Ochsner Nursing Annual Report_2019_DIGITAL For Flipbook nolinks 2 FINAL

Ochsner Nursing
Connection

2018-2019 Nursing Annual Report

2 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

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As this document went to publication,
we were in the throes of a massive Coronavirus pandemic.
Louisiana, particularly New Orleans, was hit very hard by the pandemic.
While I’ve always known nurses are heroes, now the whole world knows.
To nurses everywhere, you rose up to fight for the safety

of your patients, your peers and colleagues.
You gave of your kind hearts, fierce minds and brave spirits.
Many of you, your friends or relatives suffered from this disease.
Some of you lost loved ones. But still you came, you gave, you cared.
How prophetic that 2020 was named The Year of the Nurse.

I could not be more proud.
Thank You!!!

Editorial Team Contents

Maria Nix, MSN, BSN, RN Ochsner Nursing...................................................................................................3
Clinical Educator, Editor
Tracey Moffatt, MHA, BSN, RN, About Ochsner Nursing – Passion to Purpose
System Chief Nursing Officer A Message from the CNO
and VP Quality
Ann Lockhart, MN, RN-BC, Nursing Quality, Patient Safety and Patient Experience...............................7
AVP Nursing Practice
Ochsner Creative Media Services Patient and Employee Safety Nursing Initiatives
The Collaborative Staffing Resource Center
2 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report Nursing and Information Services Partnership
Saving More Lives with Telehealth Programs

Advancing Care and the Nursing Profession.................................................27

Education and Professional Development - Nurturing Our Nursing Workforce
Celebrating Student Nurses
Simulation Training
Promoting Nursing Research

Recognizing and Celebrating Ochsner Nurses............................................. 43

Internal and External Awards
Ochsner Medical Center – New Orleans Achieves 4th Magnet Designation
Celebrating Licensed Practical Nurses
A Patient’s Story

Supporting OHS Nursing and Looking to the Future...................................53

Ochsner Celebrates the World Health Organization Year of the Nurse and Midwife in 2020
Remembering Cheryl Woods

Watch Our Nursing Videos and Messages on Page 57

Ochsner Nursing

OCHSNER NURSING MISSION is to guide efforts to advance the
profession, to ensure a culture of safety, improve clinical outcomes,
promote organizational growth and further national prominence.

OUR 2020 VISION is nursing excellence through Relationship
Based Care.

Ochsner Nursing By the Numbers

7,009 Number of Ochsner Health System Nurses

(5,916 RNs +1,093 LPNs)

45 “I try and be the nurse that I
1,403 would want taking care of my
family member or myself.”
2,171
401 – Fallyn Chuter, RN, Supervisor, RN
319 Operations Coordinator, Clinical Staff
884 Med Surg unit, Ochsner Medical Center
– West Bank Campus.
4

At Ochsner, we connect our passion to our purpose.
WATCH THE VIDEO ON PAGE 57

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 3

A Message from Ochsner Health System Chief Nursing Officer – Tracey Moffatt

Dear Ochsner Nurses,

I couldn’t be more proud of our incredible team. With over 6,000 nurses across the system, our elite
nursing staff provided outstanding patient care to more than 870k patients in 2019. Our nurses are vital to
ensuring the highest quality of care and empowering an engaged nursing workforce.

We not only provide exceptional patient care, but we were also recognized across the nation for excellence
in 2019. Ochsner is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best
Hospital” across two specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 70 countries
worldwide each year.

This has been another extraordinary year for Ochsner Nursing and I’m excited to share an overview
of the amazing work our teams have accomplished in the 2018-2019 Ochsner Health System Nursing
Annual Report. Ochsner nurses bring our Core Values to life through our dedication to patients and each
other. One of the ways we are fulfilling Ochsner’s mission is through an unwavering focus on excellence
in education. In this report you will see multiple examples of how Ochsner nurses are leading the way
in supporting every stage of a nurse’s career. From the new and seasoned practicing nurses of today to
building our future nursing pipeline to meet the healthcare needs of tomorrow, we continue to help nurses
throughout their journey.

I’m excited to share stories with you, including how we are using simulation training within Ochsner and
with nursing students at Chamberlain University College of Nursing at Ochsner Health System. Additionally,
we’re advancing evidence-based practice and sharing our successes through scholarly presentations,
speaking engagements, and publications locally at Ochsner’s 11th Annual Evidence-Based Practice/
Research conference and nationally.

Our continued investment in the professional development of our nurses far exceeds our competitors.
We have redesigned our nurse technician training program to include operating room experience and
exposure. We recently launched a brand-new curriculum for nursing directors and we’re partnering with Chamberlain to create a specialized chief nursing officer
succession planning curriculum.

As an industry leader, Ochsner takes responsibility for growing the professional nursing workforce across our region and we’re doing this through innovative
partnerships. For example, Ochsner nurses are filling the need for nursing faculty by serving in shared roles as clinical adjunct faculty members at Delgado
Community College, allowing us to train more nurses than ever.

Ochsner hosts Chamberlain students during “Transition to Care” ceremonies, which mark the time when nursing students begin clinical experiences. Through our
academic alliance with Chamberlain and collaboration on undergraduate curriculum design, we are creating a bridge from academic nursing education to nursing
practice and we’re shaping the nurse of the future to empower the most capable nurses to meet future demands.

Through your strengths, leadership, and dedication, we are changing the culture in nursing one day-at-a-time. We are improving nurse well-being and engagement
and achieving better outcomes for those we serve.

We are fortunate to have an outstanding nursing team of clinicians, educators, researchers, scholars, innovators, and leaders in every unique nursing specialty. I hope
you will take some time to reflect on the impact you are making and feel a sense of pride, as I do every day.

Sincerely, WATCH THE VIDEO ON PAGE 57

Tracey Moffatt, MHA, BSN, RN,
System CNO & VP of Quality, Ochsner Health System

4 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Nursing Quality, Patient Safety Advancing Care in the Recognizing and Celebrating Supporting OHS Nursing
and Patient Experience Nursing Profession Ochsner Nurses and Looking to the Future

OCHSNER
NURSING

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 5

We are so proud of Discover how we are
our nurses! sDhisacoptvhoienerfgfhuhottewuhraeweloetfhfauhrceetaausrlhtrehaepc. ainrge

• 23 Ochsner and Ochsner affiliate RNs named OUR MISSION
Great 100 Nurses of Louisiana in 2019
SERVE, HEAL, LEAD, EDUCATE & INNOVATE.
• Ochsner Nurses influence the nursing
profession statewide on boards.

• In 2019, Ochsner’s CNO Tracey Moffatt OUR VISION IMPACTING LIVES ACROSS LOUISIANA,
recognized by the New Orleans District THE NATION & THE WORLD
Ochsner will be a global medical
Nurses Association with the Legacy Award. and academic leader who will Ochsner serves patients from across
save and change lives. We will
• Ochsner Nurses serve as teachers for our shape the future of healthcare LOUISIANA, EVERY STATE
through our integrated health 70 COUNTRIES.in the nation,
The BfveuotsluutrmeaennuordfsnintughrsewinogBrksrtfiougrdcheent. teIsnsc2to0m18p,ltehteing system, fueled by the passion
WorkcalinticOalcrhotsantioenrs!at Ochsner was 1373 and strength of our diversified and more than
undergraduate nurses and 381 advanced team of physicians and employees.
Ochsner is
• 32 Ochpsrnaecr taincdeOpcrhosvneidr eafrfilsiattuedReNnsts.
LOUISIANA’S LARGEST
• On2a0c1mh•7s endepInGra’sr2retC0anNt1e19Or0sO0ThrNcaipucherssaynegMserrooeffehfaLmatotdue2i0sn4i1at07snaCafriictnoyamdenmuricsing
BusinepssroNgerwaOmrsleainncslNuudrisningg LHPeaNlt,hRcaNre, BSN, MSN, PhD, not-for-profit health system and one of the largest independent academic
health systems in the United States.

• AHNerCoCaMnadgnDetNdPe.signated organization- OCHSNER BY THE NUMBERS 2 U.S. News & World Report Nearly
“Best Hospital” Specialty 2E6m,0pl0o0ye+es
• OASpNMe•CCc Ci-aJOAlcetyefNMfrectCirCefsirCeo-tidNnfiMcNeHauawitgirogshnOenwbeaRroylteensduaidsneeossnf.ifcgeyrnePadrtoegdramorganization- 75+ Ochsner was founded Category Rankings
• more than 75 years ago 2.5M
by Dr. Edgar Burns, Dr. 40+ Owned, Managed,
• cNounr•sti innuSginpEgednucuciraastliitnoygn ceGderuarctniatftFiicounantdainosdunpbpoortnsus offered. Guy Caldwell, Dr. Francis & Affiliated Clinic Visits
E. LeJeune, Sr., Dr. Alton Ochsner and Specialty Hospitals in 2019
• pCcorloimn•feip cseasNcnliooLsuananrtaditsoldiidnnenerufgovPiernrElosgodtgprronumanucmegarncspttliriinonovigcnidaeeGl adsrnuadcnattFiounndansdupports Dr. Curtis Tyrone.
professpiornoaflessksililos nal development. 876,000+
120+ Health Centers & $3.8B TOTAL
• Clinical Ladder Program provides Urgent Care Centers OPERATING PATIENTS SERVED IN 2019
compensation for strong clinical and REVENUE
professional skills. (2019)

$16.4M Raised in Philanthropy 8K Patients enrolled in digital medicine in 2019

OMC – 90 MEDICAL SPECIALTIES 4,500+ 750+Employed& clinical
New Orleans & SUBSPECIALTIES Affiliated Physicians research
studies
OMC-Jefferson Highway
Ochsner.org
6 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

OHS_AboutOchsner_2019-8-26.indd 1 8/26/19 1:29 PM

Nursing Quality, Patient Safety Advancing Care in the Recognizing and Celebrating Supporting OHS Nursing
and Patient Experience Nursing Profession Ochsner Nurses and Looking to the Future

Nursing Quality,
Patient Safety and
Patient Experience

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 7

Ochsner Health System Nursing Strategic
Priorities 2019 - 2021

Ochsner nurse leaders identified strategic priorities that focus on
the challenges facing nursing and the many solutions that exist.

The Ochsner Nursing Relationship-Based Care Professional Practice
Model guides how we practice nursing at Ochsner by identifying key
concepts that can be found in all that we do as nurses.
Relationship-Based Care focuses on three important relationships: nurse
to patient and family, nurse to team and nurse to self.

Priority 1 - Improve Quality, Safety and Patient Experience

Strategic objective: Recognize appropriate triggers and process measures that are known to affect quality, safety and patient/family perception
of care. Act on measures swiftly and consistently, driving a culture of patient-centered excellence to ensure Ochsner Health System is the provider
of choice.

Priority 2 - Stabilize Staffing

Strategic objective: Strategically partner across divisions with human resources business partners, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition,
talent management, nursing research, and with our academic partners to ensure Ochsner is the employer of choice while continuing to build a
pipeline for our future workforce.

Priority 3 - Manage Patient Care Expense

Strategy objective: Strategically partner with finance, human resources, information services and other leaders to implement and adopt systems,
processes and models resulting in exceptional stewardship of our most valuable resource.

8 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Nursing Quality, Patient Safety and Patient Experience Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
and Patient Experience
Ochsner nurses work together to NUMBER OF PATIENT FALLS
strengthen our adoption of improvements
in care delivery to ensure exceptional 3
outcomes.
2 1.85
Through the hands of our nurses and the
interdisciplinary care team, we deliver 2.24
exceptional outcomes in national quality 1
indicators. In 2019, we saw:
0 2019 Advancing Care in the
17% reduction in patient falls 2018 Nursing Profession
29% reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract
NUMBER OF CAUTIS 22 Recognizing and Celebrating
infection rate (CAUTI) 2019 Ochsner Nurses
35
20% reduction in pressure ulcer rate 30
11% reduction in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus 25

Aureus (MRSA) blood infection events 20 31

56% reduction in C. difficile infection events 15
3% reduction in risk adjusted mortality index 10
16% reduction in expected complications rate index 5

2018

NUMBER OF PRESSURE ULCERS

3

2 2.01 Supporting OHS Nursing
1 2.42 and Looking to the Future

0 2019
2018

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 9

Collaborative Staffing Resource Center Comes to Life

Ochsner nurses are always ready to meet the ever-changing demands we “Working
encounter as a healthcare organization. Through our Collaborative Staffing in the
Resource Center (CSRC), our highly skilled and adaptable nurses are filling open Collaborative
shifts throughout the organization to decrease reliance on external agencies Staffing
and reduce overall costs. The CSRC launched in 2019 and quickly grew into a Resource
team of over 230 team members, including 170+ registered nurses and licensed Center is an
practical nurses. The center also includes additional clinical team members, such opportunity
as patient care technicians and patient safety attendants, as well as non-clinical to be a
support team members. The goal of the CSRC team is to enable consistent and ‘travel nurse’
reliable patient care staffing throughout Ochsner Health System. while living
at home,
Additionally, Ochsner created the CSRC to meet this goal by building a team of using one
flexible clinicians that are skilled and willing to work in multiple locations as they electronic
are needed. Through this program, we offer a new and unique opportunity for medical
experienced nurses to have a highly flexible schedule while working in various record,
Ochsner locations. and having
consistent
In its inaugural year, the CSRC: leadership. CRSC nurses experience
new opportunities and different
• Hired over 125 registered nurses challenges in every shift working in a
• Projected to fill over 9,500 shifts variety of units throughout Ochsner,
• Avoided over 357 weeks of agency contracts which is appealing to candidates and
• Worked in over 111 departments across the system has enabled rapid career growth.”
• Filled over 700 agency contracts for allied health and nursing
– Bruce S. Weinberg
While we continue to grow our staff to serve patients in our medical/surgical, AVP, nursing workforce management
telemetry, stepdown, critical care and emergency departments, we are Ochsner Health System
expanding into mother/baby, labor and delivery, and the neonatal intensive care
unit (NICU). Beginning in 2020, we will also be offering our team members to
fill-in at our clinics when they have both scheduled and unplanned absences.
We are excited about the success we saw in our first year, and we have only just
begun! Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

10 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Ochsner Patient Flow Center Expands Services to Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
Strengthen the Coordination of Care Throughout the System and Patient Experience

Ochsner’s Patient Flow Center (PFC) launched in 2018. Advancing Care in the
The redesign of patient flow makes patient care safer Nursing Profession
and more efficient across the system. Incorporating
centralized bed placement into our regional transfer Recognizing and Celebrating
center improved timeliness and comfort for patients Ochsner Nurses
needing new levels of care.
Supporting OHS Nursing
“The PFC has provided a streamlined flow of patient and Looking to the Future
transfers between facilities in the Ochsner system,”
said Christian Harris, RN, administrative coordinator,
Ochsner Baptist. “The PFC enables our teams to place
patients in the most appropriate facilities across our
network of hospitals.”

In 2019, the center continued to grow, expanding the
scope of services and incorporating a blended staffing
model. The transfer center completed 1,000 transfers in
August 2019 and each month since.

In addition, level I and II patient flow center
coordinators have been added to the staffing model
throughout the year. Nurse coordinators in the PFC
worked closely with staffing coordinators from the
Collaborative Staffing Resource Center (CSRC) to increase partnership of staffing resources across the system. CSRC staffing coordinators and
Ochsner’s emergent transport dispatch partners, Acadian Ambulance, were stationed in the PFC strengthening collaboration.

The PFC incorporated case management services adding a dedicated case management resource to assist with utilization review for patient
transfers. The addition of a pediatric transfer specialist resulted in 20% growth for neonatal and pediatric transfers.

“Having a dedicated transfer specialist has been a game changer,” said Thomas Harris, vice president of Pediatrics. “This gives our referring
facilities the ability to interact with a consistent resource who is well-versed in our pediatric process and who can expedite getting patients to
the most appropriate unit and facility for care.”

The PFC’s centralized psychiatric placement team placed over 600 patients per month in 2019. Through a collaboration with the grand central Epic
team, the PFC team transitioned from using a paper workflow to the electronic module in Epic, decreasing emergency department length of stay
for psychiatric patients by 45 minutes.

“We were scared at first to give up this control, but now over a year in, we recognize their efficiencies and appreciate the time back we have to
be at the bedside with the patients!” - LaTwunya Randall, RN, director of emergency department, Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank Campus.

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 11

The OMC - North Shore Safety Advisory Committee

“No Falls Y’all!” Keeping Patients Safer at Ochsner
Medical Center – Northshore

In 2018, Ochsner Medical Center – Northshore (OMC - Northshore) recognized the need to strengthen efforts to prevent patient falls. The Center
for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that by 2020, the cost of fall related injuries will reach $54.9 billion.
Although the OMC – Northshore team initiated multiple interventions to assist in lowering the fall rate for patients in the hospital setting in 2018,
the year ended with a fall rate of 2.19, which was higher than the benchmark of </= 1.97.
In 2019, the Safety Advisory Committee, a team-led committee empowered by senior leadership to address safety concerns identified by team
members, was tasked with addressing the continued issue of inpatient falls. The team launched an initiative that successfully decreased the falls
rate to below benchmark.

12 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

The “No Falls Y’all” Initiative Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
and Patient Experience
In January 2019, “falls champions”, most of whom also serve on the Safety Advisory Committee, were identified from each of the units and
collaborated to develop the “No Falls Y’all” initiative. This group dubbed themselves as the Fall Busters Task Force, responsible for providing
a peer review of all fall incidences. The peer review is a non-punitive, collaborative and constructive way to problem solve when a fall occurs.
Additionally, the taskforce recognizes any unit who achieves 30 days without a fall.

One key component of the “No Falls Y’all” “Since the Advancing Care in the
Initiative is employee education, which included: inception of Nursing Profession
the “No Falls
• OMC– Northshore’s Fall Busters Task Force members provided Y’all” initiative Recognizing and Celebrating
education to team members through huddles and staff and the Ochsner Nurses
meetings and distributed informational packets on the No Falls development
Y’all initiatives. of the Fall Supporting OHS Nursing
Busters Task and Looking to the Future
• The Fall Busters Task Force offered education to nursing Force, staff
team members on fall prevention during general nursing staff engagement
meetings and worked with vendors to conduct in-services for in maintaining
Stryker beds with a feature called Chaperone Exit System and a safe
iBed Awareness, both options are designed to assist in alerting environment
nurses when an at-risk patient attempts to get up without for our patients
assistance. has soared.
Nursing units
• During Patient Safety Week, the Safety Advisory Committee have embraced a competitive spirit in being
developed a training aimed at raising awareness of the most the unit to have the longest number of days
common causes of patient falls. The committee set up a “Room since the last patient fall. As a result of the
of Horrors,” a timed exercise in which team members were efforts of our entire team, OMC – Northshore
challenged to identify all the fall risks present in the room. is experiencing lower fall rates,” said Yvette
Those who identified the most fall risks during the allocated Bertaut, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing
time were entered into a prize drawing. officer, OMC – Northshore.

• The team also incorporated an overview of all fall prevention
efforts into our OMC – Northshore campus new nurse
orientation.

Since starting the “No Falls Y’all” Initiative, OMC – Northshore
experienced fewer patient falls. In 2019, the fall rate decreased
from 2.40 in the first quarter to 2.18 in the second quarter, and to
1.40 in the third quarter. This decline overall indicates that efforts
of the OMC – Northshore team will keep our patients safer.

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 13

New Tools Enable Every Member of the Care As a result of Proactive Ochsner
Team to Promote Preventative Healthcare for Encounters
Our Patients
• Nearly 3,000 patients
Proactive Ochsner Encounters is an innovative program that places responsibility for our screened for diabetic or
patients’ preventative healthcare on the entire care team, rather than just the primary care cancer detection
team. Before Proactive Ochsner Encounters, the primary care team ensured that our patients
completed preventative health screenings and immunizations. By hardwiring a new operation • Nearly 3,000 immunizations
into the existing EPIC workflow, the program now establishes a simple process that allows each administered
member of the specialty clinic care team to also engage with patients about their overdue health
screenings and immunizations during every touchpoint of the specialty clinic visit. • 9 patients found out they had
breast cancer
How it works
• 2 patients found out they had
Team members follow multiple check points to ensure patients are reminded of overdue early colorectal cancer
screenings and other tests designed for early detection. Patients are then able to review a list
of overdue preventative care options in the waiting room and are given the opportunity to • 16 patients found out they
discuss in more detail in the exam room. had early retinopathy

Proactive Ochsner Encounters benefits our patients and care team “The Proactive
in multiple ways Ochsner Encounters

• Involving patients in preventative health and increasing compliance for overdue program
screenings. EPIC prompts help ensure patient engagement in their overall health also involves
maintenance. subspecialties in a
population health
• Empowering our care team in new ways. Every team member plays an important role in initiative, which
ensuring that patients are getting the care that they need. Together, team members from has been a real win
multiple departments are coming together for a common goal. This program promotes for our patients,”
teamwork across the clinic in a new way and encourages team members to take more said Janie Gilberti,
responsibility in patient care regardless of their role.             vice president of
primary care service
• Decreasing healthcare disparities. Since reminders are generated through the electronic line integrated
medical record, healthcare disparities are minimized and we ensure that all patients are programs, Ochsner Medical Center
receiving equal and appropriate care at every clinic visit. – New Orleans

“I have been to quite a few appointments at Ochsner and of all of those appointments, Marcy was the only one who took her time to ask ‘Can

I go ahead and schedule your mammogram?’ This was March 12. My mastectomy is scheduled April 29 with a low chance of chemo. And low
chance of radiation. In my book, she saved my life. There is no history in my family and this was my first mammogram.” – An Ochsner patient who
found out she had breast cancer as a result of a reminder to schedule her mammogram from her care team at the Ochsner Back and Spine Center,
located at Ochsner Baptist, while visiting for low back pain.

14 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Improving Our Patient Experience Through these efforts to provide an exceptional patient experience Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
in 2019, we improved our national rank in comparison to other and Patient Experience
Ochsner strives for a true partnership with every patient. In 2019, our healthcare systems across the United States:
highly engaged team members led activities around the system that Advancing Care in the
support positive patient experiences and improving our interactions • Emergency departments across the system saw the most Nursing Profession
with each other. improvement in patient experience scores with a 13-point
improvement systemwide and four regions achieving double- Recognizing and Celebrating
Ochsner nurse leaders round daily to support the success of our nurses digit increases: Ochsner Nurses
as they interact with patients. Nurse leaders help break down barriers ✦ OMC – Hancock had a 38-point increase.
so our nurses can do what they do best, care for those in need of ✦ OMC – Kenner had 23-point increase. Supporting OHS Nursing
their expertise. Bedside handoff continues to be a “wow” for Ochsner ✦ Ochsner Baptist had a 19-point increase. and Looking to the Future
patients. Time and again, patients and families comment on how ✦ OMC – New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish Hospital had a
empowering it is to be such a significant part of their own care team. 12-point increase.

Our nurses apply evidence-based practice not only to their clinical • Ochsner clinics have been an area of focus with team-based
work, but to the patient’s clinical experience. Examples include training:
using empathetic communication, using a warm tone of voice, ✦ Women’s OB/GYN saw a 13-point increase across the system.
acknowledging frustrations, being present, listening, validating ✦ OMC – New Orleans, with our largest volume, is hitting target
feelings and being flexible. with a 2-point increase over last year.

Patient experience councils, unit practice councils, integration • OMC – Kenner and OMC – New Orleans made improvements in
councils and leadership groups regularly bring the voice of the patient HCAHPS scores:
into their work. We hear from patients through survey responses, ✦ OMC – Kenner had a 14-point increase.
social media posts, and especially while they are in our care and ✦ OMC – New Orleans had an 8-point increase.
use feedback to improve our service. Ochsner’s patient experience
professional coaching team partners with leaders across the system • An electronic rounding platform makes identifying trends
to drive improvements at the local level. Their expertise provides an easier – 63,000 rounds with patients completed across our
“outside perspective” to help support the nurse leader’s daily work. system.

“Ochsner nurses and the • Ochsner received 14,500 reviews on social media, and 93%
interdisciplinary team were positive reviews.
practice empathy and
compassion every day with • Ochsner received 115,000 positive comments from patients
patients when they come through Press Ganey surveys.
to Ochsner for care, and it
makes all the difference.” “Compassion makes the unbearable, bearable.”
–Kenneth B. Schwartz
– Alison Soileau, MA, FACHE,
CPXP, vice president of Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 15
patient experience and service
excellence
Ochsner Health System

Ochsner’s Nursing Informatics Team Collaborates Across the System to Enhance
the Use of Technology for Nurses

“As new technologies are introduced to improve patient care, systems and devices and is designed to increase the efficiency of
Ochsner’s nursing informaticists play a key role in successful medication administration for nurses. Pyxis Link enables nurses to
integration of new technologies within the healthcare queue medications from the patient’s bedside, which provides multiple
environment,” said Ann Lockhart, MN, RN-BC assistant vice benefits that result in more timely medication administration.
president of nursing practice, system nursing professional
development and nursing informatics, Ochsner. By remotely cueing medications up to two hours before administration
time, nurses can provide patient education in advance when viewing
This past year, nursing informaticists worked with the multidisciplinary the medication administration record. In addition, nurses can identify
team to support the integration of new technologies that enhance which Pyxis Medstation on the unit the medications are loaded in,
nursing practice and improve patient care. decreasing the need to access multiple Medstations to search for all
of a patient’s medications. Nurses can also document and witness all
Leveraging Technologies that Improve Lab Specimen waste activities from any personal computer, without having to return
Identification (LSID) to the Medstation.

Laboratory tests provide essential diagnostic information that guides The Nursing Informatics team collaborated with Pharmacy and System
patient care and treatment while receiving care during hospitalization. Nursing Professional Development to train nursing staff on the new
This past year, Ochsner’s Nursing Informatics team worked together product to ensure a successful launch of the new tool. Nearly 70
with bedside nurses, laboratory personnel, providers and multiple nurse superusers from across the system attended the BD Pyxis Link
teams within Information Services to create solutions to ensure proper Pharmacy Training and served as Pyxis Link experts for their units.
specimen collections at the patients’ bedside and positive patient
identification.

One key solution was implementing barcode scanning technology
for blood specimen collections in the emergency room and inpatient
setting. Barcode scanning automates patient and lab identification,
reducing errors caused by entering information manually and
eliminating the need to re-label blood specimens in the lab. The
nursing informatics team worked with the electronic medical
record team to create workflows that allow nurses to print
lab specimen labels from new specimen label printers
installed in nursing units throughout the system.

Improving Safety of Medication
Administration and Efficiency of
Documentation Using Pyxis Link

In 2019, Ochsner Pharmacy rolled out the Pyxis
ES Link, a web-based application that acts as an
interface between the electronic medical record
and the Pyxis ES Medstation. The new technology
allows for connectivity of information across

16 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

success. Each member of the nursing team participated in crafting Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
workflow design and physical layout of the departments. Nurses and Patient Experience
at The Grove also helped initiate a robust advanced practice
Thirty members of the surgical hospital at Ochsner Medical Complex – The Grove registered nurse-led pre-admission testing process that promotes Advancing Care in the
celebrate opening their doors to the first patient on June 3, 2019. patient safety and a positive patient experience. The Grove care Nursing Profession
team is more engaged than ever, which is creating a positive
Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge impact on our patients’ experience. Physician engagement has also Recognizing and Celebrating
Opened a New State-of-the-Art been very positive, our employees remain actively engaged and Ochsner Nurses
Surgical Hospital ambulatory surgery patient experience scores are best in class.
Supporting OHS Nursing
Bringing New Services to Patients in the Baton Rouge Region Since opening, the dynamic care team at The Grove exceeded and Looking to the Future
expectations in reaching patients across the Baton Rouge region:
Ochsner Health System is committed to bringing new services to
patients in our community. In 2019, Ochsner was pleased to open • Just four months after opening, surgical volumes at The Grove
Ochsner Medical Complex – The Grove. The Grove is a short stay surgical met and exceeded budget.
hospital that provides state-of-the-art equipment and easier access for
patients. • Pain management procedure volume, which relocated from OMC
The Grove features four operating rooms, two endoscopy suites, – Baton Rouge, exceeded the expected volume each month since
two pain management procedure rooms, 24 pre/post-op beds and opening.
10 inpatient med/surg beds. All inpatient rooms are equipped with
Ochsner’s optimal hospital technology, including patient tablet • The endoscopy team continues to show growth with new
computers allowing patients to view their health data, schedule and providers expecting to be credentialed at the hospital in late
learn about their care; quiet hours to minimize patient disruption; and 2019/early 2020.
copper-infused linens to reduce the risk of infection.
From the initial planning phase, OMC – Baton Rouge nurses were excited With anticipated growth of same-day surgeries, an additional focus
to participate in the design and implementation of hospital operations is attracting both community and employed surgeons to perform
from the ground up and are proud to have played an integral role in its overnight stay surgeries at The Grove. Increasing surgical volume will
free operating room time at OMC – Baton Rouge for both higher
WATCH THE VIDEO ON PAGE 57 acuity cases and addition of new services. The additional inpatient
beds at The Grove also increases the capacity to care for more
patients in the region.

“Nursing input, planning, and practice
have been key to the successful launch
of this new and innovative venue of
care. From the pre-admission testing
process through discharge, excellent
nursing care supports and drives the
ultimate patient experience in Baton
Rouge,” says Dianne Teal, MSN, RN,
NEA-BC, FACHE, chief nursing officer,
Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge.

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 17

Using Accountable Care Units at St. Tammany Parish Hospital to Improve
Team Collaboration and Patient Safety

In 2019, the nursing team at St. Tammany Parish Hospital began its journey St. Tammany Parish Hospital team members who have supported the
toward high reliability through an effort to transform care at the bedside. “go live” of the ACU on 3 North, including nursing staff, hospitalists, care
The overarching goal was to empower and engage our workforce to deliver managers, social workers and pharmacists.
the best possible care. The challenge was to eliminate barriers and deliver
on the promise that each patient deserves the very best we can provide.
Nurse leaders implemented the Accountable Care Unit (ACU) model, a
team-based approach to patient care, to support transformational change
and sustainability.

The ACU model involves all members of the care team, patients and families
in structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds (SIBR). During interdisciplinary
rounds, issues like medication changes, home medications, family dynamics
and home environment for post-discharge care are addressed in real time
with team input. Once the care team completes their roles, the patient and
family members have an opportunity to add information and ask questions.
Each patient round is completed in three to five minutes.

One family member shared, “I have never seen anything like this before in

any other hospital. I just feel so informed about my mother’s care and the

communication happening with the entire team.”

The Impact of ACUs and benefits “The ACU model has decreased our

• Shared leadership - ACUs incorporate a nurse-physician leadership overall length of stay, helped our team
dyad, shift-to-shift unit-based team huddles, and an executive team
safety huddle. The nurse/physician leadership dyad are equally prepare better for patient discharges
accountable for the unit metrics and performance.
and improved communication among
• Recognizing team members - The process incorporates a “good catch”
program to recognize nurses for catching and fixing potential issues disciplines. The transformation
and promoting patient safety.
that is happening within nursing is
• Fostering professional development of millennial nurses - Millennials
have rapidly become one of St. Tammany’s largest population of newly remarkable. The bedside nurses have
hired nurses. SIBR is an opportunity to support and empower young
nurses, to use critical thinking skills at the bedside every day and be become strong partners aligned with
recognized as an expert in patient care.
the other care team members and
This year St. Tammany Parish Hospital has successfully launched three ACUs
and they expect the number to grow with an additional four units planned patients are getting the best possible
for next year.
care and that remains our primary
goal,” said Kerry K. Milton, RN, MSHA,
senior vice president and chief nursing
officer, St. Tammany Parish Hospital

18 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Ochsner Nursing Leaders Work with Information Services to Create Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
Solutions to Ease Nursing Practice and Patient Experience

In the 2019 nursing strategic planning process, Ochsner nurse leaders identified ease of practice as a high strategic priority. This past year, Advancing Care in the
system nursing leadership teamed up with Ochsner’s Information Services (IS) on several projects to simplify documentation, streamline and Nursing Profession
enhance Epic’s nursing workflows and integrate innovative technologies that allow our nurses to spend more time with patients.

“The Nursing - IS partnership is essential to the promotion of quality and safety initiatives across the system as new technologies are
introduced,” said Ann Lockhart, MN, RN-BC, assistant vice president, nursing practice, nursing informatics and system nursing professional
development. “Through our strong collaboration on IS initiatives, we are enhancing healthcare technologies to ensure integration with nursing
practice.”

Ease of practice initiatives included:

• Reducing interruptions for clinicians while documenting - The Clinical Decision Support Committee, representing nurses and physicians across
the system, reviewed existing best practice alerts and removed over 12 million alerts in 2019.

• Faster access to patient information - In October, the IS team launched OneTap, a new technology feature that allows clinicians instant badge
access to Epic with one tap of their employee badge. OneTap is designed to make it easier and faster to access the patient’s chart during a visit.

• Overhauling care planning - Nurses can now complete care planning faster with a new workflow for documenting on goals and interventions
and then pull completed documentation into an end-of-shift note with one click.

“In 2019, we decreased unnecessary change in nursing documentation by ensuring Recognizing and Celebrating
our flowsheets were backed by best practice evidence and Ochsner remained in the Ochsner Nurses
top quartile of all international Epic customers, spending 51 minutes in every 12-hour
shift in flowsheets,” said Amy Trainor, MHA, BSN, RN, vice president, clinical systems. Ann Lockhart, MN, RN-BC, AVP of Amy Trainor, MHA, BSN, RN, Supporting OHS Nursing
and Looking to the Future
Ochsner’s IS team is dedicated to partnering with nurses and other clinicians to make nursing practice, system nursing vice president, clinical systems
their work a little easier so that they can keep providing the best patient care possible.
professional development and
Looking ahead to 2020, nursing, the IS team, pharmacy and the Epic team will work
together on an IV pump integration project that will allow Epic to send IV orders
directly to the IV infusion pumps, eliminating manual steps for nurses and ensuring
safer patient care. Other enhancements we plan to implement in 2020 include:

• Epic’s Voice Assistant, which will allow clinicians to create documentation or view
information in Epic using voice commands.

• The Nursing Assignment Wizard with Kronos integration, which will allow nursing
assignments directly in Epic.

nursing informatics Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 19

Saving More Lives with Telehealth Programs at “Thanks to telehealth
Slidell Memorial Hospital
programs, we are able
Through a joint operating agreement, Slidell Memorial Hospital (SMH) and Ochsner committed to
do more for Northshore patients by collaborating to bring innovation and service growth to the to connect specialized
community. Through our partnership, SMH advanced technological capabilities, introducing critical
telehealth services and connecting patients to their care network through Epic. care to the patients

This collaboration included: in our community,

• Ochsner CareConnect 360 TeleStroke Program: When it comes to strokes, minutes equal brain quickly, efficiently, and
function. The faster a stroke victim can be evaluated by a specialist and treated with tissue
plasminogen activator (t-PA), the less chance of disability and death. The three-hour window of consistently.” - Theresa
time needed to administer t-PA begins when stroke symptoms appear, which can be missed if a
neurologist is not on-site. Williams, MSN/MBA, RNC-
OB, chief nursing officer,
• To reduce the devastating effects of a stroke for patients visiting the emergency department, Slidell Memorial Hospital
SMH implemented the Ochsner CareConnect 360 TeleStroke Program in 2016. Through the use
of this Telehealth technology, patients are able to be evaluated by neurologists as they arrive at
the hospital and can be treated with t-PA treatment sooner. Since its implementation at SMH,
approximately 100 patients received critical intervention, with 75% of those patients able to remain
at SMH for treatment. The average treatment time for t-PA improved by nearly 40%.

• TelePsych: SMH and Ochsner also recently added TelePsych to the Northshore campuses. TelePsych
allows staff physicians to collaborate with providers with specialized psychiatric training in
diagnosing and developing the best treatment and disposition plan for patients presenting with
acute psychiatric conditions. Of approximately 250 patients who have been evaluated at SMH
since its implementation in April 2019, 71 patients were able to be discharged home, preventing
unnecessary admission to a psychiatric facility.

• In addition to these services, SMH and Ochsner expanded telehealth programs to include TeleICU
at SMH as well as Avasys e-Sitter to prevent inpatient falls at Ochsner Medical Center - Northshore
and SMH. The partnership between SMH and Ochsner has allowed these hospitals to bring life-
saving expertise through telecommunications services to patients on the Northshore.

Implementing Epic Hospital-Wide at SMH

The partnership with Ochsner also brought the Epic electronic health record (EHR) to SMH. While the SMH clinics began using Epic in 2017, SMH
rolled it out to all hospital patients in 2019, fully connecting healthcare between SMH, Ochsner and related outpatient facilities. Through the Epic
MyChart patient portal, patients can connect to their health records, book appointments and communicate directly with providers—anytime,
anywhere.

20 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank Focuses on Psychological Safety Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
and Patient Experience
A culture of psychological safety means every member of the care Piloting a surgical debriefing tool in the OR
team works in a climate in which people are comfortable speaking up Advancing Care in the
regarding patient quality and safety. The outcomes of psychological As part of efforts across the hospital to improve psychological safety, Nursing Profession
safety in the workplace are increased learning, decreased errors, the OMC – West Bank perioperative services team piloted a surgical
heightened innovation, and higher job satisfaction. Over the past year, debriefing tool for 30 days with the OR staff. The pilot project Recognizing and Celebrating
the Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank leadership team worked hard involved three surgeons who solicited feedback at the end of each Ochsner Nurses
to improve the environment where everyone feels safe speaking up. OR case by asking the team what could have gone better during the
case. A survey of team members revealed that the majority stated
In October 2018, the OMC – West Bank interdisciplinary leadership that they were not afraid to ask questions or speak up if they saw
team in the operating room (OR) initiated an afternoon safety huddle something that would negatively impact the patient, but roughly 25%
to promote an environment in which staff members felt comfortable of respondents did not feel free to question the decisions or actions of
sharing what could have been better in each patient case to improve those with more authority. The two biggest areas of opportunity were
patient safety and teamwork across every discipline. The debriefing communication and process issues. Based on an overwhelming amount
process provided a forum to share insight and learnings from the of support for the surgical debriefing tool from the direct care staff in
experience of patients and staff as reported by staff members directly the OR, the team plans to continue the debriefing process in the OR
involved in the patient’s care. and expand voluntarily to physicians in other service areas.

In addition to expanding the daily safety huddle, the OMC – West Bank “Since implementing psychological safety in the operating room,
team implemented the following tactics across the hospital to empower
nurses and the interdisciplinary team: I find that team members feel more empowered to voice their

• Provided education to staff members on the importance of concerns related to patient care. This change in culture will result in
psychological safety in patient care in “To Err is Human” sessions. better outcomes for our patients.” – Anya Dixon, BSN, RN,
operations coordinator surgery, Ochsner Medical Center –
• Promoted an environment that commended “good catches” and West Bank Campus
discussion of improvement ideas.

• Focused on effective feedback and communication in senior leader
and weekend rounding.

• Incorporated tools like “Cup of Coffee” for physicians and staff that
promotes collaboration and mutual respect and “PROMPT,” a tool
that empowers effective escalation of concerns and disclosure to
patient and family when appropriate.

“I’m so proud of the work accomplished this year to establish a framework for improving the Supporting OHS Nursing
psychological safety of our team. It’s imperative that every team member feels comfortable speaking and Looking to the Future
up for quality outcomes and advocating for patient safety. We are dedicated to improving our culture.
The safety huddles, education, and surgical debriefing tool were important steps towards improving
psychological safety, leading to increased patient safety, staff engagement and retention,” says Melissa
Adams, MHCA, BS, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer, Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank Campus

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 21

Advancing Care for Behavioral Health Patients

The culture of St. Charles Parish Hospital (SCPH) comes from an amazing group of caregivers. Our culture is truly what makes us so special. It is
our people, how they treat our patients and families, and equally if not more importantly, the way our team treats one another. Culture is also a
major part of SCPH being named the only Top General Hospital in Louisiana by Leap Frog in 2018.
Recognizing the need for behavioral health resources across the state, SCPH, in partnership with Ochsner, invested in advancing behavioral
health services.
Over the past couple of years, we have seen tremendous improvements in our behavioral health unit in quality, culture and employee
engagement. To support the growth of behavioral health services, our team engaged in evaluating and redesigning processes of care for this
unique population. The team underwent comprehensive training on new processes such as restraint and seclusion, de-escalation, empathy, and
trauma-informed care.
Patients who suffer from mental illness also have corresponding medical needs. This combination of conditions requires care in a unit that
provides comprehensive needs for both medical and behavioral support. In late 2018, the team of physicians, nurses and leaders began to plan
how to address this opportunity to improve care and what was created was truly remarkable.
The team converted 12 of the medical beds located on the medical surgical unit into a 10-bed expansion to our 20-bed unit to support care for
patients suffering from both medical and psychiatric illness. This expansion was complete with in-depth video surveillance, an outdoor space and
an appropriate space to support the group sessions that are so important in the healing process. The project kicked off in the middle of August
2019 with the newly refinished space to be completed in 2020.

“We are very excited for the opportunity to serve more patients and we are certain that with our
amazing team, we will be positioned to navigate the new challenges of serving the behavioral health
population in a different and better way. I could not imagine taking this amazing journey with a
better team.”

– Terrell Neal, MBA, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer, St. Charles Parish Hospital

22 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Creating Access to Special Services Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
in Monroe, Louisiana and Patient Experience

Since joining the Ochsner family in 2018, Ochsner LSU Advancing Care in the
Health Shreveport – Monroe has been able to advance Nursing Profession
the use of telemedicine allowing patients to remain in
Monroe, closer to their home and family. Since going From left to right: Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport – Monroe Recognizing and Celebrating
live with Tele-ICU in March 2019, there have been over Medical Center intensive care unit nurses Seth Murray, RN; Ochsner Nurses
200 Tele-ICU consults.
Doug Breaux, RN; Amanda Coker, RN, ICU Manager; Patrick Supporting OHS Nursing
Through the collaboration with telemedicine in Lowery, RN; and Jeff Treat, RN. and Looking to the Future
South Louisiana, the team developed a training
program for providers and nurses. Additionally, “Tele-ICU services not only provide
the development of new programs to support the exceptional critical care specialty
educational needs of the entire team is underway. services to our most acute patients; they
Because of this, providers, residents and nurses are also add great value to our academic
empowered to use telemedicine services, including medical team and nursing staff.” – Traci
rounding and communicating with the Ochsner Jordan, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer,
LSU Health-Shreveport critical care intensivists. The Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport – Monroe
multidisciplinary team of providers, residents, nurses, Medical Center.
students, therapists, pharmacists, case managers
and dieticians communicate through telemedicine to Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 23
ensure safe, high-quality care.

Integrating the Tele-ICU program resulted in
collaboration and teamwork that benefits our staff and
patients.

“It’s a beautiful sight to behold when each discipline
is empowered and steps up as one voice, although
some are 90 miles apart, in advocating for the patient,”
said Traci Jordon, MSN, RN, assistant vice president
of nursing, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport – Monroe
Medical Center.

The added quality and safety in care provision in
our ICU created the desire to spread the technology
throughout other areas in order to optimize patient
care. We are so excited as we plan to implement
TeleStork by early 2020 and also develop a TeleNICU
and TelePeds/PICU program.

Implementing New Standards to Ensure “We know that USP 800
Employee Safety Related to Hazardous impacts many aspects of
Medications nursing practice, such as
medication preparation,
In 2018, Ochsner nursing leaders collaborated with a multidisciplinary workgroup to create a administration and
multifaceted, interdisciplinary action plan to ensure compliance with a new federal regulation cleaning spills for over 100
that strengthens protection of healthcare workers from exposure to hazardous medications. The medications,” said Nattie
United States Pharmacopeia chapter 800 (USP 800) provides standards for personal protective Leger, MSN RN LSSBB, supply
equipment (PPE) for employees handling hazardous medications. Because nurses are repeatedly chain vice president of value
exposed to medications, they have a higher risk than patients receiving short term treatment. By and clinical performance.
December 2019, healthcare organizations were required to comply with the pharmacy regulation.
“Together with the
The workgroup consisted of representatives from nursing, pharmacy, nursing education, interdisciplinary workgroup,
information services, the electronic medical record (EMR) team, nursing informatics, nursing we’ve created a plan to
pursuit of value, project management, respiratory therapy, environmental services, human ensure employees understand
resources and emergency management. and comply with the changes
to reduce exposure to
USP 800 action plans included: hazardous medications.”
• Creating a symbol to make it easy for employees to identify hazardous medication for

patients in ambulatory, hospital and ancillary settings.
• Developing standard operating procedures for handling hazardous medications.
• Creating a PPE guide offering a streamlined precaution approach designed to minimize

variety in PPE requirements and ensure protection from medication exposure.
• Developing an employee education plan to provide general awareness training for the

USP 800 regulation, risks of exposure to hazardous medications, standards for medication
administration, guidance on personal protective equipment, and cleaning and spills
management.

The plan to evaluate the program includes employee education compliance, environmental
surveillance of hazardous medication residue on counter tops and surfaces, and medical
surveillance measuring employee exposure to toxic chemicals. The anticipated analysis of results
will be ongoing. The next step will be to continue to develop service-line-specific procedures for
operational implementation.

24 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Building on a Great Team Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
at Ochsner LSU Health and Patient Experience
Shreveport
Advancing Care in the
At Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport, 2019 was the year for Nursing Profession
cultural transformation. During this time, we evaluated
leadership structure and reorganized our amazing Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Emergency Department Recognizing and Celebrating
leadership team to accomplish even more in 2020. Ochsner Nurses
“As the CNO of Ochsner LSU Health
Improving Access in the Emergency Shreveport, it is an honor and a privilege Supporting OHS Nursing
Department to be part of such amazing revitalization and Looking to the Future
and teamwork among the entire patient
Our emergency department (ED) serves our region care team. Together we are stronger, and
as a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Level 2 Pediatric Trauma we are improving the quality of care for
Program, and a thrombectomy-capable stroke center. the patients and the community in North
The ED strives to deliver exceptional, quality care in Louisiana.”
a timely manner. Throughout 2019, the ED leadership – Sheree Stephens, MSN, RN, CPHQ,
team focused on three key areas: employee engagement, chief nursing officer and vice president of
patient experience and the “left without being seen” rate. quality, Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport

Our operations coordinators implemented several new
initiatives, such as Tuesday morning huddles to improve
communication from shift to shift. Starting the day with
huddles resulted in excellent outcomes in both employee
engagement and patient experience. As a result, we
continued to see our patient experience scores improve.

Additionally, as part of our continuous process
improvement, we reorganized our rapid response teams
to provide greater emphasis on nurse collaboration in
response to patients’ changing needs.

New processes of care ensured that our patients
are seen in a timely manner and programs, such as
expedited care and spilt flow models, are reducing
“left without begin seen” rates. The ED now sees more
patients, improving access to care in North Louisiana
while ensuring patient safety, patient experience and
employee engagement.

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 25

Striving for Excellence in Quality & Nurse Development at
Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner

Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner is on a journey to create a culture of excellence. The Institute for Healthcare
Improvement explored high performing organizations and shared that great results are linked to specific leadership
actions that improve culture (Healthcare Executive, 2012). At Ochsner, our founders recognized the value of excellence
and set the vision for a culture of excellence. We developed commitments that identify behaviors we should live by
daily. This past year, the OMC – Kenner team demonstrated these commitments in many ways:

Embracing change and continuously looking for ways to improve – Implementation of best practices directed at “While the journey
improving quality indicators like fall prevention, catheter associated urinary catheter infections, C-Difficile events, to excellence is
MSRA events, and hospital acquired pressure injuries has yielded great results year-over-year. Additionally, the OMC- never complete,
Kenner team was recognized with Joint Commission Certification as a Primary Stroke Center in 2018. In addition, the our nurses are
American Heart Association awarded the OMC – Kenner team the “Get with the Guidelines’ – Stroke Gold Plus with leading the way
Honor Role” for applying the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment guidelines to improve care and outcomes. in improving care
OMC – Kenner had zero complications or deaths for stroke patients in 2018 and achieved a 43% increase in emergency and the patient
department Code Strokes, promoting early recognition and intervention. OMC – Kenner also achieved baby friendly experience. The
designation and the Leapfrog Group, a non-profit organization that serves as a voice for healthcare safety, rated OMC – culture change
Kenner an “A” in Fall 2018 as well as in Fall and Spring 2019. we are witnessing
could not be
Actively supporting, teaching and coaching others and a commitment to lifelong learning – One key aspect of our possible without
journey to excellence is ensuring that our team remains competent; obtains new knowledge, skills and best practices; and the great nursing
networks with colleagues across the system and nationally at professional conferences. Highlights in 2018 and 2019 included: team of staff and
leaders.”
• Nurse preceptors committed time to onboard new staff members and participated in forums to improve teaching skills.
Sylvia Hartmann,
• The professional development council and nurse educators developed content to support new nurses joining our MN, RN, NEA-BC,
team in the ROCK and WINGs orientation programs. chief nursing officer,
Ochsner Medical
• Leader Rounding became a key practice in our journey and in serving as coaches daily, improving safety and the Center – Kenner
patient experience.

• Through the Virtual Innovative Patient project, virtual nurses support the bedside team to improve patient care.

• Nurses participated in programs like Ochsner’s Nurse Residency Program, Emerging Nurse Leader Program, Charge
Nurse Academy, Mentor Academy, and skills fairs. Also, several nurses attended regional and national conferences
using the Nursing Education Grant Fund.

• The percentage of certified nurses increased by 20% in 2018.

• 87 nurses participated in the Clinical Ladder program including a 15% increase in LEVEL III nurses.

Promoting an environment where the well-being of self and colleagues is a priority – The Care for the Caregiver initiative kept the OMC – Kenner
team focused on taking care of ourselves. Unit champions promoted and offered activities to staff encouraging self-care. In fact, several nurses
attend Nurse Refresh Days, which launched in 2019, to provide an opportunity for personal renewal for nurses.

Reference: Institute of Healthcare Improvement. Creating a Culture of Excellence, It is not as difficult as you might think. Healthcare Executive, July/August 2012, 68-71.

26 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Nursing Quality, Patient Safety Advancing Care in the Recognizing and Celebrating Supporting OHS Nursing
and Patient Experience Nursing Profession Ochsner Nurses and Looking to the Future

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 27

Advancing Care
in the Nursing
Profession

Nurturing and Inspiring Our Nursing Workforce Through Innovative
Professional Development Programming

Ochsner Health System’s commitment to education and professional development of our nursing workforce
ensures that nurses have the most current knowledge to deliver high-quality, compassionate patient care today
and that we are prepared for the future healthcare demands of tomorrow. In 2019, Ochsner launched innovative
programs to support the career growth of both student and staff nurses.

“Ochsner is proud to offer an OR summer nurse technician program where student nurses can learn about and experience perioperative
nursing. This program teaches nurses how to prepare for and scrub in on cases, as well as circulate with a preceptor. It’s a unique experience
that currently isn’t a part of the undergraduate nursing curriculum. This program is an excellent pipeline for future OR and procedural
nurses.” said Melissa Adams, MHCA, BS, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer, OMC – West Bank Campus and executive sponsor of Ochsner’s Surgery
Integration Council.

TheThOeRONRuNrsuersTeeTcehcnhinciicainanSSuummmmeerrPPrrooggrram paarrttiicciippaannttsswwitihthfaculty
facumlteymmberms baternsewatnnuerwsenourriesnetaotriioenn.tation.
28 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Ochsner Expands Nurse Technician Honors Program To Include An Operating Room Experience Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
and Patient Experience
At Ochsner, we have a longtime tradition of hosting nursing students to gain on-the-job experience and to work alongside Ochsner nurses. On
June 3, 2019, the Ochsner nursing team welcomed 79 nursing students from schools of nursing in the greater New Orleans area to begin the Advancing Care in the
2019 Nurse Technician Honors Program. Nursing Profession

Additionally, in response to the shortage of operating room (OR) nurses across the nation, Ochsner expanded the program to include an OR Recognizing and Celebrating
Nurse Technician experience, welcoming 11 of the 79 nursing students to participate in a specialized training program designed to introduce Ochsner Nurses
nursing students to the OR specialty.
Supporting OHS Nursing
Nurse Leaders Hone Leadership Skills In The Advanced Nurse and Looking to the Future
Leader Academy (ANLA)

On August 22, 2019, the Nurse Executive Council, System Nursing Professional
Development (SNPD) and the Ochsner Leadership Institute (OLI) launched the
Advanced Nurse Leader Academy (ANLA) welcoming 20 nurse participants
from across Ochsner. The ANLA program is designed to deepen nurse leaders’
understanding of the management of healthcare organizations and offers nurses
the opportunity to hone leadership skills. During the five-month long program,
participants learn from Ochsner’s chief nursing officers (CNO) and faculty
members who bring a wealth of expertise, insight and executive leadership
experience. Topics covered include leader self-awareness, motivation of others,
emotional intelligence, leading teams, decision making techniques, business
planning and mastery of management competencies.

“Ochsner Health System is committed to providing education at every
stage of a nurses career to ensure the nurse of today can become
leader of tomorrow,” said Tracey Moffatt, MHA, BSN, RN, system chief
nursing officer and vice president of Quality, Ochsner Health System. “I
am thrilled to see this program come to life!”

OCHSNER IS DEDICATED TO PREPARING NOT ONLY OUR STUDENT NURSES, NURSING STAFF AND
LEADERS, BUT ALSO OUR FUTURE EXECUTIVE NURSING LEADERS

Ochsner nursing executives, in partnership with Chamberlain University College of Nursing at Ochsner Health System, are creating a training
program designed to support nurse leaders to assume roles as CNOs across our system. In 2019, a joint advisory committee began laying the
groundwork for the program that will prepare high potential unit leaders. Although the program plan is still in development, the leadership
development program will include didactic learning, self-assessment, mentorship, career advisement and experiential learning with an Ochsner
CNO. The program is planned to launch in 2020.

Ochsner remains committed to fostering the education and growth of our outstanding nursing staff.

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 29

New InPlace Software Solution Ochsner Nurses Help Prepare the
Makes It Easier to Manage Clinical
Placements for Nursing Students Future Nursing Workforce and

Ochsner Health System nurses are leading the way in academic partnerships to Integrate New Technologies into
prepare our future nursing workforce through clinical placements for students. In
2019, one focus for the system education council was planning to implement a new the Healthcare Environment
solution for managing the clinical placement of health professional students within
Ochsner. “Each year, our System Nursing
Professional Development
Ochsner hosts hundreds of students each year to complete clinical training. Today, Department hosts Ochsner’s strategic
managing clinical placements is a manual process with multiple steps that can be partner breakfast welcoming
time-intensive. Nurse educators collaborated with a multi-campus, interdisciplinary academic partners and deans from
team to develop a streamlined process for welcoming students to complete training local schools of nursing to share
at Ochsner and managing their clinical placements. In order to make the process highlights from the year and discuss
easier, Ochsner chose to implement InPlace Network software, a web-based student clinical placement needs. Our
placement system. emerging nurse leaders at Ochsner
come from nursing schools across
InPlace will improve the student clinical placement process by streamlining the region and it’s important that we
communication with our academic affiliates and providing real-time snapshots continue to foster these relationships
of Ochsner’s student capacity and placements. With a real-time view of students and build strong academic
who are scheduled for clinical placements, unit directors and nurses can prepare to partnerships. We are so excited
welcome them and facilitate rich educational experiences. to play a role in preparing nursing
students for their future careers,”
InPlace has been pilot-tested with Chamberlain University College of Nursing says Ann Lockhart, MN, RN-BC, AVP
at Ochsner and the software is anticipated to go live for broader use in summer of nursing practice, system nursing
2020. The web-based student placement system will eventually be used for nursing, professional development and nursing
medical and allied health occupations throughout the system.  informatics, Ochsner Health System

Through Strong Academic Partnerships, Ochsner Offers Clinical Placements for
Nursing Students

In 2018, the volume of nursing students completing clinical rotations at Ochsner was

1,373 undergraduate nurses and 381 advanced practice provider students.
In 2019, Ochsner had 40 academic partnership agreements from nursing programs

including LPN, RN, BSN, MSN, PhD and DNP. Nursing students from these schools
complete clinical training with Ochsner nurses.

30 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

“We are extremely Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
proud of the work and Patient Experience
that we do both
within Ochsner Health Advancing Care in the
System and within the Nursing Profession
community training
individuals on life saving Recognizing and Celebrating
techniques,” said Kay Ochsner Nurses
Eddleman, supervisor,
Ochsner Community Supporting OHS Nursing
Training Center, Ochsner and Looking to the Future
Health System. “The
community training
center would like to
thank all current AHA
instructors and past
AHA instructors who
have contributed to
training over 350,000
individuals in life saving
techniques. Because
of their dedication
to teaching and their
support of the Ochsner
Community Training
Center and AHA, many
lives have been saved!”

Ochsner’s Community Training Center Celebrates 20th Year of Service

In 2019, Ochsner’s Community Training Center marked 20 years as an official American Heart Association (AHA) Training Center. The center started
in October 1998 with a mission to teach quality CPR courses to healthcare team members, caregivers and community members. Over the past
20 years, the center coordinated and trained both Ochsner team members and community individuals in basic life support, advanced cardiac life
support, pediatric advanced life support, and HeartSaver CPR and AED courses. The center is one of the largest training centers in Louisiana and
continues to grow and train individuals in AHA courses.

Today, the training center has over 900 instructors from all over the United States and manages 36 training sites that teach AHA courses.
Additionally, they were the first training center to issue AHA cards in Russia and have had instructors teaching in South America. It is also the first
domestic AHA training center to manage an international training site, RNZ Hospital in Nigeria.

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 31

Celebrating Student Nurses During Transition to Care Ceremonies

The September 2019 Chamberlain University College of Nursing at Ochsner Health System Transition to Care Ceremony was hosted at The Phyllis M. and Patrick
F. Taylor Auditorium at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center. The newly opened Phyllis M. and Patrick F. Taylor Auditorium features theater-style seating for up to 272
people, audiovisual capabilities and is equipped for people of varying abilities. The original auditorium opened in the 1980s and served as a meeting space for
physicians, hospital employees and community organizations. The auditorium reopened in 2019 and is available for events such as medical education, celebrations
and community outreach.
In 2018, Ochsner Health System and Chamberlain University created an alliance to help prepare our future nursing workforce and create a bridge
from student learning to nursing professional development. Through the alliance, nursing leaders from both organizations collaborated to create
opportunities for students within the practice environment and enhance student learning experiences.
Since the inaugural class began in April 2018, nearly 180 students started their academic journey with Chamberlain University College of Nursing at
Ochsner Health System and many entered into clinical training at campuses throughout Ochsner.
32 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

In 2019, 67 students in Chamberlain’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program celebrated an important milestone during their Transition Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
to Care Ceremony. and Patient Experience
“Our Transition to Care Ceremony is a special time for a Chamberlain student that marks the milestone when the student begins clinical
training to care for patients working alongside Ochsner nurses,” said Jennifer Couvillon, PhD, RN-BC, CNE, president, Chamberlain University Advancing Care in the
College of Nursing at Ochsner Health System. Nursing Profession
During the ceremony, family, friends, faculty members and nursing leaders celebrated the nursing student they support. The ceremony is also
the time to award scholarships to students who excel in the program. Recognizing and Celebrating
“Thank you to Donna Martin, MSN-HCSM, RN, chief nursing officer, Ochsner Baptist, who personally welcomed our fall ceremony attendees. The Ochsner Nurses
gift of the Transition to Care Ceremony is that it is a wonderful opportunity for Ochsner nurse leaders to welcome students to the profession to
ensure a positive transition,” said Tracey Moffatt, MHA, BSN, RN, system chief nursing officer and vice president of quality, Ochsner Health System. Supporting OHS Nursing
and Looking to the Future
Left to right: Michelle
Theriot, Chamberlain
University College of
Nursing at Ochsner Health
System student, Ochsner
employee, Leonard J.
Chabert Medical Center,
Emergency Department
and 2019 recipient of the
Patty Hanson Scholarship;
Christine Ferry, RN,
Ochsner Baptist Medical
Center and Chamberlain
visiting clinical professor;
Joan Jarreau, RN clinical
educator, Ochsner Baptist;
Jennifer Couvillon, PhD,
RN-BC, CNE, president,
Chamberlain University
College of Nursing at
Ochsner Health System

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 33

Ochsner Baptist Nurses Created an “Our nurses developed
Escape Room Game for Simulation the escape room game to
Training make learning engaging,

Maintaining competencies for infrequent emergencies, such as an obstetric exciting, and impactful.
hemorrhage, can be challenging. However, strong teamwork in everyday practice This creative activity
is evident on the mother baby unit (MBU) at Ochsner Baptist. This year, nurses
developed a simulation training designed like an escape room game to help was not only fun, but it
them improve teamwork and better prepare for infrequent emergencies. During also improved nurses’
the training, team members identified opportunities to advance communication
during emergencies as well as elevate teamwork elements, such as closed-loop confidence, role clarity,
communication, role responsibility and the ability to work within roles. and teamwork during

Escape rooms are team-based games that require participants to collaboratively emergency events, which
solve puzzles and clues cooperatively to advance to each task during an allotted strengthens our ability to
timeframe. Gamification can maximize enjoyment and engagement of nurses manage the most difficult
during education sessions by capturing their interest and inspiring them to post-partum emergencies,”
continue learning. One nurse shared, “I feel that this training has given me the says Donna Martin, MSN-

knowledge I need to perform my role in HCSM, RN, chief nursing
officer, Ochsner Baptist.
a calm way during an emergency and to
The Escape Room Simulation
work together with my team as one.” Training Toolkit

This initiative was led by mother baby The 60-minute training activity included:
unit leaders, Michelle Stieffel, MSN,
RN, unit director; Jenifer Ducoing, An introduction to the exercise.
RNC-OB, RN, clinical educator; Ashley
Monteleone, BSN, RN, OC; Leslie A timed escape room game format with simulation.
Chirinos, BSN, RNC, OC; Haleigh Held, The escape room started with a crossword puzzle utilizing
BSN, RNC, OC; and Kaylee Babin, medical terminology related to obstetrical hemorrhage.
BSN, RNC, OC. In addition, participants The nurses used clues and medical intervention outcomes
anticipated a simulation training, but to unlock boxes that led them through the scenario. All
not the escape room game, creating an steps of an emergency had to be followed, including code
element of surprise to emulate the level documentation, for the nurses to receive all clues, save the
of anxiety experienced during a real patient and escape. Nurses realized quickly they needed
emergency. to stay calm, communicate effectively and not panic to
succeed.
Ninety-nine percent of mother
baby unit nurses participated in the Team and observer debriefing.
sessions and the escape room training, which proved to be beneficial across
the board. Following the education activity, three actual obstetric emergency Ochsner Baptist mother baby unit nurses presented “Don’t
debriefings revealed the presence of teamwork in all events including closed-loop Panic! Escape an Emergency with Teamwork: Using an
communication, role clarity, situational awareness and decision making. Escape Room Game Format for Simulation Training” at the
2019 Nursing Management Congress and the poster was
34 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report awarded first place.

St. Bernard Parish Hospital Nurses “The use of simulation training offers the Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
opportunity for nurses to practice clinical and Patient Experience
Use Ochsner’s Clinical Simulation skills in a safe and comfortable environment.
The training at Ochsner’s Simulation Center Advancing Care in the
and Patient Safety Center to enabled St. Bernard Parish Hospital nurses Nursing Profession
from the medical surgical, telemetry and
Improve Patient Care emergency departments to enhance teamwork Recognizing and Celebrating
skills, communication and critical thinking, Ochsner Nurses
In 2019, nurses from the medical surgical, telemetry and while treating a rapidly declining patient in a
emergency departments at St. Bernard Parish Hospital controlled setting,” said Kim Keene, MBA, RN, Supporting OHS Nursing
(SBPH) participated in simulation trainings at Ochsner chief executive officer, St. Bernard Parish Hospital and Looking to the Future
Health System’s Simulation and Patient Safety Center to
apply theory to practice. Ochsner’s Simulation Center is Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 35
located in the Center of Academic Excellence across from
Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans and is designed so
that the actual patient experience can be simulated during
each clinical stage.

During the training, medical surgical nurses had the
opportunity to respond to simulated rapid response and
code blue clinical scenarios. The nurses were split up into
small groups, which allowed each nurse the opportunity
to assess the patient before the scenario began. Each
team then practiced when it is appropriate to call a rapid
response versus a code blue. New graduate nurses also had
the opportunity to practice skills, such as a head-to-toe
physical assessment on a life-like mannequin that exhibited
pupil reactions, heart and lung sounds, and more.

In addition, emergency department (ED) nurses
responded to simulated obstetric clinical scenarios
including precipitous delivery and neonatal resuscitation,
preeclampsia and eclampsia, and postpartum hemorrhage.
The training gave ED nurses, who infrequently provide
care for pregnant patients, the opportunity to practice
how to assess and treat patients experiencing obstetric
emergencies.

After the clinical scenario, the groups participated in
a debriefing session and had the chance to watch a
recording of the events. The debriefing session allowed
participants the opportunity to identify weaknesses and
strengths, to ask questions, and to receive constructive
feedback.

We are ONE Team, with ONE mission and ONE
vision. We are Ochsner Flight Care.

We are Rescue ONE.

Ochsner Flight Care is dedicated to the safe and expeditious treatment and transport of critically
ill or injured patients of all ages. Our team works diligently to ensure and deliver the highest
quality out-of-hospital critical care. The Ochsner Flight Care team was established in 1984 and is
a 24/7 emergency/critical care transport service. For the last 35 years, our Flight Care team has
continuously serviced the needs of our patients, both medical and trauma of all ages.

36 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Ochsner Flight Care: A Long-Standing Legacy of Emergency and Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
Critical Care Medicine and Patient Experience

Growing Ochsner’s Flight Care team Advancing Care in the
Nursing Profession
Ochsner’s Flight Care program recently experienced many positive changes. In December 2018, the team hired a new department director and,
in January 2019, two new chief flight nurses/operations coordinators. Additionally, the Flight Care adult team moved back to its home base in
New Orleans from Magee, Mississippi and both the adult team and neonatal/pediatric team were combined to create ONE Team: Ochsner Flight
Care-Rescue ONE.

With greater alignment within Ochsner, the Rescue ONE team can now take advantage of all the assets available throughout the system. For
example, Flight Care conducts quarterly simulation labs in conjunction with the Ochsner Simulation Center. The simulations are designed to be
as real as possible to hone skills and, at times, the team uses the helicopter for this purpose.

About the Ochsner Flight Care – Rescue ONE Team

Flight Care – Rescue ONE has both an adult and neonatal/pediatric team based out of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The adult team Recognizing and Celebrating
is comprised of two registered nurses who are dual-certified as paramedics or emergency medical technicians (EMT). While they generally Ochsner Nurses
transport patients 13 years of age and older, they can also transport patients as young as two years old as well as newborns with the assistance
of a neonatal nurse from Ochsner Baptist neonatal intensive care unit. The adult team also facilitates critical 911 scene response within the
community. The neonatal/pediatric team is comprised of one registered nurse and one respiratory therapist. They traditionally transport
patients from newborn to 12 years old.

One thing that distinguishes Ochsner’s Flight Care team from other providers in the area is that they are specialty trained in balloon pumps,
Impellas and ventricular assist devices. The Flight Care team also has its own transport balloon pump and transport Impella. Ochsner Flight Care

is the only team in Louisiana that has this specialized training and
transport equipment.

“Having our own transport equipment Partnerships and Access to Lifesaving Supporting OHS Nursing
and Looking to the Future
is an advantage to sending facilities, Equipment Strengthen Our Impact

as they do not have to send their life- In 2019, Ochsner Flight Care launched a new partnership with
Acadian AirMed and Metro Aviation to further the success of
saving equipment with the patient the program. These partnerships enabled the Flight Care team
to relocate to a larger, newer facility at the Lakefront Airport.
to the receiving facility. Flight Care Ochsner’s Flight Care has become an industry leader with access
to state-of-the-art equipment to transport the most critical
safely transports Ochsner’s sickest patients. At the end of the day, our goal is to change and save lives
as a proud part of our health system.
patients to the appropriate facility to

receive the care they require.”
– Patrick Boullion, BSN, RN, CFRN,
CEN, NRP, director, Ochsner Flight
Care, “

WATCH THE VIDEO ON PAGE 57 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 37

Empowering Nursing Professional Development with Ochsner’s Clinical
Ladder Program in the Bayou Region

Organizational support for nurses continuing professional development not only builds expertise, but also improves job satisfaction. Ochsner’s
clinical ladder program is stirring the hearts and minds of registered nurses to affect positive change in the nursing profession. We are so lucky to
have a great group of nurses to support the clinical ladder process.
The Bayou Region professional development committee (PDC) serves as a platform to engage bedside nurses in self-governance of their
profession, to drive evidence-based practice, introduce and share ideas, advocate and facilitate a safe and quality work environment, and break
down the barriers to efficiently and effectively get the job done.

Bayou region PDC: Chabert PDC Members - (Left to right) Michelle Dupre, RN (ED); Co-chairperson Jessica
Ledford, RN (4West); Megan Fondren, RN (ICU); Jeanie Songe, RN (house supervisor); Anna Page, RN (chemo/
infusion); Melinda Griffin, RN (OPS); Flora Cabrera, RN (5East); Chairperson Stephanie Turner, RN (operating
room); Terah Domingue, RN (PACU)
Not Pictured: Derrin Martin, RN (endoscopy); Lisa Fulmer, LPN (Clinics); Rebecca Marcel, RN (Clinics)
38 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Successful nurse practice councils require Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
a deep commitment to collaboration. and Patient Experience
Membership in the PDC includes frontline
nurses from every nursing service line and Advancing Care in the
department in the Bayou Region. Each Nursing Profession
member is the voice of his or her campus
specialty area and an advocate of the Ochsner St. Anne Hospital PDC Members- (Left to right) Roxanne Chiasson, RN (ICU); Nancy Yzaguirre, RN (house supervisor); Recognizing and Celebrating
efforts of the PDC. Emily Cheramie, RN (L&D); Ann Savoie, RN (infusion); Co-chairperson Courtney Clements, RN (ED) Ochsner Nurses
Not Pictured: Rochelle Landry, RN (MedSurg/Tele)
Monthly meetings resulted in heightened Supporting OHS Nursing
awareness of pressing issues like “It has been exciting to watch the momentum and growth of this and Looking to the Future
opportunities for Epic improvements for program in the Bayou Region. The energy and enthusiasm are
blood transfusion, wandering admitted contagious and there is an unmistakable difference in our region
patients, fall prevention, barcoding safety, as a result of the Clinical Ladder Program.”
patient call-backs, Alaris medication – Jana Semere, MSHA, BSN, RN, chief nursing officer, Bayou
guardrails, the quality and content of the Region: Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center and Ochsner St. Anne
after visit summary for admitted patients, Hospital
and the need for additional Epic training for
newly hired team members. “So never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning,
however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the
The Bayou Region PDC created nurse and mustard-seed germinates and roots itself.” – Florence Nightingale
nurse leader education that is used across
Ochsner to support the success of clinical Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 39
ladder applicants. The PDC is charged with
managing the Bayou Region clinical ladder.

There are three levels of participation and
awards within clinical ladder. All levels
require the nurse to be a member of a
professional nursing organization. Each
level requires a prescribed number of
credits that are earned through various
means, such as precepting, mentoring,
teaching, initiating improvements,
participating in evidence-based practice
initiatives, volunteerism and more. The
highest award level, level 3, requires the
nurse to be certified in his or her specialty
area.

The Bayou Region PDC approved clinical
ladder awards to 35 registered nurses. This
is an outstanding level of participation and
the energy being generated is infectious.

Ochsner’s Center for Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research Promotes
Nursing Research and Improves Patient Care

Ochsner’s nurses are advancing nursing science and our ability to Patient well-being – Fiona Winterbottom,
improve the well-being of not only our patients, but also our caregivers. DNP, conducted an evaluation of the
Supported by the Center for Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing addition of 24/7 proactive expert nurse
Research, the following projects provide examples of the work Ochsner rounding to an existing rapid response
nurses are doing to advance nursing practice and patient care through system. In the redesigned rapid response
nursing research: system at Ochsner Medical Center – New
Orleans, a critical care nurse rounded on
Nurse well-being – Deidra Dudley, DNS, high-risk patients, answered nurse calls
MN, MS, RN-BC, NEA-BC, assistant vice and responded to patient emergencies.
president, Ochsner Medical Center -West Through her work, she demonstrates that
Bank conducted a study that focuses dedicated rapid response resources save
on measuring nurses’ perceptions of the patients lives. With these additional resources, fewer cardiopulmonary
quality of their working life. Her work arrests occur outside the ICU.
supports Ochsner’s Care for the Caregiver
initiative that encourages the well-being This year we welcomed our North Louisiana partners at Ochsner
of our nurses and employees. Using a Shreveport and are pleased to also support them in initiating nursing
validated tool, Dr. Dudley surveyed nurses research.
from across the system in 2017 and 2019.
The data provided a pulse check on nurses’ self-reported well-being, “Nurses are ideally positioned at the front line of patient
work-home interface, job and career satisfaction, control at work, care to identify and address questions that impact the
working conditions, and stress at work. To learn more about Ochsner’s quality of care. Through our evidence-based practice
Care for the Caregiver initiative, read the American Nurses Association and research efforts, nurses from across the system are
(ANA), Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation article. making a difference in the lives of patients and nurses.”
– Jessica Peterson, PhD, RN, senior RN researcher, Center
(READ THE ARTICLE ON PAGE 57) for Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research,
Ochsner Health System
Nurse and patient safety - In her role as
nursing strategy manager at Ochsner Ochsner encourages you to embrace the opportunity to access the many services we
Health System, Jlynn Westley, MSN, RN, provide to engage nurses in evidence-based practices and research opportunities. Visit
is working to protect nurses from the https://research.ochsner.org/nursing-research to access online resources through Ochsner’s
risks associated with nursing fatigue. Center for Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research.
Taking advantage of the data sets
collected through Ochsner’s administrative Publications 2018
databases and the electronic medical
record, she was able to explore the Albert, N., Bena, J. F., Ciudad, C., Keleekai-Brapoh, N., Morrison, S. L.,
relationship between nurses’ work hours Rice, K., Slifack, E., and Runner, J. C. (2018). Contamination of reusable
and patient safety. She is further exploring electroencephalography electrodes: A multicenter study. American Journal of
organizational strategies for combatting fatigue in the workforce. Infection Control, 46 (12), 1360-1364.

40 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report Nix, M. and Caldwell, D. (August, 2018). Natural Disasters: A Louisiana Gulf
perspective of Maintaining Patient Care. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 22,
460-463.

Presentations and Publications Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
and Patient Experience
Presentations Ducoing, J. (July, 2018; September, 2018). Laudun, S. (April, 2018). Five Year Review
I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ babies: of Post Left Ventricular Assist Device Advancing Care in the
Albert, N., Bena, J. F., Ciudad, C., Educating Freestanding ER Nurses on Outcomes in Relation to Body Mass Index. Nursing Profession
Keleekai-Brapoh, N., Morrison, S. L., Caring for the Obstetric Patient. Association Sigma Theta Tau International, Epsilon Nu
Rice, K., Slifack, E., and Runner, J.C. of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Chapter, New Orleans, LA. Recognizing and Celebrating
(June, 2018). Contamination of Reusable Nurses, Tampa, FL and 21st National Mother Ochsner Nurses
Electroencephalography Electrodes, A Baby Nurses Conference, New Orleans, LA. Laudun, S. Parrino, E. (October, 2018).
Multicenter Study. Using a multidisciplinary approach for the Supporting OHS Nursing
Association for Professionals in Infection Dudley, D. and Nix, M. (October, 2018). reduction of ventilator hours in coronary and Looking to the Future
Control and Epidemiology, Assessment of the Quality of Working Life artery bypass graft (CABG). 10th Annual
Minneapolis, MN. of Nurses. Care for the Caregiver Supportive EBP/Nursing Research Conference, New
Strategies. 10th Annual EBP/Nursing Orleans, LA.
Bernier, G., Langlois, C., Garguiolo, D., Research Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Winebar, R. (July, 2018). The Late Preterm Melton, J., Emmons, M., Pitre, S., Hayden,
Infant: When Timing is Everything. Ford, M.K., Ducoing, J., Lookingbill, K., K. (July, 2018). Not Ya Mama’s Sim Drills: A
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics Wood, T., Winebar, R. (May, 2018, July, 2018). multiple method approach to hardwiring the
and Neonatal Nurses, Tampa, FL. Telestork: Delivering Telemedicine to Labor obstetric hemorrhage bundle for community
and Delivery Units. American Telemedicine hospital nurses. Association of Women’s
Black, W. (May, 2018). Air Transport of Association Annual Conference and Expo Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses,
Neonates. Ochsner’s Research Day, New Conference, Chicago, IL and Association of Tampa, FL.
Orleans, LA. Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal
Nurses, Tampa, FL. Nix, M. and Couvillon, J. (September,
Castex, J. and Rice, K. (March, 2018). BITE 2018). Envisioning a Secure Nursing
Pain Therapy. American Nurses Association Harrell, J. (October 2018). Certification Workforce through Leadership in Academic
Quality and Innovation Conference, Orlando, Central: Increasing Critical Care Registered Partnership. National League for Nursing,
FL. Nurse Certification Within the Pediatric Washington, DC.
Intensive Care Unit. 10th Annual EBP/
Gomez, J. (May, 2018). Endoscopic Nursing Research Conference, New Orleans, Nix, M. Dooley, L. (July, 2018). Using a
Ultrasound (EUS) - Guided Core Liver LA. Mentor Academy to Support Nursing
Biopsy: A Promising Approach to Patient Retention and Engagement. Association for
Care. Society of Gastroenterology Nurses Nursing Professional Development, Orlando,
and Associates, Orlando, FL FL.

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 41

Presentations and Publications

Nix, M., Hamilton, J., Couvillon, J. & Moffatt, West, S. (October, 2018). Using Critical Boudreaux, A., Conaway, K., Hawkins, D.,
T. (May, 2018). Using a Career Ladder Model Incident Stress Debriefing to Impact and Noland, M. Preceptors: Baye, K. and
to Support Nursing Engagement. American Perception of Support During Crisis in Adult Bradley, K. (October, 2018). Fall Prevention
Nurse Credentialing Center Conference, West Inpatient Nurses. 10th Annual EBP/Nursing 2.0: Reinvigorating Best Practices.
Palm Beach, FL. Research Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Altmyer, C., James, S., Kostolitz, S.,
Nix, M. and Moffatt, T. (September, 2018). Winterbottom, F. (October 2018). Evaluation Loudermilk, T., and Ward, K. Preceptors:
Championing a Cultural Shift that Promotes of an innovative rapid response system (RRS) Arceneaux, L., Laudun, S., and Mancini, R.
Nurse Well-being: Care for the Caregiver. model. 10th Annual EBP/Nursing Research (October, 2018). Manage Pain for Better
Sigma Theta Tau, Mobile, AL. Conference, New Orleans, LA. Gain: Benefits of Preoperative Opioid
Education.
Noel, L. (October, 2018). Improving Winterbottom, F. and Dillard, K. (October,
Communications and Perceptions of Mutual 2018). Rapid Response System Staff Brand, K., Daly, K., Freemyer, K., and
Support to Expedite a Major Prenatal Practice Knowledge and Satisfaction Survey. 10th Johnson, A. Preceptors: Goodlett, D. and
Change. 10th Annual EBP/Nursing Research Annual EBP/Nursing Research Conference, Hennen, N. (October, 2018). Are Twelve Hour
Conference, New Orleans, LA. New Orleans, LA. Shifts Causing Nurses to Unplug?

Pirrone, A. and Mahoney, C. (October, 2018). Ochsner’s 2018 Nurse Residency Cobbs, A., Koehler, J., Thomas, D. and
Getting to Zero: Eliminating Unplanned State of the Science Presentations Toups, B. Preceptors: Barker, R. and Neill, J.
Extubations in the Pediatric Intensive Care (October, 2018; November, 2018). Reducing
Unit. 10th Annual EBP/Nursing Research Presented at the 10th Annual EBP/Nursing Anxiety and Depression in NICU Parents
Conference, New Orleans, LA. Research Conference, New Orleans, LA. Using a Guided Support Program.

Toups, B., Cobbs, A., Koehler, J., Thomas, Ali, A., Corley, J., and Clements, C. Coulange, A., Dejean, D., Grishman, C.,
D. and Preceptors: Barker, R. and Neill, Preceptors: Brumfield, T., Johnston, M., and Guillot, A., Pocorello, C., and Luther, M.
J. (November, 2018). Reducing Anxiety Young, K. (October, 2018). Give Me a Break! Preceptors: Thibodeaux, A. and Meyer, T.
and Depression in NICU Parents Using a Implementing Uninterrupted Breaks in the ED. Family Presence During Cardiopulmonary
Guided Support Program. Xi Zeta (Sigma) Resuscitation (CPR).
Intercollegiate Research Symposium, Bissel, J., Cormier, K., Hurlston, A., and
Thibodaux, LA. (Ochsner nurse residency Leabo, K.L. Preceptors: Alonzo, M. and
State of the science poster) Martin, L. (October, 2018). Implementing
Patient Hand Hygiene Protocol to Reduce
Hospital Acquired C. Diff.

42 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report

Nursing Quality, Patient Safety Advancing Care in the Recognizing and Celebrating Supporting OHS Nursing
and Patient Experience Nursing Profession Ochsner Nurses and Looking to the Future

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 43

Recognizing
and Celebrating
Ochsner Nurses

Celebrating Our Nursing Integration
Outstanding Nurses Councils

Ochsner nurses are dedicated to the patients, the community we Ochsner’s 22 integration
serve and to each other. In 2018 and 2019, Ochsner nurses were councils bring together nursing
recognized here at Ochsner as well as in local and statewide leaders in every clinical
award programs for commitment to our values: patients first, specialty around shared service.
compassion, excellence, integrity and teamwork. These awards We are proud of the work
and celebrations recognize individual nurses who routinely go accomplished by these councils.
above and beyond in their service to the community and in their
contribution to the nursing profession. Ambulatory
Critical Care
In addition to Emergency
celebrating our Pediatrics
nurses through Education
formal awards Respiratory
programs, Surgery
Ochsner nurses Informatics
enjoyed Care for Behavioral Health
the Caregiver Wound Care
activities Women’s Services
throughout the Medical-surgical
system in 2019 Professional Development
that promote care Endoscopy
of self and each Infusion
other. Spiritual Care
System Drug Administration
Nurses Week Mini Nurse Refresh Day at Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner for Nursing
Rehabilitation
44 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report Nursing Research
Dialysis
Intravascular Access
Infection Control

Congratulations to Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
Ochsner’s 2018 Spirit and Patient Experience
of Leadership Winners
Advancing Care in the
Nurse of the Year:  Nursing Profession
Catherine Smith, RN, Flight Care, Emergency
Medical Transportation, OMC – New Orleans The 2018 Spirit of Leadership Nurse of the Year award went
to Catherine Smith RN, Flight Care, Emergency Medical
New Leader of the Year:  Transportation, OMC – New Orleans.
Jlynn Westley, manager, Nursing Strategy,
Ochsner Health System

Advanced Practice Provider:
Michelle Lindsey, NP, Ambulatory, Ochsner St.
Anne Family Doctor Clinic – Mathews

Supervisor of the Year: 
Corina Juarez, Supervisor, RN, operations
coordinator-specialty, OMC – Kenner

In addition to the many nurses recognized through Ochsner’s internal recognition programs, Recognizing and Celebrating
such as Spirit of Leadership, Spirit on the Spot, Values on the Spot and Power of One awards, the Ochsner Nurses
following nurses received recognition through external award programs.
Supporting OHS Nursing
Faces of Healing: In 2019, The Louisiana Nurses Foundation created the Faces of Healing: Celebrating Louisiana’s Nurses campaign as a way and Looking to the Future
to elevate careers in nursing as well as an opportunity to celebrate individual nurses who exemplify exceptional performance in professional
practice, innovation, leadership and advocacy. This award recognizes innovators, leaders and those who continually go above and beyond the
call of duty. (Louisiana Nurses Foundation, 2019).

• Ahnyel Burkes
• Kenesha Bradley
• Jessica Soudelier

Sigma Theta Tau Excellence Awards recognize nurses for consistently practicing excellence in nursing. Dawn Bernard, BSN, RN-BC, director of
nursing professional development and education for Ochsner’s Bayou Region, received the 2019 Excellence Award for Nurse Leader through
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Xi Zeta Chapter at Nicholls State University.

Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 45

2019 New Orleans District Nurses Association Excellence Awards

On May 11, 2019, the New Orleans District Nurses Association (NODNA), the local chapter of the American Nurses Association and the Louisiana
State Nurses Association celebrated local nurses at the inaugural NODNA Nursing Excellence Brunch held at the Audubon Tea Room with nearly
200 attendees. Nurses were nominated, selected by out-of-state judges and recognized with awards in categories including direct patient care for
registered nurses and advanced practice nurses, beyond the bedside, and legacy recognition. 
Our very own, Tracey Moffatt, MHA, BSN, RN, Ochsner Health System CNO and VP of Quality was recognized with the 2019 Legacy Award.
“It was a tremendous honor to be recognized by NODNA with the 2019 Nurse Legacy Award. Throughout my career, I have been devoted to
advancing the practice of nursing and, just as importantly, the environment of practice. This award acknowledges my passion for patient care
and my vision for the future of nursing. I am humbled by the recognition and proud to be a nurse leader!” said Tracey Moffatt
To learn more about NODNA and to view the winners for each award category, please visit: www.nolanurses.org.

The Ochsner team celebrates local
nurses at the NODNA Nursing
46 EOxcchesllneenrceNBurrusnincgh.2018-2019 Annual Report

Ochsner Nurses Nursing Quality, Patient Safety
Recognized at the 18th and Patient Experience
Annual Nightingale
Awards Gala Advancing Care in the
Nursing Profession
On March 16, 2019, 33 Ochsner nurses, Ochsner
affiliated nurses, and Ochsner facilities were Ochsner Nurses and Nightingale Nominees celebrate at the 2019 Nightingale Awards Gala Recognizing and Celebrating
honored as nominees during the 18th Annual Ochsner Nurses
Nightingale Awards Gala held at the Hilton New Orleans City Business Honors
Capitol Center Hotel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ochsner and Partners in Healthcare Supporting OHS Nursing
Hosted by the Louisiana State Nurses Heroes Recognition and Looking to the Future
Association (LSNA) and the Louisiana Nurses
Foundation, the Nightingale awards recognize • Je’na` Wells Matthews, Ochsner Health System 
achievements of nurses throughout Louisiana. • Barbara Tarjan, St. Tammany Parish Hospital 
Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate • Kim Keene, St. Bernard Parish Hospital 
the nursing profession and recognize the
excellence of nurses in a variety of specialties. Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report 47

• Janice Kishner, MSN, MBA, RN, FACHE,
retired, St. Bernard Parish Hospital,
inducted into the 2019 Hall of Fame.

• Beverly Rainey, RN, SICU, Ochsner Medical
Center (OMC) – New Orleans, recognized as
LSNA Registered Nurse Mentor of the Year.

• Fiona Winterbottom, APRN, Critical Care
Medicine, OMC – New Orleans, recognized
for Outstanding Contribution to Quality.

• Dominique Yancey, RN, interim unit director,
IMTA, OMC – New Orleans, recognized as
Clinical Practice Registered Nurse of the
Year.

• Jennifer Couvillon, PhD, MSN, RN-BC,
president, Chamberlain University College
of Nursing at Ochsner Health System,
recognized as the LSNA School of Nursing
Administrator of the Year.

48 Ochsner Nursing 2018-2019 Annual Report