When I think of CPCU I think of compassion, collaboration, and empowerment. The CPCU team is more than just a group of healthcare professionals – they are supportive and empowering individuals. Throughout the years I have seen the culture of CPCU grow and consistently maintain its integrity, teamwork, and drive to ensure the patients are the focus of everything. The staff on the unit encourage each other to better themselves. The RNs and NAs work together to improve patient care and improve their work environment. Our NAs have created their own patient report sheets to ensure patient care is clear and concise, they also have taken charge of obtaining patient report from the RNs at the beginning of their shift. Our RNs always bring ideas forward be it in day-to-day care or within UPC to improve the care of our open heart and cath lab patients. One of our RNs created a Wellness cabinet filled with stress balls, essential oils, coloring pages, and sound machines, to encourage wellness and lessen the stress we encounter on a day-to-day basis. As a group, the CPCU UPC recognized the uphill rise of workplace violence, specifically the risk of active shooters, and wanted to do more to educate the rest of their peers. They collaborated with our security team to talk about safe practices and what to do if an active shooter was present on the unit. After their discussion they decided to create “safe rooms” within the unit. These rooms are clearly marked with blue badges to alert staff these are safe locked rooms, a place to hide in a time of distress. 

Many of our current RNs started as NAs even prior to starting nursing school and now are role models to our new NAs in school. Some of our RNs never even planned on going to nursing school but by watching the RNs and getting the encouragement to develop their skills were inspired into Nursing. On the other hand, our RNs have also moved on to higher education as well. Unfortunate but exciting, this has led to a cascade of RNs going to graduate school for their NPs, or education degrees. So far, some have moved on to be NPs for Corewell Cardiologists, others have gone into the community to work in Urgent Cares, and even one moved into the role as our Educator. 

Management has really supported our new RNs. They have realized Nursing School is not what it used to be. After COVID, a lot changed as we all know. They created a “Real Talk” meeting where new grads were able to come together and talk about their ups and downs in the first year of nursing. This allowed the RNs to realize they are not the only ones feeling maybe overwhelmed or unsure in their first year of nursing. It gave a sense of relief and encouragement to know the support does not end after orientation but continues throughout our career.

CPCU is a family, everyone respects each other’s diversity and beliefs. We learn about each other and even celebrate each other’s holidays. You never will go a day without being checked in on; if something is going on in your personal life your coworkers respect your life but ensure you are doing okay. It is ironic our new name is Corewell because working on CPCU is not just a job to us, maintaining wellness for our patients, family, and our well-being really represents our “core” as a unit, together we achieve great things.