Houston Methodist Nursing Magazine Winter 2016

HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE A Magazine for Nurses

FAMILIES WORKING TOGETHER

All types of relatives employed in system HMH prepares itself for Magnet site visit Houston Methodist West celebrates 5 years

WINTER 2016

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

STEPPING UP

TO ENHANCE PATIENT EXPERIENCE With the start of every new year, some people make resolutions, while others embrace the simple thought of having an opportunity to begin again.

Starting over in a new year is welcome one after all the activity, effort and exhaustion we experienced from the prior year. In 2016, we challenge each of you to open your minds and your hearts to the possibilities that await us in the coming year.

We have an obligation to look at the past, to learn from it, and to make the course correction or adjustments necessary to meet the challenges ahead. We are proud to be among professionals who rise to the occasion every single day to exceed our patients’ needs and expectations.

At Houston Methodist, we are committed to providing our patients with unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation. Nurses stand as role models for our I CARE values, and our actions demonstrate the dedication and commitment to our mission.

To support our continued efforts to enhance the patient experience at Houston Methodist, leaders have introduced a compilation of tools and resources designed to support your efforts. The HCAHPS Intervention Playbook is a 13-week targeted approach to enhance the patient’s perception of quality of care.

Units at Houston Methodist Hospital have been selected to receive targeted support through action planning, validation of standards of practice, coaching and weekly reporting. The key to HCAHPS success is consistent delivery of care and service. This playbook ultimately will be used across the system.

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

CONTENTS 3 Nurse Follows Her Dream 4 Epic: A New Chapter in Patient Story 5 West Celebrates 5th Anniversary 6 EKG Cards Available for CV Nurses 7 Orthopedic Education Fair 8 Magnet Site Visit: A Race to the Finish 9 Jones 11, OPC 18 Welcoming Patients 10 Cover Story: Families Working Together 14 Career Coaching; I CARE Winners 22 Accolades

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Rosario Alvarado Rebecca Bowman Rod Evans Sarah Fleming Shuntá Fletcher Nick Hough

Beverly Hughes Beverley LaMoth Carlette Patterson Jessica Saavedra Serrano Joy Shiller Robyn Washington

MAGAZINE EDITOR Kelli Gifford

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hillary Brindell

This targeted approach will guide nursing teams toward some important process improvement steps and will provide an opportunity to hardwire the behaviors essential for success. The HMX Intervention Playbook was developed in partnership between Houston Methodist Organizational Development and Service Quality to provide a stepby-step guide for units selected for the guided process improvement. All interventions are designed to enhance the patient experience, and the playbook will help nurses understand what to expect when their unit has been identified as a target unit. Thanks to all of you for continuing to put our patients first. We look forward to an amazing 2016!

Front Cover: Julius and Aida Alinsub and their daughter, Vanessa, all work at Houston Methodist West Hospital.

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Following her dream:

Ann Durrett wanted to make a positive impact in her career, which finally led her to nursing “I started thinking about nursing school as far back as when I went to college the first time around,” Durrett says. “My parents had a lot of medical problems as I was growing up. My dad was a double amputee from the Korean War, and he had a massive heart attack requiring quadruple bypass surgery when I was a senior in high school. My mom had chronic rheumatoid arthritis.

“I saw a lot of need for health care, just being around it. I think the first time around my goal was to see the world, hence the Army … but once you’re married and have kids you realize maybe that’s not the best plan, you need stability.”

“If I want to be the best I can be, I have to learn from the best and be surrounded by excellence.”

-Ann Durrett

Each morning, as graduate nurse Ann Durrett enters the Main OR at Houston Methodist Hospital, she knows she is finally where she wants to be, doing what she wants to do. But she’s also quick to remember the path was not short – or easy.

Durrett was 48 years old when she embarked on a nursing career.

She had spent her life first as an attorney in the Army and then in senior-level positions within human resources, but none of that was fulfilling to her.

“I went to law school for all the wrong reasons,” she says. “I recognized early on in law school that I wasn’t going to enjoy it, so I started to find a place in law where I could see a wide variety of areas and practice without being stuck in one place. The Army gave me that opportunity.”

Durrett says nursing is the most difficult bachelor’s degree out there, because all she ever did was study. Her husband moved to Houston and she lived in an RV in Austin, only seeing her husband on those weekends when she had free time.

She soon graduated and moved to Houston, looking for a job.

One of the students in her program was related to the chief of anesthesiology in the Main OR at Houston Methodist Hospital.

He arranged for Durrett to visit one day and meet everyone. At the time, there wasn’t an opening but she felt “everything clicked.” As it turned out, two weeks later there was an opening.

Durrett began the Graduate Nurse Residency Program in January 2015 and recently completed it.

She met her husband while in the Army, and once they had children “Every day is a challenge,” she says. “I think it’s that way no matter they realized that both parents being deployable wasn’t a good idea. where you are in nursing – you’re always learning.”

That’s when she moved into human resources, where there were Houston Methodist Hospital was her first choice when looking for many law-related areas. a job. “When Houston Methodist is consistently ranked among the best hospitals in the country and in Texas, it’s a no-brainer. If “I was focused on climbing the corporate ladder … but I was not I want to be the best I can be, I have to learn from the best and be making a difference in the way I had envisioned.” surrounded by excellence,” she says. “Nursing has re-energized me Durrett felt her last job in HR wasn’t a positive environment, so she and allowed me to pursue a career where I have the opportunity to and her husband decided it was time for her to follow her dream make a positive impact.” and go to nursing school.

LEADERS IN NURSING 3

EPIC: A NEW CHAPTER IN THE PATIENT STORY Technology has put health care on a fast track to the future. Go back no further than 20 years and compare nursing’s tools and techniques to today — they seem downright primitive.

Vicki Brownewell, MS, RN NEA-BC, vice president and chief nursing officer at Houston Methodist West Hospital, remembers when she was a young RN in the 1980s, working in a neonatal ICU and using manual, paper record-keeping systems.

“It was a much different time,” she says. “The tools and availability of information made possible by computers, digital records and online communication are a far cry from what we used to have. That being said, the end goal in nursing has always been the same — to provide our patients with the best care possible.”

Since Sarah Fleming became a nurse six years ago, technology has always played an integral role in health care decisions. As a nursing manager at 6 West, access to information and a complete patient story are essential for quality patient care.

“The more information we have about our patients, the better picture we can paint and the more personalized care we can provide,” Fleming says.

“The challenge today is the ability to share that information among all the different care providers a patient may see during the course of their treatment.”

Several years ago, Brownewell served on a system task force for IT that recognized the opportunity for improved data integration throughout Houston Methodist. The Epic implementation project launched with executive support and the commitment of time and resources.

Epic’s integrated electronic health record will ultimately provide nurses with improved tools for communication and access to information to help achieve better health outcomes.

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“Our nurses are excited to have one integrated system,” says Brownewell.

“Those who have used Epic previously understand the value. Barcode medication administration or the ability to feed patient vital signs directly into Epic will improve patient safety and be a valuable time saver.”

“Epic is very streamlined. In Epic we can document a patient’s history, or ask about a topic like smoking cessation, and the information feeds throughout the system... With Epic, we will see the patient’s story from start to finish.” - Sarah Fleming Fleming adds, “Epic is very streamlined. In Epic we can document a patient’s history, or ask about a topic like smoking cessation, and the information feeds throughout the system. We won’t have to re-ask the same questions or search for information. With Epic, we will see the patient’s story from start to finish.”

As Epic buzz builds and the first group of nurses begins training and practicing in the Epic playground, many are learning about additional functions and features to provide best practice workflows and processes.

The first Epic Go-Live went live on March 1 with a grouping of PCG and SPG clinics. Houston Methodist Hospital will go live on May 22.

Additional clinics and facilities will go live later in 2016 and early 2017.

To find out when each unit/department/location will go live on Epic, visit My Go-Live at epic.houstonmethodist.org.

HOUSTON METHODIST WEST HOSPITAL

West Celebrates

FIVE YEARS

&

Continues to Grow

By Sarah Fleming, RN

It has been more than five years since Houston Methodist West opened its doors at 7 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2010, welcoming patients with 336 enthusiastic employees and 188 dedicated physicians.

When HMW opened, there were 98 direct patient care nurses and 22 PCAs. As of December 2015, West increased its nursing workforce to 490 direct patient care nurses and 124 PCAs.

Today, Houston Methodist West Hospital proudly has 1,523 employees, 760 physicians, 130 volunteers and 23 teen volunteers. In five years it has nearly quadrupled its numbers and the hospital has the lowest employee turnover rate of all Houston Methodist hospitals.

In the past five years, HMW has seen more than 141,459 ER patients, performed more than 26,378 surgeries and 5,997 cath procedures, delivered more than 9,270 babies, and admitted nearly 38,000 patients.

It is now licensed for 193 beds.

HMW also some major achievements, including the ISO 9001 Certification, Chest Pain with PCI Accreditation, Gold Plus Standard in Stroke, DNV Stroke Certification and the 2 Star – Society of Thoracic Surgeons. The Breast Center moved to the first floor of MOB 2, the Cinco Ranch Emergency Care Center opened its doors to patients in April 2015, and Cardiac Rehab moved to Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital.

In early January of this year, West began Phase II construction with the extension of the West Tower. Once completed, the new construction will add 95 beds, bringing the bed count to 288, will add 10 ORs, 22 ED rooms (eight shelled), expanded radiology services, an expanded post-partum unit on fourth floor as well as adding two 32 bed patient units on the fifth and sixth floors.

Construction of the second parking garage on the west side of the campus has also begun. The Phase II construction will take approximately two and a half years and is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2018.

Houston Methodist West Hospital celebrated its five years of hard work and dedication to quality patient care with a weeklong series of events, which included an appearance by Houston Texans running back Chris Polk, free chair massages and a departmental poster decorating contest.

LEADERS IN NURSING 5

New Basic EKG Cards Provide Quick Reference for CV Nurses

By Kelli Gifford, Senior Editor

While working as the cardiovascular (CV) service line educator in the Center for Professional Excellence, Donald Yap set a goal to increase staff nurse proficiency in basic EKG rhythm interpretation.

After sending out surveys to the acute-care CV units, he discovered many nurses wanted more education on the topic.

Yap began creating classes and noticed some experienced RNs were having problems passing the initial basic EKG test during orientation, and some were going to CV units. He saw a need and created cards with EKG information to be handy resource.

“I felt that our nurses — and for that matter, any bedside clinician who deals with cardiovascular patient populations — could greatly benefit from a quick reference guide for basic EKG interpretation in addition to the new classes I was developing,” Yap said. “Therefore, I created the cards and collaborated with marketing and legal to get them printed.”

The cards’ main focus had to be on basic EKG rhythm interpretation — bedside clinicians need this skill to be able to prioritize care, and, if needed, initiate interventions. However, with rhythm interpretation, information on anatomy, physiology and electrophysiology is required for a full understanding.

“One of the big challenges was deciding how much of this information to include since a thick 100-page-or-more book would be too cumbersome to use,” Yap said. “Furthermore, all the content needed to be easy to find, read and comprehend. Therefore, I decided on the ‘Normal, Abnormal, Lethal’ flipbook design for the cards.”

The color coding and staggered page format for each section enhances ease of use. The cards have pictures of sample EKG strips for each rhythm coupled with a consistent format so that no matter which rhythm is being referenced, the user can find the desired information quickly.

“Basically, I wanted to explain as much about basic EKG rhythm interpretation as possible in a quick, easy-to-understand way and make it relevant for the bedside clinician,” Yap said.

The cards are currently in pilot phase in which all graduate nurses (GNs) and new-hire nurses receive a copy. The goal of this initial pilot testing is to evaluate optimal use of the cards.

Yap has found that with the cards, more nurses are passing the initial basic EKG test. Prior to distribution of the cards, five to 10 nurses could not pass in each group, he said. They began 6 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE • WINTER 2016

distribution of the cards in orientation at the beginning of January, and so far in the past three groups, only two nurses have not passed the initial basic EKG test. Yap said he is still deciding on the best and most efficient way to distribute the cards and plans to initially place a copy on every crash cart in the hospital and follow with trials in select units.

“I believe the cards have helped and can continue to help nurses achieve a better understanding of basic EKG,” Yap said. “Therefore, my hope is that this will translate into increased confidence and proficiency in rhythm interpretation at the bedside leading to a higher overall standard of care.”

HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL

KNOWLEDGE GAINED AT ORTHOPEDICS EDUCATION FAIR REFLECTED IN OUTCOMES

By Mary Silas, MSN, RN-BC, RN IV

In 2014, nursing director Kathryn Materre identified a need to educate the staff on the non-orthopedic patients that her unit was receiving. She soon partnered with RN IV Mary Silas and the management team and proceeded to gather information from the staff by doing a needs assessment. From that information, the Dunn 7 Education Fair was created, and since then, there have been three quarterly fairs.

pathway; Dunn 7 shared governance awareness and recruitment; basinless baths; bed alarm assembly and management; I&O: marking drainage — Prevena wound vacuum; Jackson Pratt Drain; nasogastric-tube; Foley catheter; pull strategy; and checking all flags.

“Staff education is paramount to obtain patient satisfaction, compliance with quality indicators and employee satisfaction,” said Materre. “The team on the unit truly embraces the support they receive daily from our RN IV, Mary Silas.”

“It truly gives me an overwhelming feeling of joy when staff ask for education and fulfillment, also when I see our staff receive new information and excitedly discuss how they can implement their practice and develop their skills,” said Mary E. Silas MSN, RN-BC, RN IV, Orthopedics.

The education themes are developed from the unit-based needs assessment, housewide leadership, physicians and unitbased leadership. The topics for the 2016 Education Fair were covered in 15-minute sessions by Dunn 7 staff, RN IV partner and interdisciplinary associates from pharmacy and the blood bank. The topics covered in this fair were: Magnet redesignation; blood; pain medication and medication side effects; patient’s pain

The staff shared and gained knowledge as they progressed through each station.

“Patient education is a part of the nurse’s daily routine,” said Maria Allen, manager Dunn 7 West. “When our nurses choose to increase their knowledge and skill base, it is reflected in our patients’ outcomes while they are here as our guests and during their recovery period at home.”

LEADERS IN NURSING 7

MAGNET Highlights from 2015 • Magnet annual demographic report was successfully submitted.

• Magnet re-designation application was submitted: date for site visit set for March 28.

• Nursing Dashboard and Action Plan Template were reactivated.

MAGNET SITE VISIT: A Race to the Finish Line As Houston Methodist Hospital prepares for the Magnet site visit in anticipation of its fourth Magnet redesignation, all hands on deck are needed. During the site visit, nurses should be prepared to showcase best practices. A few hot topics are highlighted below:

UNIT READINESS CHECKLIST: • • • • •

BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE:

Magnet Storyboard • Professional Practice Model Nursing Professional Practice Model • Patient Care Delivery System RN Bill of Rights • Peer Feedback ANA Code of Ethics • Clinical Career Path Shared Governance Councils, • Ethics Consults Goals, Members KNOW YOUR DATA AND HOW IT • Nursing Dashboard HAS IMPROVED: • Two Evidence-Based Practice Posters • Patient Satisfaction • Clinical Quality KNOW HOW TO ACCESS: • RN Satisfaction • Nursing’s Strategic Plan • RN Turnover Rate • Nursing’s Annual Report • Certification Rate • Nursing Service & Quality Data • Educational Degree • Nursing Quality Action Plans

• RN satisfaction outperformed five of six national nursing excellence categories.

• Magnet Unit Showcases were initiated— 85 percent (33) of the units assessed scored greater than 90 percent, and 17 units are pending.

• Assessment of the Shared Governance structure confirmed that the majority of the units/departments have a quality and service council(s).

• Annual Interprofessional Magnet Fair had a record number of attendees (320) and poster presentations (33).

• Thirty-seven Magnet tips were distributed, and they’re being continued.

• Quarterly Magnet contests were sponsored, and the winners were: 1st Quarter — Nneka Chidolue, Main 3 Observation Unit 2nd Quarter — Myre Omega, Main 3 PACU 3rd Quarter — Main Pre-op and PACU PowerPoint on “Happy 2 B Magnet” 4th Quarter — Parmelee Brennan

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Jones 11, OPC 18 Welcoming Patients Since the beginning of 2016, Jones 11 and OPC 18 at Houston and her team are excited about their journey with their new team Methodist Hospital have begun receiving patients – one reopening and extending the Houston Methodist Experience to all and the other for the first time. of their patients.

The Jones 11 nursing unit had its official “grand reopening” on Feb. 1. Paulette Baker, nursing director, and her leadership team have diligently collaborated with the Houston Methodist Hospital Human Resources team to thoroughly select each new staff member to care for their patients. Thus far, they have hired six UAAs, seven PCAs and 17 RNs. In addition, they welcomed new nurse manager Natasha Hyde In preparation for the big day, the unit leadership hosted a funfilled orientation day for the entire Jones 11 staff in Fondren 100.

“Teamwork Makes the Dream Work” was the theme of the day.

The team invited several guests to attend and present at their event. Those guests included: • Kerrie Guerrero, Vice President of Operations • Nnenna Emelogu, Program Director — Department of Nursing Practice • Marisse Farnos, Senior Organizational Development Consultant • Cymetria Dillard, Project Specialist — Department of Nursing Practice The goal of the orientation retreat was to create a professional, refreshing experience for the Jones 11 unit for its staff. This was also an opportunity to familiarize the staff with the hospital, as well as their new unit. The staff was able to mingle while enjoying lunch, presentations and interactive games.

The Jones 11 team completed its recommitment to the I CARE values, the communication DISC Assessment, and a Magnet introduction provided by their RN IV, Citadel Rafols. Baker

A new suite of ORs on the 18th floor of the Outpatient Center building opened on Jan. 11. This additional suite of ORs will accommodate surgical services that include ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and orthopedic surgery.

There are 18 total operating rooms with 10 currently occupied. The remaining rooms will be operational in the next 12-24 months, and could include additional outpatient surgical services.

“The ORs are equipped with integrated technology features that will allow Houston Methodist to provide the highest-quality patient care,” said Suzanne Garmon, OPC 18 OR manager.

She will be assisted by Jackie Johnson, director of nursing for OPC 18.

Highly trained surgeons, anesthesiologists and staff will ensure patients have a top-notch experience on OPC 18. Patients will be prepared for surgery in all private pre-op suites, each with its own individual restroom for privacy. They will then be taken into the OR where the surgeons have the most up-to-date technology and instruments available to perform the surgery. After surgery and the recovery room, guests are taken back to the private rooms for final recovery and discharge to home.

“The whole unit looks amazing, and the teamwork and partnership between the construction crew, nursing and physicians came together to create a state-of-the-art center for our patients and families,” said Mike Kelly, director for OPC 19 Perioperative Services and Neurosensory Perioperative Services.

LEADERS IN NURSING 9

FAMILY TIES

Parents, children and siblings part of the broad spectrum of relatives employed at Houston Methodist

By Erik Noriega, Senior Editor

Many Houston Methodist employees don’t have to travel far for family reunions – they just have to go to their hospital cafeteria or walk down the hall to a different unit.

At Houston Methodist, husbands, wives, children and extended family often work together, sharing their work and home lives. There are currently 43 married couples working at Houston Methodist in addition to many multigenerational families. “For example, a member of my team has several cousins and a grandmother who work here,” says Janay Andrade, director of employee benefits in the Human Resources department. “I have heard many times from employees that they feel like they couldn’t work anywhere else because it is like a family here.

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This is a tribute to the tremendous loyalty of our employees to our culture and all the great things we do here. And it says a lot about the culture at Houston Methodist when they encourage their loved ones to come work here.”

The following is just a small sampling of different families who have chosen to work together under the Houston Methodist umbrella as nurses, PCAs, techs and more.

TOBIN FAMILY Karen Tobin has been a nurse for 36 years, the last 15 of which she’s spent at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. Today she’s the operating room manager, and she’s witnessed the hospital’s growth firsthand.

She also has watched the staff at HMSL grow to the point that it now includes her two daughters, Sara and Laura Tobin.

“I wanted my daughters to choose a profession that was best for them,” Karen says. “My husband and I sat down with each of them and went through what they liked and disliked to narrow down career choices. Both came to the decision themselves to become nurses.”

Sara graduated from nursing school almost a year ago and started working as an RN in June. However, she joined the Houston Methodist family almost four years ago as a patient care assistant/unit secretary at HMSL. “Working there gave me a beneficial experience while I was in nursing school, and it helped me start out my nursing career,” Sara says.

After graduating, Sara was hired as a graduate nurse in the ICU at HMSL. She’s also currently a member of the UHC Graduate Nurse Residency Program for Houston Methodist.

“It’s a yearlong program that helps transition new graduate nurses into becoming great nurses,” she adds.

Sara is not the only one following in her mother’s footsteps.

Her sister, Laura, works as a patient care assistant at HMSL during summer and winter breaks. The rest of the year she’s a full-time student at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she is taking prerequisite courses to apply for nursing school.

Sara and Laura are actually the fourth generation of nurses (and nurses-to-be) in the family as not only is their mother a nurse, but their grandmother and greatgrandmother also were nurses. It’s easy to see why the Tobins have gravitated toward nursing as each enjoys the work they do tremendously.

“I enjoy helping others, whether it be patients, their family, staff or physicians,” Karen says. “I enjoy talking to patients and comforting them during what can be very stressful times. I also love the technical side of nursing. Nursing is an evolving profession; there are always new treatments, equipment, and techniques.”

Both Sara and Laura echo their mother’s sentiments.

“One of my favorite things about my job is all my amazing coworkers. In the ICU, we really work as a team. I am so blessed to work with such supportive and intelligent coworkers,” Sara says. “Also one of the reasons I love being a nurse is because it has given me an opportunity to make a difference in my patients’ and their family members’ lives.”

“I love working with my coworkers. I know that I can rely on my fellow PCAs to help me out to when I get overwhelmed, and the nurses are more than willing to answer any medical questions that I may have as I apply my studies to the real-life applications,” Laura says. “With my job I enjoy the interactions with the patients. I love helping them, but my favorite part of my job is to listen to how my patient’s day is going.”

Even though the three Tobin women all work at HMSL, their paths don’t cross very often as they work in different departments and different shifts. Still, they say it’s nice to work with family.

“The best part of working at the same place though, is knowing that my sister and mother understand what I do and I am able to talk to them about struggles I may have,” Laura says.

“Knowing my mom works for the same hospital that I do is cool, but I don’t work at here because my mom and my little sister work here. I work at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital because it is a great hospital,” Sara says.

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Pictured left: Karen Tobin and daughter Sara enjoy a cup of coffee during a break at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.

LEADERS IN NURSING 11

ALINSUB FAMILY Julius and Aida Alinsub, who both work at Houston Methodist West Hospital, transitioned from St. Catherine when it became a Houston Methodist hospital in 2014. The two met years ago in nursing school and became a couple 10 years after graduation.

Julius is a staff nurse at 6 West, a surgical unit, and Aida works as a lactation nurse/lactation consultant in the hospital’s birthing center and is working on her master’s degree in nursing education. The couple’s daughter, Vanessa, has been a nurse for almost three years. She joined mom and dad at HMW in June of 2015 and is currently a motherbaby RN II. All three speak fondly of their profession and what it means to them to keep the patient at the center of everything they do.

“To me, nursing is a vocation, a profession and a lifelong learning experience. Being a nurse gives me the opportunity to serve and help others, sick or not; rich or poor,” Aida says. “Knowing that I was able to help and gain lessons from each experience gives me joy.”

“The joy of being a nurse to me is when I am able to give my best in serving the patients and their families and in return being appreciated by them,” Julius says. “Nursing is tough and full of hard work. It needs dedication and compassion — it’s a calling — to care.”

Mom and dad have had a strong influence on their daughter.

“Nursing to me is more than just a passion,” Vanessa says. “The sheer philosophy of caring for people, fulfilling their holistic needs, and sharing knowledge and skills to the patients is my drive.”

Aida explains that she initially didn’t push her daughter into nursing knowing what a tough job it can be. Julius had no problem encouraging Vanessa to follow in the family business. And while their encouragement helped, it was ultimately the example they set that convinced Vanessa to pursue a career in nursing.

“Both my parents played huge roles in my career choice.

They are my biggest inspirations and not to mention my biggest cheerleaders, who stood by the sidelines and offered support all the way,” Vanessa says. “I chose this career because I wanted to follow their footsteps and be able to experience the joy of ‘touching lives’ every day.”

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While all three don’t work together because of schedules, they take great pride in working at the same hospital.

“Having my husband and daughter work at the same hospital as me makes me feel proud and happy at the same time. Seeing my daughter and husband going to work at the same time, wearing the same uniform, makes me feel secured for my daughter’s sake,” Aida says.

“I feel honored and blessed to be working with my parents in the same hospital. Even more so, my mother and I work in the same unit together and it is beyond amazing,” Vanessa says.

Although working with your parents does have its challenges, according to Vanessa.

“My mom can’t help herself sometimes and asks our coworkers, ‘How is my daughter? Is she behaving?’ and most of the time, it feels like I am back in school walking in to a parent-teacher conference. Even my dad’s coworkers know me, too, and there seems to be eyes everywhere!”

Vanessa jokes. “Levity aside, it is truly a blessing to work with family.”

   Pictured above: Julius Alinsub visits his wife, Aida, and daughter Vanessa at the Houston Methodist West birthing center.

Pictured right: Luis Rivera and son Steven work at Houston Methodist West Hospital, and wife Claudia works at Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital.

RIVERA FAMILY Luis Rivera has worked at Houston Methodist West Hospital almost since it opened its doors in 2010. He is currently an RN III in the cardiac cath lab. His wife, Claudia, more recently became part of the Houston Methodist family, although as she jokes I-10 currently separates her and her husband as she works at Houston Methodist St. Catherine Hospital as a PCA in cardiac rehab services. Their son Steven Rivera, a certified SPD Tech II, works in the OR in sterile processing at HMW, where he has been for the last year and a half.

Like most nurses and PCAs, Luis and Claudia enjoy helping their patients receive the best care possible.

“I enjoy the ability to be an advocate for my patients, to help make a difference in their lives, which are oftentimes on the brink of death, even though they rarely are able to remember it,” Luis says.

“I love the people — even the difficult ones! So, I have to say I enjoy working with the patients and taking care of them,” Claudia adds.

Luis says he’s appreciated the opportunities he’s had to grow and develop in his career as a nurse at HMW — as well has the opportunity to help other nurses grow in their own careers.

“I am glad the work atmosphere at West is such that I could recommend my family to become a part of it,” Luis says.

Luis encouraged both his wife and son to join him at HMW. Both Luis and Claudia encouraged their son to start a career in health care.

“I, as well as my husband, encouraged our son to become and do what he likes and what he will be best at. Obviously, he saw how dedicated and how much we enjoyed our professions that he decided to follow in our footsteps,” Claudia says.

“Just being in the medical field is all I ever wanted to do, and I am happy to be working so close to family,” Steven says. “It feels great [to work at HMW with my parents] and I know they couldn’t be happier!”

“I’m glad I was able to encourage him and he has found something which he not only enjoys doing but is good at,” Luis says.

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LEADERS IN NURSING 13

CAREER COACH’S CORNER

ENCOURAGED TO FOLLOW HER HEART

By Shuntá Fletcher, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CVRN-BC

While seeing a patient at the Pearland Emergency Care Center, nurse Aerica Williams got some advice that changed her career.

nursing education and requested information on what she needed to do to be considered.

Once the career coach looked at her qualifications and assessed her abilities, she was instructed to apply.

The patient she treated turned out to be a PCA at Houston Methodist Hospital.

The PCA told Williams she was a really good nurse and expressed how she must enjoy her job. ”I did, but I told her I would really enjoy a position in nursing education because I love teaching,” Williams said.

The PCA told her to contact the career coach at HMH for an opportunity to see if that is a place she would like to work.

After meeting and talking with the career coach, Williams learned of a position in

Aerica Williams, RN

Today, Williams is a nurse education specialist II in the Center of Professional Excellence, happy and looking forward to her next project with her career coach. Williams said she felt very comfortable with the confidential career coaching. She said the sessions provided her with reassurance and encouragement to motivate her for a position she believes is a better fit. She added, “When you know better, we do better.”

If you would like greater career success or need help with your vision for the future, coaching appointments are flexible and are conducted by face-to-face interview or telephone. For more information please contact The Center for Professional Excellence at cpecareercoaching@houstonmethodist.org or 713.441.4546.

I CARE WINNERS – Fall 2015

The I CARE Awards are given to

employees or leaders who have exemplified the I CARE values.

This is Houston Methodist’s highest award.

HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL Chasity Norris Clifford Brown Cortney Cooper Crystal Gezahan Dawn Brown Elinor Tolentino Erica Duenez Gabe Medrano Herman Bates Jan Kavanagh Jill Jordan Johnnie Williams Justine Moore Kesha Adams Lilian Booth Lisette Theriot 14 HOUSTON METHODIST NURSE • WINTER 2016

Maizeba Watson Nicole Slater Nuria Aguilar Priscilla Lavalais Richard (Rick) Farrell Sarah Woo Silvia Taylor Vicki Reid Cynthia Urrabazo Kimberly Broderick Libra Broussard Vivian Robinson Hoa Ha Laura Castellanos Shiela Bongio Sue Lopez Melissa Pena

HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK HOSPITAL Domique Howard Lori Virgil Sharonda Irvin Keli De Los Santos Ronda Hamilton

HOUSTON METHODIST ST. JOHN HOSPITAL Shannon Aldridge Vivian Andrews

HOUSTON METHODIST WEST HOSPITAL Mario Berrios Shawnta Carroll Amy Contreras Liliana Da Cruz Raymund Dolotina Ivy Gacusan Gregory Gibson Teresa Godoy Nichole Hart Precious Hollins Lois Jiboyewa Ashlea Mcklemurry Joseph Pickrel

HOUSTON METHODIST ST. CATHERINE HOSPITAL Elaine Campbell Jennifer Joseph

HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL NEWS DUNN 6W OPENS NEWLY RENOVATED DELIVERY ROOMS, NURSERIES The Women’s Health Services Department opened its newly remodeled Labor & Delivery rooms and nurseries. Leaders, nurses, PCAs and unit administrative assistants collaborated on decisions about the design, equipment, furniture and colors that would be part of the hospital’s birthing center. After a year of planning and about 10 months of construction, the north wing of Dunn 6W finally opened its doors to patients last October. A couple of weeks later, the remodeled nursery and special care nurseries also opened. The department now provides beautiful modern spaces for women in labor, mothers, newborns and premature infants. The unit also has new state-of-the-art infant security and nurse-call systems.

ICU COMFORT CARTS BLESSED DURING CEREMONY Representatives from all five of Houston Methodist Hospital’s intensive care units gathered in Wiess Memorial Chapel in December for a service of blessing and dedication of ICU comfort carts. The comfort carts are part of a current nursing research study led by Mary Harris, MSN, RN, CCRN, and JoAnne Gaudet, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, evaluating ICU nurses’ perceptions of the care they provide to dying patients.

Volunteer Services provided a grant to fund the purchase of the carts, as well as all of the evidence-based resources for staff to use prescriptively with a dying patient. The comfort cart resources include literature to help families understand the dying process and guide them through difficult decisions, resources about various cultures and religions to enable staff to provide personalized care, and various resources to make a keepsake for family members.

THE DAISY AWARD

To nominate one of your outstanding peers who has gone above and beyond, visit houstonmethodist.org/the-daisy-award to submit electronically.

DNP COUNCIL HELPS EXPAND EBP KNOWLEDGE The Center of Professional Excellence Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Council was created to strengthen the utilization of evidence-based practice (EBP) at Houston Methodist Hospital. The goal of the DNP Council is to expand the knowledge and skills of health care professionals and improve and sustain quality patient outcomes through application and implementation of translational science. The council acts as a pipeline for health care professionals needing mentors in EBP organizational initiatives.

In December, the DNP Council successfully implemented a mandatory systemwide workshop for nursing leadership.

The workshop was developed to provide education to enable participants to support their staff throughout the EBP process.

Two units received the prize of a pizza luncheon to discuss potential projects for their unit.

Shirley Wyatt, RN on Jones 9, (center) was named the DAISY Award winner for December.

LEADERS IN NURSING 15

HOUSTON METHODIST SAN JACINTO NEWS CELEBRATING THE STAR PERFORMERS Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital celebrated the outstanding work of its star performing units that provide stellar care and service to their patients.

Endoscopy finished above superior for the year, while the Women’s Center finished within superior in outpatient care for the year. The staff of the 3 East wing finished within target for the year. ED Patient Care finished within threshold in personal insurance for the year, and Skilled Nursing demonstrated great improvement over prior months.

The leadership and staff of these units worked extremely hard to help the hospital deliver unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation to its patients.

DISPLAYING MAGNET SCRAPBOOKS The staff of the Quality Care Management department proudly displayed its Magnet scrapbook that features photos of staff members along with brief descriptions of the five Magnet Model domains: Transformational Leadership, Structural Empowerment, Exemplary Professional Practice, New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements and Empirical Outcomes. The unit is led by Director Karen Askew, RN, MSN, ACM, and Lisa Lingo, RN, BBA, ACM, is the Magnet champion.

UNIT HONORS PCAs AND UCs The nursing staff of the 2 East wing held a special PCA-UC Appreciation Day to celebrate the skill and dedication of the patient care associates and unit coordinators. The staff enjoyed refreshments as they shared their experiences of working alongside the PCAs, who perform invaluable behind-the-scenes patient care services, and the UCs, who keep the nursing unit running like a well-oiled machine.

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HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR LAND NEWS NEW NURSE MANAGERS CHOSEN Cristina Martin RN, MSN, RNC-OB Birthing Center Manager Over the past 15 years at Houston Methodist, Cristina Martin’s perseverance, self-development, and work ethic have contributed to her success as the newest clinical manager in the Birthing Center.

Martin has touched the lives of many colleagues and patients throughout her career.

Michaela Brady, MSN, RN CAPA, AOD and Pre-Admission Testing Manager Michaela Brady joined HMSL in September 2014 as staff RN in AOD, obtained RN III, then joined leadership team. She has been a nurse for more than eight years and in periop for six and a half years.

NEW ASSOCIATE CHIEF NURSING OFFICER NAMED HMSL is pleased to announce that Sally Shen, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, (pictured top right) has accepted the position as associate chief nursing officer. Shen has been with Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital since 2003, serving in many capacities. She most recently served as director of nursing of Medical Surgical Services, administrative house supervisors, Dialysis Services, Respiratory Services and interim director for Infusion Therapy Services. In her new role, Shen will continue to have responsibility for these services with the addition of the acute patient care units of the new Brazos patient tower, Wound Services and Employee Health. Shen is well-positioned for the role of associate CNO with more than 13 years of progressive nursing experience at HMSL and 14 years of management experience in her previous position at another hospital system.

Shen’s excellent contributions to Houston Methodist were recognized by the system in 2012 as she was one of the first recipients of the I CARE Leadership Award. Shen has excelled in each role she has undertaken and will be a positive asset to the administrative leadership team.

Brady oversees the Pre-Admission Testing (PAT) and Admission Observation Discharge (AOD) ambulatory surgery areas. She is active in departmental and hospitalwide councils, such as the clinical practice council.

Candy Salazar, MSN, RN-BC CPAN, PACU and Endoscopy Manager Salazar has been with HMSL since September 2015. She has been a nurse for more than 20 years and has been in periop for 14 years.

She oversees the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and Endoscopy Unit.

THE DAISY AWARD Judy Jacob-Mathew, RN, (picured center) is Houston Methodist Sugar Land’s third-quarter DAISY award winner.

Judy is a labor and delivery nurse, as well as a Magnet Champion and a unit educator for the Birthing Center.

She received multiple nominations from patients and their families who expressed gratitude for Judy’s compassionate and skillful care.

Not only do patient and families praise Judy, but her manager, Brigitte Tomek, RN, also recognizes her passion and excellence. According to Brigitte, “When one meets Judy for the first time, one is struck with the notion of ‘Wow — look at her countenance — she just radiates this beautiful persona.’ Often I think if I was more like Judy I would be a much better person.”

LEADERS IN NURSING 17

HOUSTON METHODIST WILLOWBROOK NEWS

STROKE-CARE UNIT CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital celebrated the grand opening of 6E, a stroke-care specialty unit, on Jan. 19. The unit’s opening is a major step in the advancement of neurosciences at HMWB. The 36-bed unit is designed as a universal bed concept and includes several quality-of-life features for nurses, such as satellite nurse stations and line of sight patient visibility to enhance safety. More than 20 new nurses were hired in preparation for the unit’s launch.

6E’s opening comes hot on the heels of two other milestones in the HMWB Stroke Program. Earlier in the month, the hospital successfully completed its DNV-GL stroke survey, drawing impressive feedback from the DNV-GL surveyor. The program also gained a tremendous resource in the promotion of Marian Skewes, RN, MSN, to RN clinical coordinator for the program.

Skewes was the first recipient of the Swadesh Khurana Outstanding Caregiver in Stroke Award.

NURSES RECOGNIZE SUPPORT STAFF WITH TULIP AWARD Katherine Ung is the first recipient of the newly created Touching Unique Lives in Practice Award. Ung, then a pharmacist on MedSurg 5W, is recognized for her collaborative, patient-centered approach to her work each day. The TULIP Award was created by the Employee and Patient Satisfaction Committee of HMWB’s shared governance as a way to thank non-nursing staff for their contributions to patient care.

TWO TEAM MEMBERS PROMOTED TO MANAGERS Stephen Davis, RN, BSN has been

Nathan Way, RN, BSN, CCRN, has

promoted to manager of 6W. He succeeds Shawna Wallace, RN, BSN, as she moves to the new 6E. Davis began his career with HMWB as a unit secretary in the ICU almost 10 years ago. Since achieving his nursing degree, he has served in a number of positions, including relief charge in the ICU, charge nurse on 7E, and night AC for 6W. He has served as preceptor for new nurses in both critical care and med-surg.

been promoted to manager of 7E. Way took an unconventional route into nursing, joining the HMWB team as a stocker in central supply. After earning his BSN in San Antonio, Nathan returned to HMWB as a nurse in the CVCU. He became deeply involved in shared governance, both chair of his unit based governance committee and as co-chair of the Clinical Safety Council.

Way received the Houston Methodist Outstanding Clinician Award in 2013.

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HOUSTON METHODIST WEST NEWS NURSE PRACTITIONERS HELPING MED/SURG AT NIGHT Starting Feb. 15, Sunday through Friday from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m., nurse practitioners will assist the Med-Surg floors in the following: • • • •

Respond to Rapid Responses Respond to Code Blues Post-Rapid Response follow up Second level assessment for positive sepsis screens

The staff nurses can call the NP when: • If you are concerned about the patient/sudden change in condition; unable to reach physician.

• NPs will facilitate the POC once in place; NPs are not a substitution for the MD; no admissions or discharges What kind of orders can I get?

• Time-sensitive core measure; timesensitive issue; orders such as: RX for N/V, cough, constipation; diet, etc.

CELEBRATING FAMILY FUN HMW celebrated Family Fun Day in November 2015, with special appearances and autograph signing by the Houston Astros and the Houston Dynamo, and a special appearance by Olaf and team mascots Orbit and Diesel.

More than 700 people attended the event which also included games, food and fun.

6 WEST RECIPIENT OF TRAVELING TROPHY The Quality & Safety Traveling Trophy has been awarded to 6 West for having zero mislabeled/unlabeled specimens during the fourth quarter of 2015.

ED AIMING TO INCREASE CERTIFICATION RATE Beginning in November, the ED is providing free on-site review classes for the Certified Emergency Nurse exam to improve the department’s certification rate. The ED is currently 19 percent certified.

SANE PROGRAM HELPS ABUSED PATIENTS The ED also hosted a SANE open house in November. The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners program allows sexually abused patients to be treated and consulted appropriately. Partnering with Katy Christian Ministries, the SANE program is the only complete examination, treatment and counseling program in the Katy area.

JOURNEY TO MAGNET KICKS OFF The Magnet cheering committee officially kicked off its journey to Magnet in September with a Magnet Bowl tailgate party. Magnet champions, Magnet cheering committee and interdepartmental communication team members signed up any staff members with a bachelor’s degree or higher, a professional certification within their area, or if they are currently in school or obtaining their certification, as a player or football on the field. The event was designed to showcase current talent and to encourage others to join the team. The staff played games that provided information about Magnet and its five components and 14 forces.

LEADERS IN NURSING 19

HOUSTON METHODIST ST. JOHN NEWS

THE DAISY AWARD

SWOOP METHOD A SUCCESS

Houston Methodist St. John uses a method known as SWOOP (Special Way of Obtaining Patients) for patient transfers from the Emergency Department to the nursing units. For this process, the unit nurse picks up the patient directly from the Emergency Department. The patient transfer is made safer by the inpatient nurse receiving a bedside report from the ED nurse with an opportunity to address any Jennifer Nevarez, RN, 3 Surgical, was named the DAISY Award winner for the questions or outstanding issues with the third quarter of 2015, and Gemi Sam, RN, 3 Medical, was the winner for the ED physician prior to transfer out of the fourth quarter. emergency department.

To nominate one of your outstanding peers who have gone above and beyond, visit houstonmethodist.org/the-daisy-award to submit electronically.

WALSH NAMED NEW CNO Katherine Walsh, MS, DrPh, RN, NEA-BC, was named the new chief nursing officer for Houston Methodist St. John Hospital in December. She previously had the role of vice president of operations at Houston Methodist Hospital. Walsh holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in nursing from Texas Woman’s University, and a doctorate of public health from the University of Texas School of Public Health.

HOUSTON METHODIST ST. CATHERINE NEWS

THE DAISY AWARD

NURSING BOOT CAMP FOCUSES ON EDUCATION The first Nursing Boot Camp at the end of December offered a multitude of educational activities. Topics included new products and processes, advance directives, care plans, restraints, standards of practice, delirium and central lines.

FIRST LVAD PATIENT ADMITTED

Sherry Diers, RN, was named the December Daisy Award winner, out of 17 nominees for the month.

This is St. Catherine’s second Daisy Award winner.

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After six months of intensive education and training, HMSTC received its first LVAD (left ventricular assist device) patient on Dec. 28. Collaborative education and training with Houston Methodist Hospital has resulted in an expert multidisciplinary team including NPs, nurse educators, case managers, social workers and therapists to manage this special patient population. Daily LVAD huddles occur at the nurse’s station, with a review of the patient’s progress to goal, assessment of work flow and team activities. HMSTC continues to grow and has increased its capacity to 42 patients with the ability to care for four LVAD patients.

HOUSTON METHODIST THE WOODLANDS NEWS GUERRERO NAMED CNO; WELCOME CENTER OPENS Kerrie Guerrero, vice president of operations at Houston Methodist Hospital, has been selected as vice president and chief nursing officer for Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital.

Guerrero will start her new job on July 1.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to serve as the CNO at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital,” Guerrero said. “I look forward to being on the team that brings Houston Methodist values, high-quality care and high patient satisfaction to The Woodlands community.”

Guerrero has worked within Houston Methodist for more than 11 years and has served in various leadership roles for many different clinical areas including PACU, cardiology, IMU, preadmit testing, AOD, outpatient lab and orthopedics, acute care, VIP/international unit and the Emergency Department.

Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital also has opened a welcome center to provide job information, and educate physicians, volunteers, visitors, and guests about the newest system hospital and medical office building.

“We wanted a centralized location to include human resources, medical staff services and the business development and marketing offices,” said Debra Sukin, regional senior vice president and chief executive officer of Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital. “Until the medical office building and the hospital open, the Welcome Center is ideal for coordinating recruiting and bringing staff and volunteers on board.”

The Welcome Center provides an opportunity for interested, future staff to learn about job opportunities and get information about Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital without coming to the construction site. Prospective employees can visit the welcome center to learn more about the hospital and get a sneak peek of a patient room.

The Woodlands campus will fill 600 positions, with 40 percent of those nursing-related, said Debby Roberts, director of Human Resources at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital.

Interested applicants can visit www.houstonmethodistcareers. org regularly over the next 18 months to see what positions, medical and nonmedical, are open.

“The Woodlands campus will fill 600 positions, with 40 percent of those nursing related,” - Debby Roberts

LEADERS IN NURSING 21

NURSING NEWS ACCOLADES Houston Methodist is proud to have nurses who are dedicated to the nursing profession, driven to achieve growth in their professional development, and creative and always compassionate in their care for patients.

HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL Dawn Dees, RN, RN-BC, and Angela Nwanze, RN, MSW, RN-BC, of the Care Navigator Team passed their Case Management Certification Sherry Harris, RN, CNML, passed the Certified Nurse Manager and Leaders Examination Amy Bowers and Megan Williams (NICU) passed their SCRN (Stroke Certification) exam Nikki Washington, MSN, MBA-HCM, RN, CNOR, was honored by the Federation of Houston Professional Women as a 2015 Woman of Excellence Cas (Cheryl) Luis, MSN, RN, CEN, NEA-BC, operations administrator, passed the Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification Examination (NEA-BC) The following passed their MedicalSurgical Certification Board Exam: Lindsey Lechler, RN (Jones 10) Lilian Booth, RN, BSN (Jones 8 Observation unit) Vangie Bernardino (WP-11) Rittu Rachel Koshy, RN Enna Amedome, RN-BC (Main 4) Aerica T. Williams, MSN, RN-BC, Nurse Education Specialist II, passed her certification exam for Nursing Professional Development with ANCC Karen Fels, nurse manager (Jones 9) successfully passed her CNML certification Cecile Gabriola, RN, Inpatient Dialysis, passed the Certified Nephrology Nurse exam (CNN)

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The following met the requirements for promotion to RN III: Lovel S. Miguel, RN III (SLICU) Isabella Chin, RN III (Cardio Diag PICC Team) Josephine Sam, RN III (Radiation Therapy) Tyechia Lavalais, RN III (Main 5NW) Evelyn Al-dubais, RN III (MICU) Kimberly Randle, RN III (NICU) Xavia Holmes, RN III (NICU) Chrystal Brown, RN III (OPC 21) LaToya Allen, RN III (Dunn 10W) Jhonates Quibuyen, RN III (Dunn 9E) Pamela Ostrander, RN III (OPCPACU) Shelly Moran, RN III (Dunn OR) Monica Harrelson, RN III (Dunn 6 OR) Dana Kalu, RN III (Dunn 6 OR) Elizabeth Evbuomwan, RN, central staffing team, graduated from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing Felicia A. McDaniel, BSN RN PMHNBC (Main 7N) is now certified Jenny Lapnawan, PT, graduated from Houston Methodist Hospital’s Critical Care Fellowship in Physical Therapy for postgraduate physical therapists Patrick Wee, RN (Dunn 4W and Dunn 10E) earned his Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse certification Melody Pakeltis achieved recertification as an Oncology Nurse (OCN)

LaTarvia Moore, RN, OCN and Angela Vargas, RN, OCN (Outpatient BMT) passed their Oncology Nurse Certification exams Angela Foster, BBA in Cell and Gene Therapy, earned her bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Houston Lamont Seltzer completed his MBA Cierra Griffin has been recognized by induction into the National Honors Society for achieving a 4.0 grade point average Bunmi Kutemi, RN III (Main 7SW) received her MSN degree from UTMB Galveston Darlene Jordan (Main 8NW), graduated summa cum laude from Regis University with a Masters of Nursing, Nursing Education Focus Randi Grimes, RN of Pearland ED, graduated from nurse practitioner school in December Amanda Cormier graduated with her MSN focusing on Family Nurse Practitioner Catherine Martin, PT, Level 3, in Rehabilitation Services, was promoted because of completion of the Clinical Career Path in 2015 Priscilla Tehrani, RN, and Priti Badhe, RN (Main 6NW) were promoted to RN II Jessica Klein, BSN, RN, OCN, was promoted to RN II

The following passed their CCRN: Amber Southerland (MICU) Lizette Jezbera (MICU) Typhani Jones, RN (CVICU) Mary Moubark (CVICU) Christine Paredes (CVICU) Kelechi Ekejiuba, RN (NICU) Erin Fibbe, RN (NICU) Felicia Guillory, RN (Main 8E/BMT) received a scholarship from the Oncology Nursing Society to pay for her BMT nursing certification exam Adaobi Nwafor (Alkek 8) received her Family Nurse Practitioner license Binta Adagbo (Alkek 8) completed her BSN program Mabel Francis (Alkek 8) completed her nurse practitioner graduate school program.

HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse(CMSRN): Sonia Mathew, BSN, RN, CMSRN Anna Baby, BSN, RN, CMSRN (5 East) Kathryn I. Dano, RN, CMSRN (5 East) Wen Zhou, RN, CMSRN (House Supervisor) Annamma Stephen, BSN, CMSRN (5 East) Shery Skariah, BSN, RN, CMSRN (6 East) Minimol Manavalan, BSN, RN, CMSRN (6 West) Shermel Edwards Maddox, BSN, RN, CMSRN (6 West)

Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR): Nisha Sijo, RN, CNOR (OR Services) Maggie Nader, RN, CNOR (OR Services) Vincenza Jones, RN, CNOR (OR Services) Anna Duong, RN, CNOR (OR Services)

Rachel Miller Abanilla earned her Surgical Services Educator Credential Ralph Rosales and Tia Barcak ( Med/ Surg 6W) were named DAISY Award Winners

HOUSTON METHODIST SAN JACINTO HOSPITAL

Brenda Manuel, RN, CNOR (OR Services)

Olga Arroyo, RN, became an ANCCcertified Medical-Surgical Nurse

Penny Parish, RN, CNOR (OR Services)

Honeychile Benitez, BSN, RN-BC, earned her ANCC Medical/Surgical certification

Theresa Coombs, RN, CNOR (OR Services) Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (RN-BC): Linita Selvi, BSN, RN-BC (5 East) Amrutha Sujith, BSN, RN, RN-BC (5 West) Shirley J. Lute, BSN, RN-BC (5 West)

Robin Rogers, RN, CNOR, earned CCI certification in Care Before, During and After Surgery Christine Garcia, MSN, RN-BC, earned her nurse practitioner (NP) certification Kevin Marris, MSN-HESM, RN, earned his MSN Kristen Wells, RN, earned her BSN

Cristina C. Soriano, BSN, RN, RNBC (6 East)

Ryan Standley, RN, became a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)

Lini Koshy: CVRN

Van Jaymar Mariano, RN, advanced to RN III and earned BSN

Shermel Edwards-Maddox: CMSRN

HOUSTON METHODIST WEST HOSPITAL Esther Mullineaux, CCDS, successfully passed the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist Exam.

Avid Salimi Daryabeigi obtained her MSN from Prairie View A&M. Ericel DeLeon became a Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse

Isaac Dike, RN, became a family nurse practitioner (FNP) Briana Haney, RN, became an ANCC-certified Medical-Surgical Nurse

HOUSTON METHODIST ST. JOHN HOSPITAL Ashley Junious is now an RN on 4 Medical

LEADERS IN NURSING 23

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NOMINATE YOUR PEERS FOR THE

2016 NURSING AWARDS!

Each year during Nurses Week, we honor our top nurses who have made such an impact during the year. In order for these wonderful nurses to be recognized, we need you to nominate your peers who go above and beyond every day. Please take the time to recognize those you work with who meet these standards — and we know there are many!

CATEGORIES: • • • • •

Outstanding Graduate Nurse (GN) Outstanding Preceptor (Preceptor for 2 or more nurses in 2013-2014) Outstanding Nurse Clinician (Staff Nurse) Nurse Innovations (ex. Completed successful project) Nursing Leadership (Nursing Management)

TO NOMINATE FOR ABOVE CATEGORIES, visit www-app/AwardNomination/AwardNomination.asp •

Nursing Champion: Given to a non-nurse who promotes the nursing profession throughout the hospital and in the community.

TO NOMINATE FOR NURSING CHAMPION, visit www-app/AwardNomination/ChampionNomination.asp