February 2024 Honoree
Transitional Trauma Unit 2026
When a woman in her early 20s suffered a traumatic brain injury, she had minimal neurological function and required a tracheostomy and feeding tube. Her family lived far away, so she did not receive visitors for months at a time. The colleagues on the Transitional Trauma Unit (TTU) stepped in to provide her with personalized care, including styling her hair and painting her nails.
They were determined to preserve her dignity and adopted her as part of the TTU family. When she transitioned to a long-term care facility, the day was bittersweet for the team because they had embodied the LVHN mission "to heal, comfort, and care" for her for such a long time.
In addition to providing exceptional patient care, the nurses are actively involved in advancing evidence-based nursing practice. The team has several RNs serving on hospital-wide shared governance councils, including the Fall Quality Improvement Team, Skin Integrity Council, Patient Experience Council, RN Engagement Council, and the Annual Trauma Conference Planning Committee.
In addition, two RNs completed an evidence-based practice (EBP) project through the year-long American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Clinical Scene Investigator Academy offered at LVHN. They presented their poster, *Utilization of a Frailty Score for Geriatric Trauma Patients*, at the Society of Trauma Nurses Conference in Denver last year.
In 2021, another team of nurses presented their Nurse Residency evidence-based practice project at two national nursing conferences: the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses Conference and the Society of Trauma Nurses Conference.
Two nurses have completed MSN degrees, and two are currently enrolled in MSN programs.
TTU nurses who serve on the Performance Improvement Council developed an educational video demonstrating how to set up Buck's traction, a type of orthopedic traction commonly used for femur fractures that can be challenging for nurses who do not use it frequently. This project was filmed in the simulation lab and added to TLC as a reference for all hospitals across the health network.
"I am #LVHNProud to be the Patient Care Specialist of such an amazing team of caregivers," says the nominator. "I have worked on TTU for the past 10 years since I first became a nurse, and I have always felt it is an amazing place to work because of the incredible team of colleagues."
They were determined to preserve her dignity and adopted her as part of the TTU family. When she transitioned to a long-term care facility, the day was bittersweet for the team because they had embodied the LVHN mission "to heal, comfort, and care" for her for such a long time.
In addition to providing exceptional patient care, the nurses are actively involved in advancing evidence-based nursing practice. The team has several RNs serving on hospital-wide shared governance councils, including the Fall Quality Improvement Team, Skin Integrity Council, Patient Experience Council, RN Engagement Council, and the Annual Trauma Conference Planning Committee.
In addition, two RNs completed an evidence-based practice (EBP) project through the year-long American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Clinical Scene Investigator Academy offered at LVHN. They presented their poster, *Utilization of a Frailty Score for Geriatric Trauma Patients*, at the Society of Trauma Nurses Conference in Denver last year.
In 2021, another team of nurses presented their Nurse Residency evidence-based practice project at two national nursing conferences: the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses Conference and the Society of Trauma Nurses Conference.
Two nurses have completed MSN degrees, and two are currently enrolled in MSN programs.
TTU nurses who serve on the Performance Improvement Council developed an educational video demonstrating how to set up Buck's traction, a type of orthopedic traction commonly used for femur fractures that can be challenging for nurses who do not use it frequently. This project was filmed in the simulation lab and added to TLC as a reference for all hospitals across the health network.
"I am #LVHNProud to be the Patient Care Specialist of such an amazing team of caregivers," says the nominator. "I have worked on TTU for the past 10 years since I first became a nurse, and I have always felt it is an amazing place to work because of the incredible team of colleagues."
Thank you for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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