St. Vincent's Birmingham
St. Vincent’s Birmingham is one of four demonstration sites working on the prevention of pressure ulcer project with the Nurse Safety Scholar-in-Residence.
St. Vincent’s Birmingham is one of five facilities that comprise St. Vincent’s Health System, Birmingham, Alabama. A member of Ascension Health, the nation’s largest not-for-profit Catholic health care system, St. Vincent’s Birmingham has served the community for more than 111 years providing inpatient, outpatient, and outreach services. Learn more about St. Vincent’s Health System by visiting http://www.stvhs.com/.
St. Vincent’s Pressure Ulcer Prevention Team After two site visits and a Town Hall, the St. Vincent’s
Birmingham Pressure Ulcer Prevention Team continues
to identify new strategies for the effective implementation
and sustained application of pressure ulcer prevention protocols. “St. Vincent’s Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program has
always been an important component of our model of care,
and we are proud to participate in this important initiative with
Joint Commission Resources,” said Cynthia T. Williams, RN,
MBA, MSN, FACHE, Vice President, Patient Care Services,
St. Vincent’s Birmingham. | 
St. Vincent's Pressure Ulcer Prevention Team
|
The three major focus areas for St. Vincent’s Birmingham include education, communication, and the role of the Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse (WOCN).
Several educational opportunities have already been identified with nursing, Patient Care Assistants (PCA), and ancillary departments. An informational pressure ulcer prevention brochure will be available for patients and families. Also, an educational manual was developed for staff.
Communication is a key focus area. Specifically, the nursing and PCA hand-off communication is a vital element. For nursing, we are creating a standardized form to improve the sharing of information. Additionally, we have developed an interdepartmental tool (Ticket to Ride) that is given to Transportation Services and is designed to improve patient safety. An interdisciplinary subgroup is working on discharge planning and communication with dietitians, physical therapists, and the WOCN. An important component of our plan was to identify a physician to serve as a champion for this project.
Our third area focuses on the role of the WOCN. Surveys were developed and distributed to physicians and nursing, for which data are currently being analyzed. We will be updating policies and rolling out a communication plan centered on what we learned. Some questions were related to how the WOCN consult is triggered by nursing and the appropriateness of the consult. Currently, the WOCN’s role is to provide wound care to patients at the bedside, provide wound treatment recommendations, and educate other nurses. The WOCN role will be revised to better meet the needs of the overall program for patients. A second WOCN will be recruited and hired to assist in meeting the program objectives. Also, physicians can now view the WOCN’s notes online on our Physician Portal.