Abuse Patients in the Emergency Department,” has been selected for presentation at the 2018 Congress on Healthcare Leadership’s Poster Session.

Congratulations to authors Johnie Leonard, Kimberley DuBose and Melissa Graham.

Janet Gilmore, Miriam “Pepper” DeLaFlor Santa Ana and Robyn Washington had their poster titled “ERAS: Enhanced Recovery after Surgery” accepted for the AORN Global Conference & Expo 2018.

ACCOLADES

Alita Perry, PCA

Sunila Mathew, BSN, RN earned her CCRN

Kimberly Wible, RN II

Cath Lab

Rutha Johnson, PCA

Good Catch Award Larhea Pierson, RN III System Quality and Safety Awards

Medical/Surgical Aubrey Bernardo-Balunsat, BSN, RN, earned her CVRN

Process Improvement/Implementation Science (SKINNI Criteria):

Chelsea Alfaro, BSN, RN, earned her CVRN

Cindy Barefield, BSN, RN-BC, CWOCN

Sharon LeLaurin, BSN, RN, earned her CVRN

Dorothy Terry, BSN, RN, CCRN

HOUSTON METHODIST SAN JACINTO HOSPITAL

Academy of Leadership & Learning Graduates

CERTIFICATIONS

Emily Rich, MPH, BSN, RNC-NIC

Florence Felix, RN III, received her CCRN certification

Diane Valencia-Rico, BSN, RN, CGRN

Angelique Jones, BSN, RN, CPAN Angelica Garcia, BSN, RN-BC

Charles Swallow, RN II, passed his CVRN

Angelica Hermosillo, MSN, RN, NE-BC

Jessica Sutterfield, Nurse Manager, received her NE-BC

DAISY Award Winners

Jinu Susan Samkutty, RN III, and Cleo Bualat, RN III, received RN-BC certification

David Longoria, RN II

Jennifer Luna, Edu. Specialist II, received her ANCC Nursing Professional Development Certification

Diana Thomas, RN earned her CV-RN

Donny Jackson, RN IIB

Shannon Hayes, BSN, RN, earned her CVRN Sarah Yip, BSN, RN, earned her CVRN Awet Haile, ADN, RN, earned her CVRN Clarissa Ebueng, BSN RN, earned her CVRN Sundra Jason, BSN, RN, earned her CVRN Dorelyn Santiago, BSN, RN, RN-BC Deborah Davis, ADN, RN, RN-BC Aswathy Nair, BSN, RN, RN-BC Shaini Thomas, BSN, RN-BC Julie Kaiser, BSN, RN, RN-BC

AWARDS TAPAN Star Award Ronald Malit, BSN, RN, CPAN, CAPA

HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL

I CARE Award

PROMOTIONS

Top 20 Outstanding Nurses of 2017

Julie Kaiser, BSN, RN has been promoted to nurse manager of 5 East

Danielle Hardin, MSN, RN, ACNPC-AG.

Hurricane Heroes

RETIREMENT

Jerome Amado, ADN, RN Gretchen Belmarez, BSN, RN, RNC-OB

AWARDS

Jane Vogel, DDN, RN retired from the Endoscopy Department

Amy Cheng, BSN, RN, RNC-LRN

I CARE Award winners (Dec. 2017)

CERTIFICATIONS

Christine Fisher, MSN, RN, CDE

Alita Perry, PCA

Emergency Department

PROMOTIONS The following were promoted to RN III: Florence Felix Jinu Susan Samkutty Cleo Bualat Jessica Hughes Peggy Lipka

Rowena Orozco, BSN, RN-BC Texas Nurses Association (District 9) Awards “Hurricane Harvey Heroes”

Amy Malish, BSN, RN, earned her CEN

Van Mariano, RN III

Chilumba Bwalya, BSN, RN earned her CEN

Jennifer Hillhouse, MBA, BSN, RN, CRRN

Infusion Center

Barbara Rogers, MSN, RN, CRRN Gail Kenny, MSN, RN, CPHRM, FABC Frances Caffey, RN Dazzele Celiz, RN II Anita Arizmendez, BSN, RN, CEN

Kudos Award (hand hygiene, Nov. 2017) Hayley Alexander, RN II

22 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE | SPRING 2018

Amy Bozeman, BSN, RN, earned her CEN

Daniela Suarez, BSN, RN, earned her OCN Jamie Paulson, BSN, RN, earned her OCN

Bobbi Fink, ADN, RN won the ICARE Award TNA District 9 Award Winners

Delphy George, MSN, RN Tara Howden, BSN, RN Judy Jacob Mathew, MSN, RN, RNC-OB Yamuna Mangaly, BSN, RN, CBC Cristina Martin, MSN, RN Tracy McManaman-Bridges, MSN, RN Rosa Munoz, ADN, RN, Julianita Reyes, BSN, RN, RNC-OB, CBC

Critical Care

DEGREES

Mukuka Mumbi, MSN, RN earned her ACNPC-AG

Spine Center

Perioperative Services

Maureen Lall, MSN, RN, earned her PhD

Crystal Hall, BSN, RN, earned her CAPA Theresa Porche, ADN, RN, earned her CAPA

NURSING NEWS Medical/Surgical

ACCOLADES

departments across the hospital throughout the course of her career

Adrienne Hikra, Nursery, obtained her RNC-MNN (Maternal Newborn Nursing Certification) Linda Justiniano, Nursery, obtained her RNCMNN (Maternal Newborn Nursing Certification

Amy Malish, BSN, RN, CEN earned her MSN

Lana Gilmore, RN, retired after a 40 years in the nursing field, most of which were at Houston Methodist. Earning a gold badge for her I Care excellent clinical work in cardiovascular nursing, she finished her career in the Case Management Department.

Perioperative Services

CERTIFICATIONS

Jason Nguyen, RN, FNP earned his MSN

Valrie Sinchak, CEN

Yogini Patel, Emergency Room RN, obtained her certification in emergency nursing

Lana Gilmore, CM

DAISY Award

Rebecca Ledlow, CEN

Rowendo Ferraren, ICU

Amy Cervantes, RN earned her MSN

Critical Care Krystal Hopson, BSN, RN earned her MSN

Emergency Department

PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS Lall, M.P. (2018). Nursing care of the patient undergoing lumbar spinal fusion. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 8(5). doi: https://doi. org/10.5430/jnep.v8n5p44 Maureen P. Lall presented “Pain catastrophizing and prolonged opioid use following lumbar fusion” at Sigma Theta Tau International: 44th Biennial Convention, Indianapolis, IN, October 28 – November 1, 2017.

Tim Dang, RN, and Daniel Castro, CL Rad Tech, will present the cath lab poster on Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) prevention in March at the annual NCDR meeting March 2018. This poster was also accepted for Magnet 2018.

Rita Richards, BSN, RN, CEN, Trini Tran, BSN, RN, CEN, and Kymberli Conn, BSN, RN, CEN from the Emergency Department will present “ED Code Stroke: Decreasing Door to Needle Times” at the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) third AANN Advances in Stroke Care Conference in Louisville, KY, August 2018.

OTHER ACCOLADES Mary Harris, MSN, RN, CCRN has been selected as a member of the Texas Nurses Association’s (TNA) End of Life Policy Task Force.

HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL AWARDS

Eunice Amoabeng, Med-Surg Rebecca Reyes, CAPA Jocelyn Antiola, CAPA Gundelina Dela Cruz, CPAN Sally Leonard, RNC-MNN Apple Abad, RNC-MNN

Srunratmonikeo Tek, 7W Mona Alce, 5W

RETIREMENT Cheryl Stevenson, RN, CNOR, Pre-admit Testing, retired after 46 years of dedicated service. Stevenson started her career at Houston Methodist at the Hematology, Oncology Leukemia Center and then went on to work in numerous

Leticia Riley obtained her Masters in Nursing Administration

PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS Laura Espinosa presenting “ICU Shift Huddle Board Improves Patient Satisfaction” at 2018 ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference Harvinder Kaur published author in the Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, Vol 8 (No 5)

Margo Cruz, CBCN Ruzanne Josue-Everett, CBCN Lakiffanie Jackson, CBCN Sharon Csikos, CVRN Helena Downer, CVRN

HOUSTON METHODIST ST. JOHN HOSPITAL

Jack Ruchirushkul, CVRN

PROMOTIONS

Alkpezimena Shokunbi, RN-BC MS

The following were promoted to RN III:

Samantha Nafziger, OCN

Esther Diaz, CBC

LaTasha Broussard, RN-BC

Pamela Warner, ASC

Dondria Braziel, RN-BC

Ashley Nguyen, ASC

Tammy Chandler, RN-BC Stacey Howland, CMSRN

ADDITIONAL ACCOLADES

CERTIFICATION Ashley Nguyen – CAPA Sara Courtin – Med-Surg

Angela Jackson, RN, CCM, performed a successful Heimlich maneuver on a visitor in the cafeteria.

Although not working at bedside, she went into auto mode with her nursing skills when she saw the need.

Chelsea Pavlowich – Med-Surg

Sharon Solari, RN, CCM, is working on her PHD in Nursing Education. She often precepts new nurse case managers and has been a real strength in the department.

Amanda Krantz – CEN

Houston Methodist Willowbrook 5 Star CMS Designation

DAISY Award

Nancy Jo Gex, ICU/PACU Manager obtained her CNML

HOUSTON METHODIST WEST HOSPITAL CERTIFICATIONS Jacinta Anigbo, Nursery, obtained her RNC-MNN (Maternal Newborn Nursing Certification) Joan Reinders, Nursery, obtained her RNC-MNN (Maternal Newborn Nursing Certification)

Amanda McElwee – CEN Pam Warner - CNOR

HOUSTON METHODIST THE WOODLANDS HOSPITAL AWARDS DAISY Award Hilary Lee, RN, Childbirth Center

I CARE Award Krista Bingham, RN

LEADERS IN NURSING | SPRING 2018 23

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