One Patient’s Special Graduation

Aditya “Dity” Vishwanathan was preparing to graduate with his bachelor’s in business from UW-Madison in May 2017. Struck with an unexpected hospitalization, he was unable to attend the long anticipated ceremony.

Both parents – his mother from Delaware and his father from Portland – traveled to Madison for the graduation along with Vishwanathan’s sister, aunt and uncle.

“Dity’s mother and father are first generation in their family who moved to the U.S. from India,” states Kirstin Reinke, BSN, RN, cardiac intensive care. “They were incredibly proud of their son for graduating college and accepting a full-time position with an accounting firm in Chicago.”

Vishwanathan’s father, Arun, who has his PhD, was always unable to afford his own cap and gown for any of his graduations. So, it was especially important to him that his son walk across that stage.

“I wasn’t bummed about missing my graduation,” stated Vishwanathan. But the staff on the cardiac intensive care unit knew that he and his family would appreciate some type of recognition for his accomplishment. Little did they know, it would come in the form of an actual ceremony.

“We are all college graduates and know how memorable it was to walk across the stage and be handed our diplomas,” continued Reinke. “We told his mother and father that we were planning a little surprise for Dity and the rest of the family. And it ended up being an all day effort because Dity was unable to walk in the morning.”

The ceremony preparation mimicked that of legitimate event planning, as Reinke and nursing colleagues made a graduation cap out of a cardboard box, covered with black construction paper – topped with an official Bucky Badger – and tassel made of rubber bands. “Honors cords” were also created using festive necklaces from the unit’s prior Nurses Week celebration, and to make the event extra special, Vishwanathan’s room was also decorated.

When Reinke walked Vishwanathan out to the inpatient cardiology unit, all staff working that weekend cheered as the graduation cap was placed on his head.

The family was able to take photos and unit staff walked them back to cardiac intensive care, where another colleague was playing pomp and circumstance, and a “diploma” was handed to him.

“There wasn’t a dry eye between his mom and dad,” said Reinke. “And once Dity got back to his room, he felt the emotion as well.”

The unit also arranged for a cake and “champagne” to be waiting when he and his parents returned to his room.

“The family was very thankful and actually kept the graduation cap we made,” continues Reinke. “It was a team effort from both units and I could not have made this happen without everyone’s help!”

One week after the ceremony, Arun and Vishwanathan were full of appreciation as they shared with Reinke their memories of the ceremony that took place.

Arun wrote: “We are exceptionally grateful for everyone’s creativity, compassion and support during this challenging time. Your team not only took wonderful care of our son, you also gave us an unforgettable graduation ceremony beautifully orchestrated by everyone on the unit. You made a very pleasant interlude to a not-so-nice situation.”

UW Health Employees Respond to National Crises

When we reflect on 2017 as a nation, it was undoubtedly a year with a continuous drumbeat of tragedy. From devastating hurricanes hitting Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, to the mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas, most Americans felt helpless as they watched news feeds and wondered what they could do from afar.

At UW Health, it didn’t take long for several staff members to rally and fly into action.

Hurricane Irma

This fierce tropical storm entered the Florida Keys and moved north, devastating most of the state. Once the extent of the damage was reported, Safety and Emergency Management staff for UW Health approached senior executives with an idea to assemble a team to help contribute to the relief efforts in the south.

It didn’t take long for the idea to get approved and after discussing the needs, it was determined that a team comprised of Registered Nurses would be ideal for providing any necessary care to victims and helping with other volunteer efforts.

Within a couple of days, 75 UW Health RNs indicated they were ready and willing to make the trek.

Due to the overwhelming response, a selection process was implemented based on how many RNs UW Health could realistically send to Florida – factoring in schedules and patient care needs. The resulting UW Health team included six nurses from ambulatory, education, emergency services and inpatient areas, including: Donna Clift-Prew, BSN, RN; Holly Hatcher, RN, Jennifer Kooiman Mohr, MSN, RN-BC; Josue Maldonado, BSN, RN; Chadd Siebers, BSN, RN; and Michele McClure, MSN, RN.

When the team departed in September, they arrived in Naples, Fla., and traveled to one of four Medical Special Needs Shelters (MSNS).

The shelters initially housed close to 1,800 victims, but by the time the UW Health team arrived, the number of victims had been reduced to two. Rather than providing patient care, the UW Health team helped with demobilization of the shelter, which consisted of cots and supplies for more than 1,000 people.

The UW Health team joined several other nurses from across the US and were then dispatched to Tallahassee. The warehouse they worked in had sent out more than 10,000 ready-to-eat meals within the first few of days following the hurricane.

“It was my honor and privilege to be selected as one of six nurses to represent UW Health,” said Holly Hatcher, RN. “I absolutely believe in the power of giving back and we all learned so much on this trip – being flexible in a disaster recovery situation, emergency/disaster management processes, and more significantly – the importance of teamwork. I am so thankful for my managers’ support of the relief mission and for the opportunity to participate as part of the UW Health team. It was an amazing experience that I would gladly sign up for again.”

More Irma and Maria Missions

In addition to the Strike Team’s efforts, another UW Health nurse who is part of the Wisconsin National Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) through the Health and Human Services department experienced two back-to-back deployments.

Patty Scanlin, RN, NREMT-P, nurse care team leader for emergency services at UW Health at The American Center, also serves as the chief nursing officer for Wisconsin 1 DMAT. She joined 33 other members who were deployed to Hudson, Fla., along with other DMATs across the country.

“As soon as we arrived in Florida, we started providing patient care,” says Scanlin. “We had been up 36 hours. After that, we started working 12-hour shifts.”

In addition to helping care for 270 patients with often limited supplies and resources, some TLC was often needed for four-legged creatures, as well.

“The shelters stated that only service animals were to be allowed, but how do you keep hurricane victims and their very confused and anxious pets apart?” Scanlin asked. “We ended up allowing pets to be with their owners on the cots – there were more than 70. It was one simple act and a major stressor we could help remove for all of them – just by letting them be together.”

Scanlin recalls two instances where she and another team member helped care for pets.

“One anxious Labrador literally scratched the end of his nose from being frantic,” Scanlin said. “Another, older dog had an accident in his kennel so we gave him a bath.”

In addition to managing the furry friends amidst the chaos of patient care, Scanlin said there were more unexpected stressors that they had to contend with as well.

“DEA agents took us to our first shelter where there were also police and the National Guard. They were there to make sure everyone was safe,” Scanlin said. “The agents and police were all very vigilant and fortunately, I felt extremely safe. None of us needed to worry about these things on top of the hurricane destruction and victims in need of medical attention.”

Another unexpected concern that arose was when they realized that one particular hospice patient was close to death.

“One thing we didn’t set up for was where to place deceased bodies,” Scanlin said. “Fortunately, one of the members of our team was part of D-MORT (Disaster Mortuary Response Teams). He was able to find a room that had a locked door and would be designated as the on-site morgue. Thankfully, we never had to use it.”

Scanlin spent 11 days in Florida, returned home for two weeks and was deployed again for 16 days to Puerto Rico to assist with Hurricane Maria victims. Notification of each deployment came last minute, which Scanlin says is fairly common – often learning about them at night – and having to get on a flight the next day.

“I always have a bag ready to go,” she says. “At work, I feel guilty for leaving on such short notice, knowing that my coworkers and manager are burdened with my work. But I couldn’t have a more supportive team. I vividly recall telling my supervisor, Bridgett Schaeffer, that I would be willing to move to a staff nurse position if that would be better for everyone. Bridgett just looked at me and said, ‘No way – I support you 100 percent!’ – which was really nice to hear.”

Another comforting aspect Scanlin has appreciated throughout her mission work is knowing that her mental health and that of every DMAT member, is always supported.

“Each of us is followed up with by a mental health professional after every deployment, to make sure our re-entry into life and work back home is going well,” Scanlin said. “We have also formed amazing friendships among our teams, so it’s nice to know we can connect on Facebook anytime … and send each other silly Snapchats on occasion.”

Las Vegas Shooting

Just when the country thought it had witnessed more than enough destruction among storms and fires, an unimaginable tragedy took place in Las Vegas.

Seeing the numbers of victims that resulted from the mass shooting, one nurse at UW Health thought there might be a way to support the health professionals who were working round the clock to try and save lives.

“People who go into healthcare tend to put others first and their own needs on the back burner,” states Shelli Horne, BSN, RN, surgical services nurse at UW Health at The American Center. “Seeing what was taking place in Las Vegas, we knew those hospital workers were working long hours and days, and we thought sending food — as simple as it sounds — would be one way to offer support.”

Horne and two colleagues put out a call for donations to the rest of the UW Health at The American Center team and within two hours, they raised an impressive $1,700 for University Hospital in Las Vegas.

“We sent 51 pizzas to the Level One hospital the first day and then the next day we sent subs to two other area hospitals,” stated Horne. “We also donated $440 to the victim relief fund.”

Shortly thereafter, Horne said the disaster coordinator at the Level One hospital called to thank them for their efforts and let them know how much the pizzas were appreciated.

“It was the least we could do,” says Horne. “And comforting to know our efforts helped in some small way.”

View Channel 3000’s coverage of this story

Local Needs

Amid the national tragedies, a few UW Health staff members remained mindful of responding to ongoing community efforts, such as the fight against hunger and domestic abuse.

“Our Inpatient Operating Room (OR) RN Unit Council wanted to raise awareness about hunger issues in the community we serve every day,” stated Sara Booth, BSN, RN, inpatient OR nurse.

On Sept. 14, one of the local Madison news stations, WMTV NBC-15, challenged the city to post pictures of people wearing orange, to #Orange4SHFB on its Facebook page. For every picture posted, several local businesses committed to donating 23 meals per picture to the Second Harvest Food Bank.

“I thought it was a fun way for us to make a difference and I was thrilled to see that 27 of our operating room colleagues posted pictures,” stated Booth, who helped spread the word about the TV station’s challenge. “It was so fulfilling to know that those simple photographs resulted in 702 meals to Second Harvest!”

And the inpatient OR didn’t stop there.

In an effort to create camaraderie in the workplace and support two local organizations, Booth stated that the Inpatient OR RN Unit Council hosted a food and materials drive called “Fill the Box, Feed a Soul.” As a result of the drive, the council voted on supporting two organizations located in Dane County: Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM) – one of the largest food banks in the county; and the Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) – whose mission is to empower those affected by domestic violence and advocate for social change through support, education and outreach.

“From Sept. 23 through Oct. 1, we divided our OR staff into 10 teams, and food and clothing items were collected for donation throughout the week,” states Booth. “At the end of the week, we weighed the donations from each team and determined first and second place winners to receive a pizza and ice cream party, respectively (through funds raised by the OR staff).”

After each team’s donations were weighed, the total amount of donations to MOM and DAIS totaled more than 600 pounds.

“We are so thankful for and proud of our colleagues who coordinated and contributed to local and national relief efforts,” stated Beth Houlahan, DNP, RN, CENP, Senior Vice President, Chief Nurse Executive. “Their efforts speak volumes about the type of staff we have at UW Health … remarkable.”

The ‘Missing Link’ Beyond Our Doors

The UW Health Transitional Care Program provides a very important service to a variety of patients in both the medical and surgical settings. Although each patient has a unique care plan, the goal is steadfast: prevent avoidable readmissions.

One way Laura Sell, MA, BSN, RN and colleague, Dani Edwards, MSN, RN, PCCN – who both serve as transitional care case managers – keep that goal front and center is by continuously looking at all sides of the care provided before, during and after each procedure, to try and find ways to improve it.

“The patients we work with have had a surgical procedure – typically an ileostomy – related to a colorectal disease of some kind,” says Sell. “Many of these patients are at a high risk for readmissions, so we analyze every step involved in their care and think, ‘What would I want if this were me?'”

It is this empathic viewpoint that allows Sell and Edwards to determine if enhancements can be made to the care plan or the way the care team communicates throughout the continuum of the patient’s care, including after they’ve left the hospital.

“There are many dynamics in play with these patients,” continues Sell. “Not only are they dealing with a physical appliance that they need to adjust to and learn about, there are dietary guidelines they need to adhere to. So, understandably, there can be a great deal of anxiety and angst associated with all of it.”

In an attempt to ease this stress, Sell and Edwards look for gaps and themes that help them know exactly where to target their improvement work, and who to work with to get it done. Feedback from patients indicate that they are already impressed with the services provided by the transitional care team.

One particularly rewarding example involved a 69-year-old female patient who came to UW Health’s University Hospital for revision surgery after having been through several surgeries at another hospital.

When Sell met with the patient in the hospital, she talked through the transitional care-surgical brochure with the patient, explained the program and explained that she would be calling her for up to six weeks. The patient was also given Sell’s cell phone number so that she would call her directly with any questions she had.

“The patient took the brochure, raised it up and said, ‘THIS is the missing piece that the other hospital didn’t have.'”

“When I called her at home, she said she had been extremely tired and struggled with eating and drinking,” Sell said.

Upon Sell’s assessment, the patient was indeed dehydrated, as she suspected. She was directed to see her primary care physician that day for further care.

“What you do is so important,” the patient told Sell. “You even care about us after we go home.”

And the patient is exactly right, especially when it comes to Sell’s dedication to improvements. Here are a few of the most notable changes she’s been instrumental in moving forward:

• Creating a practice protocol to ensure consistent management of high output ileostomies across the continuum of care. They collaborated with colleagues at the Digestive Health Center to develop it and presented it to the unit nurses and to the Nursing Practice Council.
  
• Increasing awareness of diet and fluid intake and output among wound and skin, ostomy and home health nurses.
  “The nurses are now noting output, so it’s working,” says Sell. “There was only one patient readmitted in two years for an ill-fitting appliance. Most readmissions have been for dehydration, so this increased awareness is making a difference.”
  
• Surveying patients before, during and after their procedure, to see if they received enough information about their stoma, lifestyle, diet changes and appliance.
  
• Collaborating with pharmacy colleagues to develop opioid-tapering patient instructions.
  
• Working with the UW Carbone Cancer Center nutritionist to facilitate easy referrals via Health Link (electronic health record), for patients struggling with meeting nutrition requirements after surgery.
  
• Reinforcing consistent order sets for all consults on ostomy patients. Sell and Edwards helped make changes to the post-operative order sets so that no matter where a patient is roomed, they’ll have consistent order sets for all consults – nutrition, behavioral health ostomy care service and notify provider for ostomy output <500 in 8 hours or >1200 in 24 hours.

Sell and Edwards maintain their commitment to improvements and have a few new initiatives in progress and on the horizon.

“We recently succeeded in implementing a new process related to home health that’s needed for patients with ostomies over the holidays,” Sell said.

“Typically, home health staffing is low during this time, so if you have a patient that’s leaving during those times, home health care might not be available,” Sell explained. “As a work-around, we suggested that home health get ordered before the patient goes home (pre-surgery). It’s tricky because it’s not our workflow. So, we met with colleagues at the Digestive Health Center (DHC), presented the idea and hammered out the details, which resulted in the resource center finally being available to DHC just like it is to case managers at University Hospital. Home health referrals are now initiated before surgery.”

Sell and Edwards are also considering videos as another patient education option, and a better system for rehydration – outpatient option versus inpatient – among other things.

“Improving processes and patient care is intrinsic to our nursing practices and our program,” Sell says. “Seeing that these changes are making a difference in patients’ lives is beyond rewarding.”

Peggy Troller has been a nurse for 34 years – and she likes to make work fun.

“I would say I am the silly one on the unit. I am always for keeping things lively,” said Troller.

She has been at UW Health for four years working in the Transitional Care program. Although Troller may have a fun-loving attitude, she knows how to get down to business. She has created a program that is important to patients and quite personal to her.

Troller has been wearing hearing aids for 22 years.

“I had horrible ear infections as a child. Countless surgeries. My ear drums were basically shot by the time I was 9 years old,” said Troller. “I needed technology to catch up to me. When I was 35, I got hearing aids. I know what it is like to be hard of hearing and that helpless feeling.”

Transitional Care specializes in patients who are 60 years and older. Their job is to make sure patients have what they need to go home and not need to come back to the hospital. In short, the unit helps patients transition home successfully.

Four years ago, she realized there was a gap in resources for those who were hard of hearing. There was also a gap in understanding the communication needed for patients with hearing aids. She wanted to become an advocate and put a plan in place.

So she started a program where she would have extra batteries or supplies on hand to clean hearing aids for those in need.

“Often times when you go to the hospital, it’s in a rush or not expected. So you don’t always have extra hearing aid batteries with you. And the saying goes, ‘your hearing aid knows when you leave with no extra batteries because that is when they die,'” said Troller.

She also understands how hearing is critical in the medical process.

“I know what it is like,” she said. “If your hearing aid goes out and you aren’t able to hear, it can be scary. People don’t look directly at you and you can’t hear what they are saying. You end up not talking because you are afraid of how loud you will speak. It is a huge barrier when you are in a hospital setting.”

So, if someone’s hearing aid goes out or he or she needs help, she is there on the unit.

When the program started, Troller needed a way to get attention. So, of course, her fun- loving personality took over.

A crown, wings, and a wand make up the “Hearing Aid Fairy” costume for Troller.

“I actually just had some of the costume around in my office,” she said. “I try to stand out so people know we offer help and it makes people laugh.”

She would put on the costume when asking patients if they needed a change of battery or when she walked to different units. Troller stood out and got her message across.

Troller doesn’t wear the costume as much these days because the program is established, but she still puts it on from time to time. She also has received some grant money to buy the batteries. The program has been a success and she also wants to raise awareness.

“I am an advocate for the patient. That is why I went into nursing. I wanted to help people. It’s important for providers and medical professionals to understand how to communicate with someone who is hard of hearing,” she said.

“They shouldn’t shout in their ear or talk to the back of their head. They need to have a face-to-face dialogue. Also, it’s OK to ask if their hearing aids need new batteries or cleaning. That can make all the difference.”

Troller plans to continue the program and her fun approach are all part of an important message.

“It can be frustrating and uncomfortable if your hearing aid is not working,” she says. “So I try my best to make the patient experience as good as possible.”

The DAISY Award is a worldwide program that rewards remarkable care, clinical skills and extraordinary compassion in nursing. It is given to outstanding licensed nursing professionals in more than 2,000 health care facilities worldwide.

Award history

The award was established in 1999, by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). Having been touched by the remarkable care demonstrated by nurses during Patrick’s illness, the Barnes family made it their mission to recognize exceptional nurses with the DAISY Award.

DAISY Foundation website

DAISY Award recognition

Each DAISY Award recipient is recognized with a certificate and a hand-carved stone sculpture entitled “A Healer’s Touch.” Additionally, the recipient’s team receives cinnamon rolls — a favorite of Patrick’s during his illness — with the sentiment that the heavenly aroma will remind them how special they are and how important their work is. The recipient’s unit receives a banner to hang in their unit for the month.

Daisy Award recipients at UW Health will personify our remarkable patient and family experience. They will consistently demonstrate excellence through UW Health values of innovation, integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence.

DAISY Award winner spotlight: Kristin Powell

Nurse Kristin Powell received a heartfelt hug from Tamra Burkhamer, a grateful family member of a patient who nominated Kristin for a DAISY Award for the remarkable care and extraordinary compassion she provided to her mother during her time at University Hospital. Kristin received the award in front of her unit teammates and the patient’s family.

“Kristin will always be remembered by us as an angel here on earth. We couldn’t have asked for anyone better to take care of my mom (and us)! Kristin is a phenomenal nurse, a beautiful person and an extraordinary asset to University Hospital and the hematology/oncology unit,” Tamra wrote in nominating Kristin for the award.

“Whether she realizes it or not, Kristin made a huge difference to all of us and there is no way that we could ever thank her enough. I hope this nomination for the DAISY Award at least lets her know just how very important she was in our lives and how fondly we will always remember her and the compassionate care she provided for all of us.”

How to nominate an extraordinary nurse

DAISY Award recipients personify the remarkable patient experience at UW Health. Patients, patients’ families or visitors can nominate a deserving nurse by completing an online nomination form.

Contact us

(608) 890-9466

NursingRecognitionCouncil@uwhealth.org

In most professions, having a voice and knowing you’re contributing to the greater good is important and fulfilling. For nurses, being heard and sharing in decision-making for the betterment of patient care and nursing practice is especially meaningful and impactful. That’s why the focus on shared governance at UW Health has been sharpened to enhance access, two-way communication and overall reach.

“When I started at UW Health in August 2020, I quickly learned that the size of our nursing workforce presented many challenges from a communications standpoint,” said Rudy Jackson, DNP, MHA, RN, CENP, Senior Vice President, Chief Nurse Executive. “As I rounded through units and ambulatory areas and attended council meetings, I was amazed at the limited number of RNs who knew what was happening in our councils.”

In 2021, Rudy shared this finding with the Nursing Coordinating Council (NCC) that, in turn, devised a plan to collaborate with the UW Health Magnet and Nursing Excellence team to tackle the goal of reaching every UW Health nurse with important nursing-related council communications.

Developing a communications plan

In June 2021, the NCC held its second annual workshop to bring fiscal year 2022 members together—every chair and chair-elect on the nine core nursing councils—to provide background and guidance for the chairs as leaders of the councils and identify priorities for the coming fiscal year. One of these priorities was to develop a communication plan specific to shared governance, to reinforce the two-way communication and importance of RN voices depicted in the shared governance model (above).

“The workshop is the perfect time to kick off the new council year and let these council chairs know what a pivotal role they play in ensuring nurses have a voice,” said Foster Lake, BSN, RN, Chair, Nursing Coordinating Council. “I remind them that they are empowered as representatives to continue progressing the quality of care we deliver and nursing practice in general.” Alan Kaplan, MD, Chief Executive Officer, UW Health, also attended the NCC workshop to set expectations for nursing shared governance, show his support and fully endorse the work of the NCC.

Year in Review FY22

The NCC held its third annual workshop June 27–28, 2022, to welcome the incoming FY23 nursing council chairs. During the workshop a Year in Review document showing the most notable accomplishments for each council from FY22, was shared with all attendees: council chairs, Chief Nurse Executive Rudy Jackson, all four Chief Nursing Officers — Michele McClure (University Hospital), Anne Mork (Ambulatory), Kim Vander Ploeg (American Family Children’s Hospital) and Nicole Kalscheur (East Madison Hospital) — as well as Dr. Kaplan. The Year in Review showcases some of the impressive work of the councils and speaks volumes to the progress and results they produce throughout a given year that keeps RNs at the center of all they do.

Taking it to the streets

Following the workshop, a review of literature to better understand what is known about shared governance communications resulted in few findings. The next step was to round on nurses across UW Health to hear directly from nurses about what communications they care about and what communication vehicle(s) prove most effective. The Magnet team and NCC rounded on more than 100 nurses.

Feedback from nurses emphasized a distinction between tell me what “I need to know right now” and what is “nice to know” information.

Shared GoveRNance key messages

As part of the collaboration with the NCC, Haley Kovac, MSN, RN, Nursing Program Specialist, Magnet and Nursing Excellence, worked closely with Foster to create a monthly communication. To make sure nurses have the information they need to know each month, the nine core councils will identify a “key message” or “key decision” to share with all nurses. To meet the diverse ways in which nurses receive communication — identified during the rounding — this information is shared in many formats: via email, cascading in huddles, the Weekly Briefing email and through unit councils. The email comes directly from Foster, who shared his excitement about this new process. “This is the first time the Chair of the NCC has communicated directly to all UW Health nurses,” Foster said. “We’ve really taken empowerment to the next level to show our nursing colleagues that this is really happening. Shared governance is working for you — decisions are being made and actions are being taken.”

Tracking and communicating council actions

To ensure nurses have access to information about everything the councils are working on (“nice to know” information), Haley, Foster and the NCC are working to create a “stoplight report” that will serve as a tracking tool for each council. “The stoplight report will provide a simple and effective way for each council to log every project they’re working on,” said Haley. “It’s a great way for councils to regroup at the end of their monthly meetings and ask ‘What did we accomplish for nurses today?’” This phase of the shared governance communication plan is going live in early 2022.

Other efforts to engage with RNs

Knowing there’s not one solution to reach all nurses, the NCC also evaluated and improved two other feedback loops that provide direct care RNs with a way to access the NCC:

• Submit improvement ideas to the NCC: Serves as a way for nurses to share suggestions by following an SBAR format (situation, background, assessment, recommendation)
• Ask the NCC: Encourages nurses to email questions to the NCC (via askncc@uwhealth.org) about UW Health nursing practice, benefits or any work-related topic. The NCC researches the answer, emails the nurse directly and also shares the answers in video format via the monthly UW Health-wide Weekly Briefing email.

“It’s hopeful and positive to see these efforts in motion,” Rudy said. “At the end of the day, we want our nurses to know we see them, we hear them and we want to do what’s best for them and patient care.”

Forum for Shared Governance

In June 2021, UW Health was accredited as a Shared Governance Organization by the Forum for Shared Governance, based on the responses UW Health RNs submitted in an Index on Professional Nursing Governance survey. “Through rigorous survey of all nursing staff, managers and administrators, UW Health has demonstrated its nurses call the shots for their patients,” said Robert Hess, PhD, RN, FAAN, CEO and Founder, Forum for Shared Governance.

At UW Health, we believe that nursing is both an art and a science. Nurses here are not only highly accomplished practitioners with extensive knowledge about advanced diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, but they are also deeply committed to delivering care in a manner sensitive to the patient’s and family’s needs.

We have adopted a professional practice model throughout the organization that emphasizes the sanctity of the nurse/patient relationship; the deep, mutual respect among professional colleagues; and the delivery of exemplary, compassionate care.

In short, the nursing professionals at UW Health are distinguished by their keen minds and caring hearts.

Meet our nursing leaders

Nursing philosophy, mission and vision

At UW Health, nurses are fundamentally grounded in providing evidence-based, patient- and family-centered care. We are privileged to provide equitable, culturally relevant care across the continuum and to act as advocates for all individuals.

Our practice is based on advocacy and seamless transition of care that supports the promotion and maintenance of healthy practices and wellness. As UW Health nurses, we recognize our unique role in approaching care holistically and synthesizing physical, mental and spiritual needs to support an optimal level of well-being.

The following components are vital to our practice:

• Compassionate care and respect for the patient, family and community
• Providing individualized care that is safe and ethical
• Delivering high quality outcomes
• Advocating for a safe work environment for all staff
• Supporting cross-functional teamwork, collaboration and respectful interdisciplinary communication
• Educating oneself and others through therapeutic communication
• Utilizing innovative tools to improve our practice
• Responsible use of our resources
• Providing an environment where the nursing profession’s growth and inquiry is fostered through quality improvement, evidence-based practice and research

We are responsible and accountable for the direct care we provide as well as the indirect actions that might impact patient outcomes. We are committed to continuously improving the care we provide through purposeful professional growth and development. We work to enhance our culture of safety to provide holistic wellbeing for staff and to ensure a safe working environment. Through a strong shared governance structure, all nurses have a voice.

Nursing mission

To innovate and advance healthcare without compromise through service, scholarship, science and social responsibility while providing remarkable patient, family and community-centered care across the continuum of health and well-being.

Nursing vision

To serve as remarkable and trusted national leaders in nursing. Every day.

Professional Practice Model

Our Nursing Professional Practice Model aligns nursing practice across all levels and settings by identifying relationships and responsibilities of the professional nurse.

Patient- and family-centered care is the philosophical and theoretical basis of the model, with the relationship between the nurse and the patient/family/community at the center. The domains surrounding patient/family/community describe the ideal environment for nursing practice at UW Health.

The model’s applicability to nurses in diverse roles across the organization reflects the purposeful, collaborative efforts of nurses who developed a model that accurately defines the unique and innovative practice of UW Health’s nurses. Furthermore, this new model represents the pride nurses take in delivering top-notch, high-quality, evidence-based care that is patient- and family-centered.

Nursing education

UW Health’s post-baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program was accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education in 2012. Through this rigorous process, UW Health has demonstrated that it meets national standards for its program to support new nurses during their first year of practice. There are currently 25 accredited Nurse Residency Programs in the United States.

• Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program
• UW School of Nursing

UW Health has been a Magnet-designated organization since 2009. Magnet is the most prestigious title a health care organization can achieve for nursing excellence and quality patient care. UW Health is one of seven Magnet organizations in Wisconsin, and one of 612 in the world.

In simple terms, Magnet designation is a big deal, especially for patients and families.

If you or a loved one needs hospital care, you should seek out a Magnet hospital to ensure that you’ll be receiving the best and highest quality care possible. If you’re a nurse or other health professional, you should want to practice at a Magnet hospital.

Learn more

About our Magnet journey

UW Health RNs shine on international stage

How UW Health lives the Magnet components

UW Health Wisconsin Magnet-designated facilities

• American Family Children’s Hospital
• East Madison Hospital
• University Hospital
• 189 ambulatory sites

UW Health Northern Illinois Magnet-designated facilities

• All Northern Illinois facilities are Magnet-designated.

It’s no secret that nurses at UW Health continuously go above and beyond for patients, families, their teammates and the organization every day. For these reasons and so much more, we believe in regularly recognizing and celebrating our nurses who provide exceptional care, compassion and commitment.

DAISY Award

Patients and families can express their appreciation for excellent nursing care by submitting a DAISY Award nomination. The UW Health Nursing Recognition Council reviews all nominations and selects one DAISY Award recipient each month. Nominees are also recognized.

Nurse Excellence Awards

Being recognized by your peers can often be one of the highest compliments. Each year, UW Health employees and providers are given the opportunity to nominate a UW Health nurse, clinical support employee or non-clinical support staff member for a Nurse Excellence Award. Twelve award recipients are honored during Nurses Week, which is often the highlight of that celebration. 2024 Nurse Excellence Award winners 2023 Nurse Excellence Award winners

Nursing Quality Awards

Another highlight during Nurses Week each year includes surprise visits from nursing leaders who present inpatient units with a Nursing Quality Award for achieving excellence in one of four categories: RN satisfaction, patient experience, nurse sensitive outcomes or quality metrics.

Sunshine Award for nursing assistants

The Sunshine Award is a recognition program unique to UW Health. It recognizes nursing assistants for demonstrating excellence in patient and family-centered care, by giving patients, families and visitors the opportunity to nominate a nursing assistant for providing extraordinary care.

As nurses, we know that learning and education never stop — and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Each day of your practice brings new opportunities to grow as a nurse and organically expand your knowledge base. When you want to seek out additional opportunities to further develop your professional practice beyond annual core competencies, UW Health proudly offers a variety of courses and conferences to support your professional nursing practice.

Courses

Schedule coming soon

Conferences

Schedule coming soon

Stay connected to UW Health

If you have questions about the courses or conferences listed, or you would like to speak with a nursing education specialist about upcoming offerings, please submit your name and email address below and someone will contact you.

Conducting a nursing student project or rotation

Learn more about conducting a nursing student project or rotation

Additional resources

If you’re looking for a specific course or conference that’s not listed above, please check out these sites:

Classes at UW Health
Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership