EMPLOYEES SHARE THEIR OWN INPATIENT EXPERIENCES

By Sue Jones
CQI COORDINATOR

(L-R) Timothy Flynn, M.D., senior associate dean for clinical affairs, Irene Alexaitis, M.S.N., R.N., chief nursing officer and vice president at Shands at UF, and Clara McIntyre, a PCA at the Burn Intensive Care Unit, share and listen to commitments to patient care during “I Promise” rounding.

Improving patient satisfaction, safety and quality were key themes highlighted by the Shands 2010 Employee Engagement Survey. And who better to identify solutions than Shands employees who have had their own first-hand experience as inpatients?

This spring, Shands invited employees to participate in one of five “Employee as Patient Forums” and share their input. The more than 30 attendees recalled their own recent experience as inpatients or that of an immediate family member admitted as an inpatient at Shands at the University of Florida.

The forums were hosted by physician and hospital leaders: Kayser Enneking, M.D.; Tim Flynn, M.D.; Tim Goldfarb, Shands HealthCare CEO; Ed Jimenez, Shands at UF chief operating officer; Marina Cecchini, Shands Vista/Shands Rehab Hospital administrator; Irene Alexaitis, R.N., B.S.N, Shands at UF chief nursing officer; and Bette Brotherton, Shands HealthCare clinical improvement vice president. Christine Cassisi, Shands at UF BEST manager, served as facilitator.

Recurring themes included the need to focus on the following:

• improve communication between patients and attending physicians
• involve the patient and family in the plan of care
• improve cleanliness of hospital rooms
• decrease wait times in the Emergency Department
• emphasize the power of showing kindness, friendliness and attentiveness

We plan to use these results to improve patient care, so stay tuned for more information.