3 North Wing (3NW) Nursing Team is comprised of 78 individuals, including clinical nurses, administrative clinical care partners, clinical nurse managers, unit director, and secretarial staff who exemplify the mission, vision, and values of our organization.  The individuals on our team are role models of collaboration and teamwork that make a difference for the people we serve.  This nomination is meant to provide examples of the incredible teamwork that embodies healing humankind, one patient at a time, by improving health, alleviating suffering, and delivering acts of kindness. 

The staff of 3NW provides compassionate care to patients and their families during the most vulnerable times of their lives. 3NW’s team thrives to make a daily difference in healthcare by showing empathy to each patient, and making honest efforts to put themselves in their patients’ shoes. Despite a global pandemic, 3NW nurses advocate for their patients daily while using a highly honed skill set to carry out physician orders for 4-5 complex orthopedic medical-surgical patients.  

Despite all the changes and challenges happening in healthcare 3NW nurses are resilient and outperformed in 5 of 7 categories in our Nursing Excellence Survey, citing autonomy, professional development, quality nursing care, and adequacy of resources 3NW staff contribute to zero harm efforts on a daily basis.  One example is that in December 2022, 3NW implemented a new hand hygiene monitoring system. Ecolab badges were distributed among the nursing staff, and as results show, 3NW’s team has the highest compliance among SMUCLA. Something as simple as excellent hand hygiene demonstrates the team’s commitment to excellence in the work we do daily. 3NW has created and sustained a culture of safety and ongoing education and execution of policies and procedures. Another example is that 3NW was recently awarded the 12-month Zero Harm Achievement for no CAUTI. Our clinical practices and sustained accountability show that 3NW’s team is reliable and committed to the patient’s welfare. 3NW’s team has vigilant leaders at bringing forth a safe and nurturing environment in moments of uncertainty.

An example of an extraordinary encounter between 3NW nurses, the interdisciplinary teams, and a patient and his family was patient TC. TC was admitted for 6 weeks of chemotherapy and daily radiation on a complex cervical spine tumor for which the patient had previously been operated on.  TC experienced incomplete quadriplegia along with pain and spasticity. The patient had started rehabilitation and was improving functionally when he was admitted for his treatment. The patient shared with our Occupational Therapist that his routine at acute rehabilitation included a schedule of daily mobility, a timed bowel regimen as well as spending his day in a tilt-in-power wheelchair to help with pressure points and autonomy. Our Occupational Therapists worked with our Nursing Leadership team to express his desire for continuity of care. 3NW leaders met with the patient, the interdisciplinary team, and the patient to discuss his goals of care during his admission on 3NW.  At that time, the contact information for his tilt care was procured, and the company was contacted to provide a special lease during his hospitalization.  A delivery was scheduled and in-services were held for the staff so he could be assisted in utilizing his chair to spend time with his wife to look out the windows at the courtyard. Also, there was a meeting held with the leadership of the lift team to provide assistance with mobilizing the patient on a timed schedule to maintain his bowel regime.  Nurses and care partners came together, and a care plan was formalized to ensure his goals were clearly communicated.  The care plan included his top priorities, mobility goals to reduce painful muscle spasms, a bowel regime with every other day appointments with our lift team using maxi-move, and having a nurse present to stimulate his bowels. Bladder training was also included in the care plan so that his goal was to move towards intermittent catheterizations and reduce pain, and nursing collaborated closely with urology.  And finally, his easy-tilt chair was maintained during his hospitalization and our team assisted his wife to obtain a portable commode with a slide mechanism that was compatible with the easy-tilt chair. 

The care plan demonstrates immense time and interdisciplinary coordination.  This care plan exemplifies the acts of kindness meant to alleviate suffering, to improve health, and to deliver acts of kindness. The patient completed his treatment with 3NW and left the hospital feeling a sense of confidence in humankind, knowing he had a say in the provision of his care goals. 3NW’s team shows a high level of collaboration and empathy as we helped TC feel safe and cared for during a long 6-week hospital course. 3NW worked closely with physical and occupational therapy to maintain his schedule and prevent him from losing the function he had gained. We collaborated with urology, nursing leadership, case managers, spiritual care, the patient’s family, and even the easy-tilt outside vendors, to ensure his healing progressed. TC’s care plan was shared with 3NW’s entire team, and adjustments were made based on feedback and clinical changes. Charge nurses, staff nurses, and leadership made sure to bring up the patient’s case every day during rounds to ensure everyone was aware of the goals and planned schedule. While caring for this patient 3NW was intentional and never ceased to advocate for the patient and his family. 3NW is honored that the patient and his family put their lives into 3NW’s teams’ hands, and 3NW exceeded the expectations, tailoring a schedule for the patient. 

The example above is not unique, but rather, it shows how 3NW provides care to patients.  Patients and families have expressed via emails, cards, and letters, among other gestures, that they trust 3NW’s team with their lives and feel they are seen as important individuals during their stay.  An example is from a card that stated, “It is important and makes me feel at ease to know that my mother is being taken care of and almost being protected by nurses that have a caring touch. My mother was visiting Los Angeles and fell. My family and I were terrified as she is fragile and away from her home in NY. However, every time I spoke to 3NW nurses, I felt confident and safe to say my mother was on a successful road to recovery thanks to her caring team. I will forever be grateful for them.”