Nurses of Texas Health Southlake: Traci Bernard, President, RN, Pam Hillery, RN, and Charlotte Campbell, RN
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By Tracy L. Southers, APR
By definition, a nurse is a person who cares for the sick. While this is accurate, it doesbrnot begin to tell the whole story. In today's complicated world of healthcarebrreform, the role of nursing has evolvedbrto include prevention, chronic disease management and patient education. Inbraddition, an impressive body of evidence shows nurses make invaluablebrcontributions to patient safety and satisfaction.
As the importancebrof nurses has grown, the overall supply is shrinking, but not due to a lack ofbrinterest in the profession. According to a report released March 2012 by the AmericanbrAssociation of Colleges of Nursing, thousands of qualified applicants arebrturned away each year from nursing schools due to a shortage of instructors,brclassroom space and funding. Texas ranks sixth on thebr2012 list of the ten states with the biggest nursing shortages (source: www.top-nursing-programs.com).brThe website also reports there is a dire need for more than 22,000brfull-time nurses throughout the state, and this amount will increase to 70,000brby 2020 if the issues are not addressed.
National labor statistics support thesebrestimates as registered nurse (RN) was the most in-demand occupation during 2012, with 246,000 online postingsbrduring August alone.
Currently, there arebrapproximately 2.7 million RNs in the U.S., meaning they have been licensed by abrstate authority after passing qualifying examinations. With the enactment of the federalbrPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act br̶ which is intended to provide medicalbrcare for the nation's more than 30 million uninsured ̶ brcombined with an aging baby boomer population, there is expected to bebran avalanche of demand for healthcare professionals, medical assistants andbrcare givers. The U.S. Department ofbrLabor predicts a 26 percent increase in all nursing positions between 2010 andbr2020.
These startling statistics beg the question: Willbrhospitals be prepared to meet the demand and still provide quality care?
Here in Southlake, the state ofbrnursing is much healthier. At Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southlake,brcurrently the only overnight healthcare facility in the city, a game plan isbralready in place. According to PresidentbrTraci Bernard, RN, administrators are well aware of the big picture and have developedbra long-term program to maintain its high-quality staff and award-winningbrreputation.
"Retention is a highbrpriority here because we realize good nurses are always in demand," saysbrBernard, noting her own hands-on nursing experience gives her valuablebrperspective. "We empower our nurses to make decisions, give them tools tobrbe successful, offer continuing development opportunities, and treat them withbrrespect. This is not case everywhere."
It seems to be paying off. Boasting a nursingbrvacancy rate of just three percent and an extremely low turnover rate of 1.6brpercent, TexasbrHealth Southlake has earned a 99 percentile ranking in employee satisfactionbr(as compiled by Press Ganey Associates), and has repeatedly been acknowledged asbra stand-out employer on a national, state and local level: Best Places to Work,brModern Healthcare; Best Places tobrWork in Healthcare, Becker's HospitalbrReview; Best Companies to Work for in Texas, Texas Monthly; and Best Place to Work in Dallas Fort Worth- MidsizebrCompany, Dallas Business Journal.
Additionally, Texas Health Southlakeranks in the top percentile nationally in all quality measures, confirms Jessica Hill, RN, quality and risk management director, which shebrsays is a direct result of its nursing staff being 100 percent engaged inbrproviding the highest, safest care possible.
Combined with a 99 percentbrpatient satisfaction rating, Texas Health Southlake understands the fundamentalbrbusiness principle that happy employees equal happy (and healthy) customers.
Opened in 2004, Texas HealthbrSouthlake is a modern, well-equipped facility in a centrally located, desirablebrsuburb. This certainly helps in recruitment and retention efforts, saving manybrnurses from long commutes and minimizing unexpected emergency care that is seenbrin other areas. Known as a surgical hospital,brits bread and butter is scheduled appointments and procedures. Texas HealthbrSouthlake offers 17 specialties through its 300 on-staff physicians rangingbrfrom neurology, family medicine, orthopedics, plastic surgery and gynecology. Whilebrmost of the procedures done are outpatient, there are 16 inpatient suites,bralong with six operating rooms and an emergency room open 24/7.
At 46,300 square feet, thebrbuilding may be considered small by traditional hospital standards, but this isbrpart of its appeal, says Charge Nurse Charlotte Campbell, RN, who joined TexasbrHealth Southlake in 2007 and oversees 11 nurses in the pre-op department.
"I came here because I neededbrto get closer to home and I like the smaller atmosphere ̶ it'sbrlike a family," she comments. "Because we are a smaller facility,brit's easier to get to know people and develop relationships with otherbrdepartments. This makes for better communication and overall better care ofbrpatients."
Another contributing factor tobrits high retention rate is the low patient-to-nurse ratio of 3:1, which is wellbrbelow the national average and has a critical impact on patient care.
"Thebrpatient-to-nurse ratio is very low compared to other hospitals and nationalbrstatistics. Our nurses enjoy being able to care for three or four patients inbrour surgical unit," states Donna Grace, MBA, RN, vicebrpresident of patient care services. "Asbrnurses, we are blessed to work in a field in which we can make a difference inbrsomeone else’s life. Having such a low patient load allows our nurses morebropportunities to meet each and every need of our patients including having thebrtime to listen."
As of December 2012, there were 103 nurses on-staff ̶ includingbrfull time, part time and as-needed known as PRN nurses ̶ andbrone open position. According to Grace, they anticipate hiringbrmore nurses in 2013 only if replacements are needed. Given the shortage of quality nursesbrelsewhere, this is an enviable position to be in.
"Recruitingbrthe right nurses that fit our needs and culture is essential due to the factbrthat our healthcare community is small. Being a fairly new facility in an established healthcare marketplace, I had thebradvantage of being able to recruit nurses I knew personally at previousbrfacilities, or of having a nurse on staff who knew the candidates beingbrinterviewed," Grace explains. "I work directly with our humanbrresources department to conduct interviews with both peers and managers beforebra hiring decision is made."
Beyond its favorable location andbrsize, what really sets Texas Health Southlake apart is that it is a physician-owned hospital,bras part of a joint venture with Texas Health Resources and Harris MethodistbrHospitals. According to Bernard, this is a benefit to both its staff andbrpatients.
"We have the ability to make changes quicklybrand get things done faster, without a lot of red tape. Doctors and nurses arebramazed when a request for a new piece of equipment is made and it is deliveredbra few weeks later," says Bernard, noting this is done in direct support ofbrits mission statement. "We are always looking for ways to improve patientbrcare and the best way to do this is to listen to our front-line staff. "
Beyond listening, taking care ofbrits staff is also a high priority at Texas Health Southlake. In charge of this wellnessbreffort is Employee Health Nurse Pam Hillery, RN, who joined Texas HealthbrSouthlake in 2008 as a recovery nurse. As the title indicates, her primarybrresponsibility is to ensure physicians and nurses themselves stay fit and healthybrthrough exercise and a proper diet.
"Nurses take care of other peoplebrand this is a way to take care of themselves. It is important for us to set abrgood example for our patients by being proactive and making healthy choices,"brsays Hillery. "Our leaders are genuinely interested in making Texas HealthbrSouthlake the best place to work ̶ they really make us feel special."
Called the Vitality HealthbrProgram, Hillery has established a year-round schedule of events and activitiesbrthat includes cooking classes, weight loss contests, wellness seminars, bootbrcamp at a local gym, and area marathons. Points are earned for participationbrand quarterly drawings are held for prizes.
"Not only does this help employees losebrweight or lower cholesterol , but it is a great teambuilding exercise andbrallows employees to engage with each other outside of work," Hillery adds.
Lastly, being a nurse atbrTexas Health Southlake comes down to decision. For this reason, the hospital usesbrthe acronym C.H.O.I.C.E to explain itsbrcore values and acknowledge that we all have a choice where we work as employeesbrand where we receive care as a patient.
A Nurse-Led Organization
An increasing trend for registeredbrnurses is to move into management positions at healthcare facilities. Recruitersbrsay RNs make attractive candidates for healthcare executive positions becausebrmore than any other healthcare professionals, they understand the needs andbrperspectives of patients and have worked closely with physicians (source:brwww.allhealthcarejobs.com).
This is certainly the case at Texas HealthbrSouthlake. While it is a physician-owned hospital, it is a nurse-ledbrorganization as demonstrated by Bernard, Grace, Hillery and Hill, who are allbrRNs and have transitioned into management roles. Their combined efforts arebrsetting the hospital's course for health and wellness in thebrfuture.
When Bernard, who began herbrcareer as a charge nurse in Indiana, arrived at Texas Health Southlake in 2005brfrom Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine , one of her first tasks wasbrto establish a culture for the one-year-old organization which she did bybrbringing in a new leadership team, instilling a customer service attitude, andbrimplementing measurable standards.
"I understand how thingsbrwork in a hospital so I had immediate credibility with the staff. I can step inbrand help if needed," she states. "As an administrator, I wanted tobrcreate an atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work every day. In my mind,brthere is no problem that does not have a solution."
Being a former charge nurse also helps Hill enforcebrpolicies and procedures designed to make sure every patient receives the bestbrcare possible.
"Everything Ibrdo involves nurses as they are the driving force of the hospital and verybrimportant to achieving our mission and meeting regulations. As a nurse myself,brI understand that nurses are in a key position to improve the quality of healthbrcare through patient safety interventions and strategies," Hill says.br"When I was on the floor, my patient focus was bedside. Now, I'm focusedbron staff empowerment, but the goal is the same."
Campbell agreesbrwith her thoughts, "We are the patient's advocate and must notify thebrsurgeon or anesthesiologist of any concerns. Ultimately, our responsibility isbrto the patient."
Grace, who transitioned into management early inbrher career and earned a M.B.A to pursue the business side of healthcare, cannotbrhelp but reflect upon her 37 years as a practicing nurse.
“A hero is someone who is remembered fondly bybrsomeone else for the rest of their lives. It is my hope that our nurses here at Texas HealthbrSouthlake are a hero to their patients."
Texas Health Southlake believes that people withbrhigher well-being are healthier and happier, contribute more to theirbrcommunities and jobs, and have lower health care costs. Fortunately for all ofbrus who live or work in Southlake, it appearsbrwe are certainly in good hands.
Tracy Southers, APR, is president of WordPlay, LLC., a public relations agency in Grapevine, Texas.