3 Acute Care at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
July 2022
3 Acute Care
at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
3 Acute Care
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Hershey
,
PA
United States
Brian Cosner, BSN, RN-BC, CNML
Suzann Veppert, RN
Jenny Zimmerman, MSN, RN
Suzann Veppert, RN
Jenny Zimmerman, MSN, RN
Leadership from 3 Acute Care has chosen to nominate the 3rd Floor Acute Care Unit for the DAISY Team Award. The reason for this nomination is due to their hard work and perseverance through an unprecedented time, in what we have come to know as the Covid-19 pandemic, along with transitional changes among a growing unit.
Across our nation, people have been pushed to adapt to a new set of guidelines, procedures, and a new way of life. Many can relate to the stresses that these circumstances have created; the stress on family members, caregivers, and employees. During difficult times it is easy for stressors to be debilitating factors in our lives, at home and at work. I can confidently say, this is not the case for the staff here on 3 Acute Care.
Many of the nurses on 3 South Addition volunteered for the Hershey Medical Special Pathogens team. During the beginning of the pandemic, some nurses from 3 Acute Care joined IMC/ED nurses to assist in providing safe and quality care to the patients. During their time in the Pediatric emergency department, nurses were trained in only 4 hours on COVID patient care protocol. Healthcare staff was encouraged to cluster their care within certain time periods to ensure minimal contact. 3 Acute Care began a transition in taking over the former Women’s Health Unit during the pandemic. As Covid-19 numbers began to rise, the 3rd floor had the necessary space to take over the excess flow of Covid patients. In a short amount of time, our healthcare workers had to undergo on-the-spot training to function in a special pathogen environment. Every nurse on 3 Acute Care stepped up to take their turn in caring for our COVID patients. Our PCAs were trained in donning and doffing and supported the RNs in running for supplies. The secretaries ordered supplies and helped convert wings and prepare PPE carts on very short notice. The steady influx of Covid patients resulted in the opening of multiple Covid Units on the floor, progressing to the final conversion of four Covid wings, with only one remaining Medical/Surgical Unit. During this period, our staff experienced a diverse set of challenges and hardships, yet provided excellent, compassionate, and responsive care.
Our healthcare workers did not act merely as nurses and aids for the patients they cared for, they were a connection and pathway to the outside world, friends, and at times they were family. These men and women did not take these events as just another obstacle during uncertain times. They pushed their own concerns to the side and made their patients feel as though they were cared for and understood, and certainly not alone. It takes an incredibly compassionate and caring group of people to not only do their job, but go above and beyond for their patients during a time of unknown outcomes. Along this journey, our nurses became more skilled and enhanced their critical thinking skills. Teamwork took on a new meaning; our staff worked together, not only providing great care to our patients but caring for each other and uplifting and supporting each and every member of our team.
Due to Covid’s association with being a newly discovered viral strain, new information and research are constantly coming to the forefront. As new knowledge became available, leadership was delivering this information to the staff. This meant protocol and procedures were likely to change daily. At no time did our staff falter or complain. When our healthcare workers came in during the morning or night, they took new findings seriously to keep patients safe. As new information became available, charge nurses would narrow down and confirm the selection of patients coming into the units, to decide whether patients were eligible to share rooms with other Covid patients, and determine whether our floor could give them adequate, effective care. Not only did our staff have to adjust to a larger unit, but they also had to adjust to a whole new form of medical care, on a Special Pathogens Unit, where they had no prior experience. These aids and nurses were not Medical/Surgical workers, they were purely healthcare workers, seeking to help people who need them. Beyond that, they were comforting, consoling, and helpful. The women and men of 3 Acute Care exemplify Hershey Medical Center’s mission and vision. They truly deserve recognition for their teamwork in delivering excellent care.
Across our nation, people have been pushed to adapt to a new set of guidelines, procedures, and a new way of life. Many can relate to the stresses that these circumstances have created; the stress on family members, caregivers, and employees. During difficult times it is easy for stressors to be debilitating factors in our lives, at home and at work. I can confidently say, this is not the case for the staff here on 3 Acute Care.
Many of the nurses on 3 South Addition volunteered for the Hershey Medical Special Pathogens team. During the beginning of the pandemic, some nurses from 3 Acute Care joined IMC/ED nurses to assist in providing safe and quality care to the patients. During their time in the Pediatric emergency department, nurses were trained in only 4 hours on COVID patient care protocol. Healthcare staff was encouraged to cluster their care within certain time periods to ensure minimal contact. 3 Acute Care began a transition in taking over the former Women’s Health Unit during the pandemic. As Covid-19 numbers began to rise, the 3rd floor had the necessary space to take over the excess flow of Covid patients. In a short amount of time, our healthcare workers had to undergo on-the-spot training to function in a special pathogen environment. Every nurse on 3 Acute Care stepped up to take their turn in caring for our COVID patients. Our PCAs were trained in donning and doffing and supported the RNs in running for supplies. The secretaries ordered supplies and helped convert wings and prepare PPE carts on very short notice. The steady influx of Covid patients resulted in the opening of multiple Covid Units on the floor, progressing to the final conversion of four Covid wings, with only one remaining Medical/Surgical Unit. During this period, our staff experienced a diverse set of challenges and hardships, yet provided excellent, compassionate, and responsive care.
Our healthcare workers did not act merely as nurses and aids for the patients they cared for, they were a connection and pathway to the outside world, friends, and at times they were family. These men and women did not take these events as just another obstacle during uncertain times. They pushed their own concerns to the side and made their patients feel as though they were cared for and understood, and certainly not alone. It takes an incredibly compassionate and caring group of people to not only do their job, but go above and beyond for their patients during a time of unknown outcomes. Along this journey, our nurses became more skilled and enhanced their critical thinking skills. Teamwork took on a new meaning; our staff worked together, not only providing great care to our patients but caring for each other and uplifting and supporting each and every member of our team.
Due to Covid’s association with being a newly discovered viral strain, new information and research are constantly coming to the forefront. As new knowledge became available, leadership was delivering this information to the staff. This meant protocol and procedures were likely to change daily. At no time did our staff falter or complain. When our healthcare workers came in during the morning or night, they took new findings seriously to keep patients safe. As new information became available, charge nurses would narrow down and confirm the selection of patients coming into the units, to decide whether patients were eligible to share rooms with other Covid patients, and determine whether our floor could give them adequate, effective care. Not only did our staff have to adjust to a larger unit, but they also had to adjust to a whole new form of medical care, on a Special Pathogens Unit, where they had no prior experience. These aids and nurses were not Medical/Surgical workers, they were purely healthcare workers, seeking to help people who need them. Beyond that, they were comforting, consoling, and helpful. The women and men of 3 Acute Care exemplify Hershey Medical Center’s mission and vision. They truly deserve recognition for their teamwork in delivering excellent care.