The Development of a Family Advisory

Council Within Maternal Child Services:

Real-World Experiences to Improve

Outcomes

Poster Presentation

The purpose and value of developing a Family

Advisory Council is to formalize the existing

practice of family-centered care by de¢ning the re-

lationship among patients, families, and health care

providers. To illustrate the importance of collabora-

tion among patients, families, and health care

providers, the advisory council will consist of fami-

lies and health care professionals whose mission is

to ensure the delivery of the highest standard of

comprehensive and compassionate health care.

The council provides a mechanism for communica-

tion between professionals, patients, and families

that leads to a better understanding and coopera-

tion in establishing priorities that re£ect patient

and family needs within the community. Coopera-

tion among health care providers, patients, and

families is essential in facilitating open communica-

tion of information that leads to improved

coordination of care and informed decision making

with science and the patient’s needs and values at

the forefront. Lessons learned and outcomes from

the development of the Family Center Advisory

Council is presented during the presentation.

Stimulating Simulations: Developing

Meaningful In Situ Simulations in a Level

III Perinatal Center

Poster Presentation

Background

Communication failures account for 72% of

perinatal sentinel events and are at the heart

of most obstetric (OB) litigation claims. Health care

professions are pro¢cient at training technical skills

but not necessarily so on teaching how to

communicate e¡ectively and perform as a team.

In situ simulations have become a standard

safety measure to assess and remediate communi-

cation issues, particularly for high-risk clinical

scenarios.

Purpose

The purpose is to describe our Level III Perinatal

Center’s experience with a multidisciplinary simula-

tion program. The goal was achieved to have

scheduled, realistic emergency scenarios to im-

prove communication processes.

Method

In the summer of 2008, as part of the Premier Peri-

natal Safety Initiative, we reinvented our simulation

training program. We began simulations in 2004

with the Vermont-Oxford Network but wanted to ad-

just some elements discovered from our experience

and recent benchmarking. One sta¡ nurse and one

physician stepped up to be simulation coordinators.

They developed scenarios based on real-life cases

that involve all disciplines. Simulations are per-

formed monthly, and sta¡ are scheduled out of unit

time to attend. A prebrie¢ng is held in which roles

are assigned and expectations set. The simulations

are videotaped. Following the simulation, a group

debrie¢ng is held, the tape is reviewed, and perfor-

mance is discussed, focusing on teamwork and

Donna Smith, MSN, RNC-OB,

Women’s and Children’s Ser-

vices, Christiana Care Health

System, Newark, DE

Cheryl-Lynne B. Kitts, MSN,

RNC-OB, Services, Christiana

Care Health System, Newark,

DE

ProfessionalIssues

Tara Snyder, RN, BSN, Labor

and Delivery, Summa Health

System, Akron City Hospital

Campus, Akron, OH

Robbie Pettit, RN, Labor and

Delivery, Summa Health Sys-

tem, Akron City Hospital

Campus, Akron, OH

Jennifer L. Doyle, MSN,

WHNP, Women’s Health Ser-

vices, Summa Health System,

Wadsworth, OH

S78 JOGNN, 39, S48-S84; 2010. DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2010.01121.x http://jognn.awhonn.org

I N N O V A T I V E P R O G R A M S

Proceedings of the 2010 AWHONN Annual Convention