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NURSiNg AWARdS HigHligHTSExcEpTioNAl cARE givERS

The annual Nursing Awards once again showcased the expertise and commitment of Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s nursing staff. The award recipients each year continue to amaze attendants at the ceremony with their accomplishments. Most importantly they highlight why we have such outstanding patient care outcomes.

Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients!

MRACHECK AWARD The Mracheck Award honors individuals who demonstrate critical thinking and excellence in the nursing process in patient care, specifically a nurse’s ability to assess patient needs and implement effective clinical skills and knowl-edge. From left, congratulations to Mary Deseignora, RN,

DFCI; Karen White, RN, BSN, Emergency Department; and

Jodie Bavineau, RN, BSN, 6 North for receiving Mracheck

Awards this year!

MARY DEVANE AWARDThe Mary devane Award is given to a member of the nursing department in recognition of their commitment to delivering patient care with compassion, kindness, and humor. Congratulations to Ellen LaCivita, RN, DFCI for

receiving the Mary Devane Award this year!

ANGELA MCALARNEY AWARDThe Angela McAlarney Award is given to a member of the nursing department in recog-nition of excellence in patient teaching. Congratulations to Carolyn Hampshaw, RN, ICU for

receiving Angela McAlarney Awards this year!

ELAINE HAZELTON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDThe Elaine Hazelton Memorial Scholarship Award is given to a nurse who demonstrates a dedication to Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital within the practice and advance of nursing and is continuing their nursing educa-tion. Congratulations to Justine Lynch, RN, BSN, 6 North for

receiving this year’s Elaine Hazelton Memorial Scholarship

Award!

BWFH Nurse • FALL 20132

MAL & LOIS LEWIS EXCELLENCE IN NURSING PRACTICE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDThe Mal and Lois Lewis Excellence in Nursing Practice Scholarship Award is given to a nurse working in cardiol-ogy that demonstrates compassion in a family centered context; a nurse that advocates for the patient using evidenced based research; and a nurse who is recognized by her/his peers for their unique contributions.Congratulations to Emily Robinson, RN, MSN, 6 South for

receiving this year’s and Lois Lewis Excellence in Nursing

Practice Scholarship Award!

Reward and recognition have been noted as one of the cornerstones of an engaged workforce. In preparation for our most recent employee survey, I refl ected on the culture here at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. I receive letters from patients and families on a weekly basis that seek to recognize the great nursing care they have received here. As a nurse, I know this is truly one of the best forms of recognition.

In this issue of BWFH Nurse you will read of our most formal methods of acknowl-edging some of the exceptional nurses that we have the privilege of working with, including the annual Nursing Awards given to eight nurses for their unique contribu-tions and expertise. This recognition is from leadership and colleagues from throughout the organization. This year we had an unprecedented event that created a unique opportunity for us to recognize each and every nurse.

You will also read a piece refl ecting on Marathon Monday. The message is that you are recognized as a nurse and your unique ability to care for others at the most vulnerable of times. Many were recognized for being able to provide care in areas they routinely may not have been viewed as an expert. Every nurse, no matter where they practice, had a role in the care that

day and the weeks to follow. The recogni-tion came from colleagues, our immediate community and for this event, the entire nation.

I did receive a letter from the mother of one of the Marathon victims that we cared for and would like to close my words with a quote from her: “I cannot believe how much caring the nurses were able to ex-press for so many.” Thank you for all you do to care for our patients, their families and each other.

Sincerely,

Judy Hayes RN, MSN, CNOVice President of Nursing

DEAR NURSING COLLEAGUES

Judy Hayes, RN, MSN, CNO

Published by Marketing

and Public Affairs

(617) 983-7588

[email protected]

We welcome your feedback and

suggestions for future issues.

Nursing Awards highlights exceptional care givers, continued from P1

BWFH Nurse • FALL 2013 3

A LASTING LEGACYBy Cara Marcus, Director of Library Services

Cara Marcus, Director of Library Services and Maureen Schnur, Nurse Director, CPE/Preop Holding/PACU, recently welcomed a special friend to Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. Phyllis Santucci, who worked with Maureen at Boston Children’s Hospital for many years and is currently a PACU nurse there, had two family mem-bers who graduated from the Faulkner Hospital School of Nursing. Her mother, Brenda (Jones) Guercio, graduated in 1945 and her aunt, Miriam (Lent) Jones in 1947.

Phyllis and her sister Patricia Guercio donated all of their mother’s nursing school memorabilia to the medical library archives, where it will be preserved and displayed. The generous donation in-cluded many photos, Brenda’s acceptance letter from the school, her alumni associa-tion constitution and bylaws, subscription book, human anatomy and physiology textbook, and invitation to the spring for-mal and accompanying dance card.

The most unique donation were two of Brenda’s autographed bibs, which were buttoned to the front of her apron on her uniform and held in place by her skirt. Bibs were worn as part of the everyday uniform while in school, and were autographed at graduation.

Brenda, affectionately nicknamed “Queenie” by her classmates, was born in 1924 in Everett. Her nursing career spanned from Beth Israel Hospital, where she worked in the nursery, to serving as a psychiatric nurse for Worcester State

Hospital, VA Brockton Hospital and Brock-ton Hospital. Phyllis remembers her mom putting on her uniform and how she always smiled when she went to work. “Nursing is not just a job,” said Phyllis, “It becomes a part of you.”

Though Brenda passed away in 1997, her nursing school experience will live on through Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s archives.

Maureen Schnur and Phyllis Santucci

display some of the donated items.

From left, Maureen Schnur, Phyllis Santucci

and Cara Marcus.

Nurse receives honor from BWH

Paula Knotts, BSN, RN, Director of Inpatient Psychiatric Nursing, recently received the 2013 Administrative Award from the Brigham and Women’s Department of Psychiatry. This award is in recognition of signifi cant contributions in the areas of:

Quality Service• Leadership and Innovation• Teamwork• Operational Effi ciency• Overall Outstanding Contribution to the Fundamental Functioning of the Department•

This is the only non-physician award given out by the Brigham and Women’s Department of Psychiatry.

Congratulations, Paula!


Purpose:In the complex environment of acute care hospitals, addressing RN performance gaps is an integral component in the delivery of safe, high quality, patient and family centered care and in mini-mizing the risks of adverse events. If performance gaps are not addressed in a timely and comprehensive manner, the culture of safety is negatively impacted, standards of nursing practice erode, the professional development needs of the RN are neglected or seemingly dismissed, and organizational mission and goals are not consistently met. Prior to the development of this process, when RN performance concerns were identifi ed, signifi cant vari-ability in response existed among the leadership staff. Challenges were apparent in clearly and objectively identifying the specifi c performance gaps and also in developing a plan to comprehen-sively address and resolve the concerns. The aim of our perfor-mance improvement project was to work collaboratively with nursing stakeholders to frame a successful, comprehensive and individualized performance improvement process (PIP).

Outcome Measures/Results:There are two distinct successful outcomes from a performance improvement process: completion of the PIP or voluntary resigna-tion. A successful performance improvement process is achieved when the RN completes the goals and objectives in the individu-alized plan and sustains improved performance. An alternative successful outcome is when the RN recognizes the benefi t of voluntary resignation.

Our initial PIP was implemented in 2007. Prior to the develop-ment of this process, data was not sorted or maintained related to RN retention or termination based on competency or perfor-mance defi cits. The table below refl ects the data outcomes since the implementation of the PIP. Of note, the RNs that did not suc-cessfully complete the PIP voluntarily resigned from their positions and the resignations were not challenged by the MNA.

POOR PERFORMANCE: BEST PRACTICES FOR ADDRESSING AND RESOLVING PERFORMANCE GAPSBy Carol MacKenzie, BSN, RN, Med, BC and Helene Bowen-Brady, BSN, RN, Med, BC

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PROCESS (PIP) DATA 2007 – 2012

Year # of PIP’sInpatient Areas

# of PIP’sOutpatient Areas (PACU, OR, ED, Infusion Center)

Successfully Completed PIP

Voluntary Resignation Sustained Improvement

2007 2 0 0 2 0

2008 3 0 1 2 1

2009 3 2 5 0 5

2010 5 0 4 1 4

2011 5 4 8 1 7

Totals 18 6 18 6 17

2012 3 4 6 1 Pending

Practice Implications: The following outcomes resulted from our project. Since the 2007 implementation through 2012, thirty one RNs have participated in a PIP. As of 2011, 17 of the 18 RNs that completed the PIP have sustained their individualized performance improvements and remain in the employ of the hospital. Six RNs chose to voluntarily resign. The data for 2012 refl ects that 6 of 7 RNs successfully com-pleted PIPs and sustained results are pending.

The PIP is applicable across several different practice areas. The components of the plan provide a framework to address perfor-mance concerns across the experience continuum, from entry into practice, to the very seasoned RN and can also be utilized in a wide variety of health care settings. Our defi ned PIP process and tools will be made available to ONL members. The members can adapt the process and tools for use in a wide range of health care settings.

The heightened awareness of the importance of addressing per-formance gaps in a timely and comprehensive manner has helped to drive a proactive response. The leadership staff now approach-es unsafe practice proactively, by identifying and addressing the practice as early as possible. As a result, several practice concerns have been successfully resolved by immediate interventions. The immediate interventions may include attending a remedial educa-tion class or completing a competency, thereby reducing the need for progressive disciplinary actions and formal performance improvement plans.

When experienced RNs are retained through the use of a well defi ned and successfully implemented PIP, clear advantages result. Advancing competent practice for the RN aligns with high quality, safe, patient centered care, the “Nurse of the Future Core Competencies”, the hospital’s mission, and supports the trust the public holds for our profession. It is also more cost effective to implement a successful PIP than it is to recruit, hire and orient a new RN.

SELECTED REFERENCES:American Nurses Association. Professional Role Competence (Position Statement). Silver Springs, MD: ANA; 2008.Asselin, M. & Cullen, H.A. (2011). Improving practice through refl ection. Nursing 2011, 41(4), 44-46.Chappell, K. & Koithan, M. (2012). Validating Clinical Competence. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 43(7), 293-294.

Harding, A. & Connolly, M. (2012). Remediation: A necessary function for employers to correct incompetence regarding clinical professional registered nurse practice. JONA’s Healthcare Law, Ethics, and Regulation, 14(2), 48-52.Howatson-Jones, I. (2003). Diffi culties in clinical supervision and lifelong learning. Nursing Standard. 17(37), 37-41.


The Clinical Leadership Collaborative for Diversity in Nursing (CLCDN) scholarship has recently reached and surpassed 100 recipients. This program was developed to help address the disparity between the patient population and the nurses. Accord-ing the Sullivan Commission’s 2004 report, African Americans, Latino Americans and Native Americans comprise 25% of the U.S. population but only 9% of the nation’s nurses. The need for increased diversity of the healthcare workforce has been identifi ed as a critical factor in addressing health disparities. The Institute of Medicine’s 2004 report, In the Nation’s Compelling Interest: Ensur-ing Diversity in the Health Care Workforce has called attention to this issue. The report noted that, “Increasing racial and ethnic di-versity among health professionals is important because evidence indicates that diversity is associated with improved access to care for racial and ethnic minority patients, greater patient choice and satisfaction, and better educational experiences for health profes-sions’ students, among many other benefi ts.” Furthermore the recent IOM report on the Future of Nursing supports increasing the diversity of students to create a workforce prepared to meet the demands of a growing diverse patient population.

To achieve in part the concept of diversity, Partners HealthCare and the University of Massachusetts, Boston, College of Nurs-ing and Health Sciences, joined forces to support the clinical leadership development of socio-economically disadvantaged undergraduate nursing students to make a smooth transition into clinical practice upon graduation.

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences, (CNHS)/Partners HealthCare Clinical Leadership Collaborative for Diversity in Nursing, (CLCDN), is a workforce development project designed to achieve, in part, the vision of diversity as described above by facilitating the successful progression of socio-economically dis-advantaged students through the generic undergraduate nursing program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Participants are invited to partici-pate from among students recently accepted into the undergrad-uate nursing major who demonstrate academic excellence, the promise of success and leadership potential.

Components of the program include scholarship support, leader-ship development, NCLEX preparation, pairing with diverse men-tors for coaching and problem solving and educational opportuni-ties.In 2007, the fi rst cohort was launched and was comprised of juniors and seniors. Since then, four additional cohorts, made up exclusively of fi rst semester juniors, have been added to total 75 undergraduate nursing students participated in the program. Beginning in spring 2011, the CLCDN had expanded to incorpo-rate an Advanced Practice Component to its program. Graduate students from within the Partners HealthCare System, benefi t from many of the same benefi ts that are afforded to the undergradu-ate nursing students. To date, 27 Partners HealthCare nurses have received scholarships in the amount of up to $5,000 for each semester.

Partners HealthCare has awarded the CLCDN program $2,924,475.00 since the inception of the program and it is geared to support 84 undergraduates, 34 graduates and create a new ad-ministrative fellowship program. Of the undergraduate students supported through the program, 59 have graduated. Currently, 14 are employed at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, 1 is employed at Faulkner Hospital, 25 are employed at Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 is employed at North End Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, 1 is employed at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and 2 are employed at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Of the advance practice nurses supported through the program, 9 are employed at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, 12 are employed by Massachu-setts General Hospital, 1 is employed by Newton-Wellesley Hos-pital, and 5 are employed by Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

In 2011, the CLCDN administrative team launched an evaluation with the fi rst four undergraduate cohorts to evaluate the compo-nents of the CLCDN program including its focus on mentoring, leadership development, educational and fi nancial support and networking opportunities. Another longitudinal research study is in development to explore the constructs of transition to practice, leadership development and mentorship,

CLINICAL LEADERSHIP COLLABORATIVE FOR DIVERSITY IN NURSING – 100+ MILESTONEBy Helene Bowen-Brady, BSN, RN, Med, BC

*Cohort begins in Fall 2013

**6 Additional recipients will be added in Fall 2013

COHORT INFORMATION

Cohort I Cohort II Cohort III Cohort IV Cohort V Cohort VI

Undergraduate Component

18 19 18 9 11 9*

Advanced Practice Nursing Component

0 0 0 16 11 12

EMPLOYMENT PIPELINE

Undergraduate ComponentBrigham & Women’s Hospital

Faulkner Hospital

McLean Hospital

Mass General Hospital

Newton Wellesley Hospital

North End Rehab & Nursing Center

Spaulding Rehabilitation

Hospital

Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation

Hospital

Partners Health Care

at Home

Employed Outside of PHS

Unemployed

14 1 0 29 1 1 2 0 0 7 3

Advanced Practice Nursing Component**

9 0 0 12 1 0 5 0 0 0 0

ETHNICITY BREAKDOWNAsian Black/AA Hispanic

Undergraduate Component

14 46 15

Advanced Practice Nursing Component

5 20 2


It’s possible that not many Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital employees know about Faulkner Hospital’s School of Nursing, which closed in 1978. Earlier this year, 14 members of the class of 1969 celebrated their 44th reunion, as they have done every year since graduation, continuing to gather and support each other even as they have begun to retire.

“We talked a lot at the reunion about what it was like then,” said Anna Divecchio, who has helped to keep the group united. “We were new high school graduates, maybe some a little older, living together 24 hours a day, no summers off, for three years. The training wasn’t like it is today. We were thrown into a lot of adult situations, patients who were dying or seriously ill, situations that few of us had experienced before. We worked the fl oors on weekends, and in the last two years we staffed fl oors for the hospital. Many girls didn’t live close, and stayed over every weekend.

“It was diffi cult, and we had to support each other. Nurses today are trained very differently, working toward a college degree, with short clinical rotations. When we were there we actually took care of patients. We’d live at Childrens Hospital for 3 months, or commute to Norwood Hospital for obstetrics, or Boston State Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) for psychiatric training, for similar amounts of time. We started out with about 40 students, and 30 of us graduated. All

speak highly of the wonderful education, as well as training, they received at the Faulkner school.”

DiVecchio said that many of her group found nursing a good choice, given that in the late 1960’s there were not a lot of career choices for women. “All of us are still very caring people. Faulkner gave us a lot of confi dence to be able to go out into the world, and gave us wonderful training.”

Most graduates, said DiVecchio, remained in nursing, and about six of them joined Faulkner upon graduating. Their work has ranged from dean of nursing education, director of nursing, long term care, clinician in Rheumatoid Arthritis research, visiting nurse, OR, ER, and ICU nurse. Another has continued her nursing work for the past 15 years at the Boston Shelter for the Homeless. Only one of them is still working today, while a few are doing per diem assignments. Back pain, typical for

nursing, restricts what many of them can do now.

“When we get together we still remember patient names from school,” said DiVecchio. “We talk about a particular patient who was constantly admitted for headache pain. We all took care of her, and she loved having a student nurse to hold her hand. There was another, our fi rst patient death, a man who had cancer. There wasn’t the same pain treatment as today, and sometimes holding his hand was as benefi cial as his pain medicine.”

Perhaps because of the closeness they experienced in school, Class of 1969 alumnae continue to gather every year, and since their 40th reunion they have begun to gather more frequently. Fourteen of them gathered at the June reunion, including one classmate from New Jersey who came for the fi rst time. Many husbands come too. They’ve only lost one classmate, who died of ALS. “We took care of her,” said DiVecchio, “and then we took care of her husband. We purchased a memorial bench for her. One classmate has multiple myeloma, and we are helping her. We made her a quilt with best wishes panels.”

The group may try to rent a cottage on the Coast of Maine for a week for their 45th, as it seems three days isn’t long enough. “One friend said yesterday our get-togethers aren’t really reunions anymore, but family gatherings.”

NURSING SCHOOL CLASS OF 1969 HOLDS 44TH REUNION

The 1969 graduating class gathers for their annual reunion. The group

has been meeting annually since their graduation. Front row left to

right: Martha Degon Ridlon, Carolyn Buckley O’Reilly, Linda Gaulin

Carroll, Janice MCCord, Barnard, Anna Loring DiVecchio. Back row:

Meredith Harris, Susan Potter Woods Alpeter, Linda Rugg Hannoosh,

Karen Erickson Carafoli, Pat Shields Reinker, Kathy Duffy Fargo.

The 1969 graduating class of Faulkner Hospital’s Training

School for Nurses.


Monday, April 15, 2013 affected each and every one of us as nurses. Whether you worked that day or were off, if your area received victims from the bombing or not, if you or someone you knew was at the marathon or safe in your home – that day affects us. It reminds us that what we do is important. It reminds us that every day we may not be trauma nurses in our jobs, but we are prepared to help when needed. This was never truer than on that day. There was so much added support from people coming to the Emergency Department to help. There were areas of the hospital that moved patients quickly to have an open and ready department to manage the trauma patients as they came in. It was not just an emergency department that managed that tragedy, it was our entire hospital. Patients were admitted to the operating area and the inpatient fl oors where care was continued with compassion and skill.

I was at work on that Monday when the fi rst radio call came in of a bombing at the Boston Marathon. The emergency department started preparing immediately. The care we all gave that day in the face of tragedy has never made

me prouder to be a nurse. The care, compassion, and courage far surpassed any fear. I have a renewed respect for my profession and what we do.

I was blessed to get a ticket to attend the church service honoring the responders, victims and the city of Boston. Some of you may also have been lucky enough to attend or watched the service on the

news. This as an experience is hard to describe. First, the feeling there was that of honor. Honor to be among those who survived and responded with all their hearts to such a disaster. Yes, there were lives lost and injuries to recover from, but the message was that as a community we can comfort and conquer. We are all members of the Brigham & Woman’s Faulkner Hospital community. As members of this community we were there for those affected by this tragedy so close to home.

Bee Potter, RN CENMayfl ower Chapter President of the Massachusetts Emergency Nurses Association

MARATHON MONDAYBy Bee Potter, RN

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has nearly 40,000 plus members and continues to grow, with members representing over 35 countries around the world. The mission of the Emergency Nurses Association is to advocate for patient safety and excellence in emergency nursing practice. Here at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Emergency Department, many of our nurses are active members. Bee Potter, RN, CEN, is the 2013 Mayfl ower Chapter President and Kathy Shubitowski, RN, MSN, CEN, is the Chapter Secretary/Treasurer. Kathy also sits on the State Council Board of Directors.

ENA offers many opportunities for continuing education. Recently some RN’s have become certifi ed in the Trauma Nursing Core Course and Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course offered in collaboration with the Boston Emergency Consortium. Karen White, RN, BSN, Clinical Leader in the Emergency Department, has been posting study questions to motivate staff in taking the Certifi ed Emergency Nurse exam. The next step is a study group.

This past spring, nine of our emergency department nurses attended the two day New England Regional Symposium in Plymouth, MA. This was attended by over

200 emergency nurses from around New England. This program’s goal is to enhance the professional growth of emergency nurses by offering current topics, which refl ect the needs of a changing health care environment. It was also a great time with activities including a dinner at Plimouth Plantation, a walking Ghost Tour and networking time with other professionals.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Emergency Nurses Association and how to get involved, contact Bee Potter through the emergency department or at [email protected]

BWFH NURSES CONNECT WITH MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY NURSES ASSOCIATIONBy Bee Potter, RN

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Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital

Marketing and Public Affairs

1153 Centre Street

Boston, MA 02130

Patricia (Pat) McCarthy, RN, recently assumed the role of Operating Room Director at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. When asked what her new role entails, McCarthy shares that the Operating Room Director works in collaboration with the Associate Chief Nurse to organize, implement, and plan the nursing practice of the unit.

”In particular,” she explains,” the director is responsible for the level of nursing practice, the safety of the patients, and the staff and development of quality improvement projects.” She will also be responsible for ensuring that the OR meets the mission of the hospital, and all of the regulatory requirements for Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and other accrediting agencies along with state and local requirements. McCarthy will also work closely with surgeons to ensure that patient care runs smoothly.

McCarthy has over 20 years of experience in OR practice beginning as a circulating nurse, scrub nurse, surgical fi rst assistant/nurse practitioner, and most recently, as BWFH’s Operating Room Assistant Director. As Assistant Director of the OR, McCarthy implemented multiple quality and safety initiatives to improve

MCCARTHY PROMOTED TO OPERATING ROOM DIRECTOR

patient outcomes, introduced the reprocessing program for single use items throughout the organization, authored articles on fi re safety and telesurgery, and presented on orthopedic topics and the fi re safety program.

Within her new role as Operating Room Director, McCarthy hopes to increase patient centered, surgeon, and staff satisfaction. ”We have already started working on staff satisfaction,” she explains. “There is increased inclusion of the staff in all decisions, and both the nurses and surgical techs are actively studying for certifi cations in their fi elds.”

McCarthy is an active member of the Association of Operating Room Nurses, and holds certifi cation in operating room practice from Certifi ed Nurse Operating Room (CNOR).

Pat McCarthy, RN

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