Next month, we will submit the UAMS Magnet Document to the American Nurses Credentialing Center. I’m going to devote next month’s newsletter to tell you all about that. However, I want to remind you about the UAMS Nursing Excellence model, which drives every part of our nursing practice. As UAMS nurses, it is our greatest desire to embody excellence in the care of our patients, in the advancement of our profession, and in the teamwork of our everyday activities. As a result, Embody Excellence is at the core of our model, and is comprised of four components: Engage, Elevate, Enhance and Excel.
Engage: Engaging is about getting involved in ways that make a difference for our profession and our patients. This could be joining a professional nursing organization, a working sub-committee, a unit-based or organizational council, or an external organization that advocates for patients. The most important step to get engaged is joining in alongside others to make your voice heard and your expertise known.
Elevate: As a profession, nursing is focused on advancing our practice and improving care delivered to patients. This occurs through practicing to the fullest extent of our scope, knowledge, and expertise, supported by our professional autonomy and accountability. Additionally, we can elevate the care delivered to our patients through evidence-based practices (EBP). EBP is a continual process that ensures all care delivered and treatment provided to patients is supported through published evidence demonstrating positive results. Subscribing to peer-reviewed journals for your specialty provides access to published literature on excellent practice. New practices can be brought to the organization through utilizing the UAMS EBP Model.
Enhance: A core part of Nursing Excellence is enhancing processes we already have in place to ensure high-quality outcomes for our patients and adherence to regulatory requirements. Enhancing processes is necessary to promote safe practices and improve efficiency and effectiveness. Enhancement occurs through a systematic approach to quality improvement and utilizing tools like SMART AIMs and PDSA cycles.
Excel: Excel is the root word of excellence. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘excel’ as ‘’surpassing in accomplishment or achievement”. Excelling is not only about exceeding the expectations of our patients and the organization, but also about accomplishing more than you set out to achieve personally and professionally. This starts with clearly defined goals, but is achieved through personal characteristics, like passion for your work, strong communication skills, critical thinking, and empathy for others – characteristics which are intrinsic to excellent nurses. It also means being your best, so you can give your best, which incorporates personal wellness.
Next month, I look forward to sharing some of the stories of how UAMS nurses embodied excellence as part of our Magnet Journey!