ANA Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® Champion Spotlight Series: Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Fort Worth South
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Empowering nurses and creating a healthy work environment
As the basketball star Michael Jordan once said, “Excellence isn’t a one-week or one-year ideal. It’s a constant.”
The dedicated team at Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Fort Worth South (THH) would agree. At every level of the organization, team members work together to maintain a positive culture and adhere to the highest workplace standards.
A key ingredient in their recipe for success is ensuring all nurses have the opportunity to participate in practice and operational decisions.
“Our mission is to further the healing ministry of Christ,” says Traci Wright, MSN, RN. Traci is the regional director of nursing excellence at THH. “To do this, we must ensure the experts working on the frontline of health care have a voice. Nurses have the best view of what is important to those we serve. They should be empowered to participate in decisions regarding nursing practice and day-to-day operations.”
To accomplish this goal, Traci says the organization prioritizes collaboration and respect among leadership and frontline staff.
“We keep processes and structures in place to ensure our nurses feel valued and successful day in and day out,” she says.
THH Ensures Nurses Have a Voice
Shared decision-making at THH includes the opportunity to join councils and committees focused on sharing information and solving problems. Traci notes that nurses are passionate and insightful participants within this structure.
THH also encourages nurses to lead or participate in performance improvement and evidence-based practice projects.
By adopting the principles of High Reliability Organizations (HROs) into its culture, THH strengthens its team’s ability to recognize, speak about and solve problems. Team members can voice concerns, share ideas, and problem-solve collaboratively using the LENS™ (Learning Engagement System) technology platform at THH. The ease and convenience of LENS fosters participation by all team members.
Thanks to these efforts, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) recognizes Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Fort Worth South as a premier healthy work environment.
ANCC Pathway to Excellence® Designation
Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Fort Worth South is an ANCC Pathway to Excellence® designated organization. Health care organizations that receive this designation must demonstrate 6 essential standards of a positive practice environment where nurses can thrive:
- Shared decision-making: Sharing the decision-making across the organization
- Leadership: Emphasis on leadership development, accountability, and succession planning
- Safety: Prioritization of safety and workplace violence prevention
- Quality: Commitment to quality care with a focus on continuing improvement
- Well-being: Support for nursing staff’s physical and mental health
- Professional development: Focus on mentoring and offering opportunities for ongoing professional development
According to the ANCC [video], organizations that create a healthy work environment have a positive impact on:
- Nurse engagement, satisfaction, and retention
- Patient satisfaction
- Quality outcomes
- Safety
The ANCC notes that when nurses are involved in an organization’s decision-making, the quality of care improves, and safety-related events decrease. Additionally, nurses within a Pathway to Excellence organization possess improved problem-solving (based on evidence-based practices), collaboration, and conflict-resolution skills.
To ensure a continued commitment to a positive work environment, an organization must apply for a Pathway to Excellence redesignation every 4 years according to current Pathway Standard and their applicable elements of performance (EOP).
Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Fort Worth South received its 4th redesignation in 2022. Traci notes the positive impact the program has on frontline workers.
“The focus on excellence in the workplace boosts staff morale,” she says. “Even during COVID-19, the structures we had in place kept our team whole. We continued to meet our quality and safety goals throughout the pandemic.”
An All-Hands Commitment to Excellence
Maintaining the ANCC’s prestigious designation requires support and collaboration across every level and discipline, Traci says. The arduous redesignation process includes a list of criteria, called Elements of Performance (EOPs), that an organization must meet during each cycle.
“People from every department contribute to the Pathway to Excellence designation,” says Traci. “We’ll collect data and documentation from graduate nurses and pharmacists, as well as managers, CNOs, and CEOs,” she says.
It’s not enough to have a structure or process work well in a single department, Traci notes. A positive culture must permeate every department and remain sustainable over time, she says.
Nurse-Driven Standards, Criteria, and Processes
A key part of the Pathway to Excellence program is the fact that standards are derived directly from nurses themselves.
“ANCC reviews surveys from nurses across the world about their work environment and ability to share in decision-making,” Traci says.
Each Pathway journey starts with a gap analysis. “We take the criteria from the ANCC, examine our processes, and work with our nursing teams to close any gaps,” Traci says.
After the gap analysis, Traci’s team gathers data and stories to demonstrate how their organization reflects each of the 6 standards of excellence.
“It takes us about a year to gather the data, write the paper, and submit it to the ANCC,” she says.
The final piece of the redesignation process is a survey to the organization’s nursing staff. “The ANCC verifies with our nurses that everything we submit is accurate,” says Traci. “They have a voice, a chance to validate that their workplace allows them to flourish.”
Mentorship Benefits Nurses and Organizations
Traci notes that mentorship plays a big role in the continued success of Texas Health Huguley Hospital, Fort Worth South. According to the American Nursing Association, mentoring benefits not only the mentor and mentee but the organization as well. Having a strong nurse-mentorship program helps health care organizations:
- Demonstrate a willingness to change and improve
- Maintain high-quality patient care and improve outcomes
- Recruit and retain nurses
- Support and nurture the next generation of nursing leaders
“Our leadership invests in and fosters nurses at every level, ensuring a pathway for them to grow into leadership,” Traci says. “Nurses gain the skill sets needed to be the best versions of themselves as leaders.”
Does your organization prioritize a healthy culture that empowers its nurses? Share your story with us in the comments.
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Blog Champion Spotlight
10/15/2024 2:24pm CDT
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