2024 Wellstar Nursing Report

TEAMWORK How do you measure nurse wellbeing? WELLSTAR DOUGLAS MEDICAL CENTER Team problem-solving successfully addressed stress with creation of a temperature check tool that’s now used hospital-wide.

The Wellstar Douglas Medical Center’s acute care unit 3N saw an opportunity to improve nurse wellbeing and ran with it. The unit’s 2022 Great Place to Work (GPTW) survey results showed room for improvement in the wellbeing category, specifically responses to the statement, “This is a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work.” It’s a vitally important category, as unhealthy work environments contribute to

medical errors, ineffective delivery of care and conflict and stress among healthcare professionals (AACN, 2021). Beginning in April 2023, the unit introduced a quality improvement process to address clinician stress by helping team members objectively express concerns that arise during their shift. Unit team members worked collaboratively to make recommendations, which led to the creation of a color-coded, thermometer-type indicator to reflect stress levels. Monthly Temperature Scoring From April through August 2023, the unit measured feedback from the temperature check process, noting an uptick in positive feeling and reduction in negative sentiment:

With the stress-reduction initiative in place, team members say 3N has become a psychologically and emotionally healthier workplace. As a reflection of this progress, the unit received a Wellstar Health System Safety and Quality first place award for “most likely to improve staff resiliency.” The temperature check tool has been introduced into all acute care units at Wellstar Douglas Medical Center.

3N Daily Assignment Temperature Check Throughout the shift and during daily visual management huddles, team members check their temperature on the thermometer scale:

Team Member Concerns and Solutions A few of the unit’s problem-solving examples:

Concern

Solution

After returning from vacation, an ANM was behind on completing the unit schedule due same day. A Care Partner is behind on documentation and has two patients needing assistance. An RN expressed feeling overwhelmed, irritable and behind on tasks.

Charge RN to complete leader rounding to give back 45 minutes.

RN takes vital signs for her own patients. Charge RN and another CP assist the patients.

The CRN and ANM divide the

patient load to 30 minutes to allow an uninterupted break.

April

May

June

July

August

28 | WELLSTAR HEALTH SYSTEM

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs