Colleagues,
My goodness. It’s hard to know where to start! First, we are anticipating a call from the ANCC in just a couple of weeks with hopefully good news about our application for Magnet designation. I can’t believe we may be almost there!
Please stay tuned and watch for more information as we approach this important milestone in our continuous journey toward excellence and watch for an invitation to attend a call from ANCC with news about our Magnet status.
Last month marked the one-year anniversary of my being named interim chief nursing officer. It has been an amazing year, and what I have enjoyed most is getting to know so many incredible UAMS nurses. I love rounding, presenting awards, speaking to newly hired nurses and new grads and the Talk with Tammy sessions, where I get to meet face-to-face with nurses in a small group setting. (Click here to sign up for the next session at 11 a.m. on Nov. 13)
I am constantly amazed by the stories I hear about the compassion and care you give our patients and the leadership you provide our care teams. Here are a couple of examples from recent patient comments:
“The nurses and staff at UAMS transplant clinic are more like family than medical workers. They all know you by first and last name before you check in, they remember your situation with your family and personal events, they ask about them and they follow up! A lovely group of people.”
“I felt very safe and comfortable when I was in the hospital. The doctors, nurses and the entire staff were very caring and explained everything, so I understood what they needed to do that was best for me. They took the best care of me, and I have never felt so safe in a hospital as I felt during my time in UAMS. I wish I could show them how much they mean to me. I highly recommend UAMS to everyone.”
A year ago, in this column I wrote, “I can’t promise miracles, but I will promise to listen and advocate for both you and our patients. I know the potential of UAMS Nursing. I know that together we will make UAMS Health the best place for nurses in Arkansas, and, as a result, the best place for patients in Arkansas.”
I’ve tried my best to keep this promise. I realize how much work is still ahead of us, but hopefully you’ve seen some positive changes.
Hearing directly from you about what we are doing well and what we need to continue to work on will help guide us in the right direction. Next week you’ll have an opportunity to share your thoughts on the progress we’ve made by completing the UAMS Employee Engagement Survey.
On Monday, employees who joined UAMS before May 4 will receive an email from Press Ganey with a link to the confidential survey. Press Ganey will manage all submitted surveys and will not disclose to UAMS the identities of individual respondents. Comments will not be associated with a specific person. If you’ve completed an employee survey at UAMS before, please explain to newer colleagues how the process works and ensure them that it’s OK to be open and honest.
There are 24 nursing-specific questions in the survey ranging from patient safety to availability of tools and resources, scope of practice, teamwork and responsiveness of leadership. These questions are designed to help us learn more about how to make UAMS Health “the best place for nurses in Arkansas,” the goal we set out to achieve together last November.
Please look for the Press Ganey email and complete your survey. In addition to the link in your email, you can access the survey using the QR codes on survey flyers. You can complete the survey at any time before Nov. 26 from a computer, tablet or phone.
If you haven’t already done so, please get your flu shot by the Nov. 16 deadline. Click here for a complete schedule, and don’t forget that you now need a MyChart account, a scheduled appointment and a completed consent form to get your shot.
Thank you for your support during the past year. I’m looking forward to hearing from the ANCC about our Magnet status, seeing your survey responses, and continuing our journey toward excellence together.
Tammy Jones, PHD, RN, NE-BC
Chief Nursing Officer
Associate Vice Chancellor for Patient Care Services & Clinical Operations
Perioperative, Interventional & Imaging Services Division