An intensive care unit team in the Heart and Vascular Institute at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill. has won a national award for excellence in critical care.
A Beacon Award for Critical Care is being presented to the medical center's 24-bed adult surgical heart unit by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).
The announcement of the award to the adult surgical heart unit follows the presentation of a similar Beacon Award earlier this year to the medical center's SINI (surgical-neurosurgical intensive care unit.) The SINI has won the award two years in a row.
The award is intended to recognize what the association considers to be the top hospital adult critical care, pediatric critical care and progressive care units. It is given to intensive care units that demonstrate high quality standards, exceptional care of patients and their families, successful patient outcomes, evidence-based practices and research, promotion of a safe and healthy work environment, leadership, organizational ethics and strong communication and collaboration.
To be considered for a Beacon Award, intensive care units must undergo a rigorous application process that requires submission and review of patient outcomes data; information on unit staffing and procedures; standards related to processes and resource allocation; financial benchmarks; nurse competency; and nurse recruitment, retention, education and training.
One of the busiest cardiothoracic units in the state of Illinois, the adult surgical heart unit at Christ Medical Center provides advanced care to patients who are preparing for or who already have undergone coronary artery bypass surgery, valvular repair and replacement and robotic surgery, thoracic aneurysm repair and stenting, implantation of a ventricular assist device (mechanical heart device) and heart transplantation. The unit's 112-member staff works collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team that includes cardiovascular surgeons, pharmacists, dietitians, respiratory therapists, cardiac rehabilitation professionals, physical and occupational therapists, and social workers.
"Our surgical heart unit team is extremely dedicated and continually searching for new ways to improve patient outcomes and improve patient satisfaction," said Barbara Perino RN, executive director of the campus' Heart and Vascular Institute. "Team members are involved in unit and hospital committees and take an active role in the education, training and mentoring of staff and participate in evidence-based practice and research."
One AACN reviewer referred to the Christ Medical Center adult surgical heart unit as having "skilled communications, authentic leadership, recognition, highly skilled nurses, strong support systems and great clinical outcomes. [The unit] certainly has utilized evidence-based practice...and has been able to [make it operational] to benefit patients."
With some 65,000 members, the AACN is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. The organization launched the Beacon Award in 2003. Of the estimated 6,000 intensive care units in the United States, fewer than 200 have received this excellence award.
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