Moving Forward While Giving Back:
Annual Report Highlights
Nursing Excellence

For the second year, a comprehensive nursing annual report has been published by the Nursing Division of Kettering Medical Center, Sycamore Medical Center and Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center. The 2010 report features 42 pages of information and stories of excellence from individuals, teams and programs, and most importantly, excellence that is demonstrated in the quality care provided to patients and their families.

With the theme, “Moving Forward While Giving Back,” the report is organized by the 14 Forces of Magnetism from the American Nursing Credentialing Center. Take a moment to view the entire report: “2010 Nursing Annual Report.”

Executives Walk in Our Shoes
During National Nurses’ Week the first week of May, several members of the executive team took some time to “walk in the shoes” of a few of our nurses in hospitals across the Network. This “Walk in Our Shoes” activity basically was about experiencing something from another person’s perspective to have a better understanding and appreciation. Below are a few comments from those who “walked.”

Greg Henderson, president, Greene Memorial Hospital
“I spent time with some of our intensive care nurses. My experience with the nurses in ICU deepened my appreciation for the comprehensive care and comfort that our nurses provide to our patients and their families. It has also made more apparent the collaborative teamwork among our nurses and physicians, and the strong relationships we have built with our medical staff members. Overall, I discovered a deeper appreciation of the daily dedication and collaboration of our teams. Not surprisingly, we observed dedicated people who work very hard and care very much for their patients and families."

Roy Chew, president, Kettering Medical Center
“I had the privilege of accompanying Carolyn Wheeker during her rounds in CCU. I was impressed by the increase in sophisticated technology that is now being utilized at the bedside. This has greatly enhanced patient care and safety and has also added to the complexity of skill and judgment required of nursing professionals. I was also very moved by the tender compassion that the nurses provided to the family members of a gravely ill patient and the teamwork that was evident with attending physicians, residents, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists that day.”

Richard Haas, president, Grandview Medical Center
“My experience was most enjoyable as I got to know three nurses better and observed their work in more detail. On 6100, I worked with Brenda Chapman on day shift; not surprisingly, the unit was bustling with activity from nursing students, physicians and staff from other departments who were all working with the staff caring for patients. On 5100, I worked with Betty Garybush on night shift. The contrast between days and nights was interesting again as the staff worked closely together and backed each other up whether it was passing meds or answering the phone. On SICU, I worked with Todd Emmanuel. It was nice to see how the staff really gets to know the patients and the patient’s family as they provide the necessary critical care during very trying circumstances."

Mike Stephens, president, Sycamore Medical Center
“I truly enjoyed my time with our OR nurses and ED nurses. I think the staff appreciated the idea as well. They made me feel welcomed from the moment I arrived. I was really impressed with the smooth teamwork and professionalism in both areas. It is amazing to watch the way that everyone understands their role and carries out their part of patient care without a lot of talking and with no delays. Everyone knew their role and worked together so well. The attention to small but important details was also impressive. I also wanted to let you know how pleased I was with the level of respect evident between our staff and between the staff and physicians. In both areas I was also impressed with the tremendous variety of work and challenges and patients that confront our staff during their work day. This requires a very high level of specialized knowledge and the ability to change gears very quickly.”

Tim Ols, president, Southview Medical Center
“Walking in the shoes of an OR circulating nurse should really be a roller blading experience! Tom Embree did a great job of showing me the Surgery ropes. I watched Mark Farmer carefully set up the OR room, and also Tom enter (it seemed like a hundred) data points in the computer. Tom ‘rolled’ in and out of the room numerous times for supplies and items while Mark somehow kept track of the hundred or more things he needed for a urological case. The two of them made a great team communicating accurately and clearly.

"On Med/Surg, Rebecca “Beca” Shope showed me what it means to ‘care’ as a nurse. She had four patients up and down one side of the hall. She was getting her exercise with many trips to supplies, the medication room, to supplies, to computer station one, to the patient, to the computer, to the med room, to the patient, to computer station two…wow. Intertwined with all those steps was the loving heart of a person who cares deeply for others. As one of her patients struggled for breath after a trip to the bathroom, Beca slowly rubbed his back in a circular motion. You could see his anxiety leave him and his breath slow and deepen."

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