Pulse Employee Newsletter - March 9, 2021

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Employee Applause Event – Thursday, March 18 from 6:30 – 8 am

Members of the Rewards and Recognition Committee will be handing out special treats on Thursday, March 18 from 6:30 – 8 am to recognize and thank staff at all levels of the organization for their incredible commitment to taking care of our patients, their families and each other, especially during these trying times.  

Join the Nurses of Color Employee Resource Group

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital is launching a Nurses of Color Employee Resource Group (ERG) and want you to get involved.  Members will be instrumental in helping to create an ERG that supports nurses of color in their professional and personal growth as we aspire to create an environment where all nurses of color can aspire, develop and collaborate to reach our highest individual and group potential. 

Kick off meetings will be held on Thursday, March 11 from 5 – 6 pm and Tuesday, March 16 from 5 – 6 pm via Zoom.  Please contact Nenser Krua, Patricia Louijame or Suzelle Saint-Eloi for the Zoom invite information and link.

Fleece Jacket Delivery Update

All employees who placed an order for a fleece jacket and met the eligibility requirements should receive it by the end of March. Jackets will be delivered to the mailing address that you entered on your order form. As background, our donors wanted to give employees a fleece jacket to express their gratitude for your contributions not only in response to COVID-19, but also for the special ways in which you always go above and beyond. The deadline for orders was the end of December 2020. Please note that we cannot accommodate new orders.

March Education Calendar Now Available  

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s monthly Education Calendar is now available, which contains listings for many core competencies, trainings and career development opportunities here on our campus, as well as at Mass General Brigham and BWH. You can also view the complete course offerings on BWFHconnect.

BWFH Nursing Awards – Nominations Accepted Through April 2

Each year, during National Nurses Week, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital celebrates its nurses and support staff with awards recognizing excellence in critical thinking, commitment to patient teaching, continuing education, outstanding delivery of patient- and family-centered care with compassion and dignity, and evidence-based practice. Do you have a coworker who deserves one of these awards? To submit a nomination, click here. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, April 2.

Tips for Tax Season

Despite the many complexities of life in 2021, everyone still needs to prepare their taxes. This annual task may seem extra daunting this year, and so the EAP has produced a helpful article for eap.partners.org. You will find resources and tips designed to make April 15 less stressful, whether you prepare your own taxes or hire someone to assist you.

BWFHconnect Now Available in More than 80 Languages

Content on BWFHconnect (intranet) can now be translated into more than 80 languages using the Google Translate feature. The Google Translate drop down menu appears at the top of each BWFHconnect page, and users can select their preferred language to have the text on the page translated. Please note, this feature works only in Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers.

COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 Surveillance and Monitoring Dashboard

MA Situational Update as of March 7, 2021
27,369 active COVID+ cases
892 new daily COVID+ cases
The 7-day percent positivity average is 1.67 percent

BWFH Situational Update as of March 9, 2021:
Admitted COVID+ Patients as of 7am: 14
Admitted COVID PUI Patients as of 7am: 4 

BWFH Vaccine Update of March 8, 2021:
65 percent of BWFH based employees have chosen to receive their first dose of vaccine
63 percent of BWFH employees have received their second dose of vaccine

EAP Information on COVID-19 Related Stress and Burnout in Health Care

Stress in the workplace is nothing new, but as we pass the one-year anniversary of “lockdown”, we are still facing circumstances unprecedented in our lifetime. How do you recognize when you or someone on your team needs help? This EAP article on eap.partners.org covers spotting warning signs of stress, identifying burnout, and offers resources for maintaining or regaining well-being.

Current Mass General Brigham Policies Remain in Place as Vaccinations Continue

As vaccinations continue, new variants emerge, public health guidance evolves, and our overall community and hospital COVID-19 metrics improve, we remind staff that currently there are no changes to our existing Mass General Brigham policies related to vaccination status of employees, patients, or visitors or the identification of variants in our communities. The same preventive measures we have been following – wearing a mask when less than six feet apart from people not in your household, frequent hand hygiene and symptom monitoring – remain most effective to limit transmission of the virus, including variants. Please remember the guidelines below.

At work:

• Don a new hospital-issued facemask (medical or surgical/procedural) upon arrival and replace if it becomes soiled per Universal Mask Policy.
  • No double masking. The CDC does NOT recommend wearing two medical masks. This is because a second facemask adds minimal filtration efficiency and does not improve quality of fit.
  • Non-hospital-issued PPE is not permitted. As has been our policy throughout the pandemic, use of non-hospital-issued PPE, including facemasks, is not permitted.
  • No use of facemasks and N95 respirators at the same time. When using an N95 respirator as indicated according to our policies, a second mask should not be worn in addition to the N95, consistent with our policy.
• Practice frequent hand hygiene.
• Wear eye protection according to the Universal Eye Protection Policy.
• Use ERI PPE for patients as appropriate, according to the policy.
• Dine and hydrate only in designated locations,and always maintain a six foot distance when masks are removed for eating and drinking.

In non-health care settings:

• The CDC recommends a mask that fits snugly against your face and has multiple layers. To achieve this, you can use:
  • a single well-fitting cloth mask with multiple layers or
  • a disposable mask under a cloth mask; the cloth mask acts to push the disposable mask more tightly against your face
• The CDC does not recommend combining two disposable masks or using a disposable mask over a cloth mask.
• Avoid large gatherings.
• Limit interactions with those outside your household.

Employee Asymptomatic Testing at BWFH

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital continues to offer on-site COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic (no signs of illness) staff members free of charge, with results returned to you approximately 24 - 36 hours later. Learn more and schedule a test.

• Testing is offered every Monday from 6:30 - 9:30 am and Wednesday from 2 – 5 pm. Click here to view the schedule.
• Employees will schedule their appointment through COVID Pass. Click here to view instructions on COVID-19 test scheduling through COVID Pass.
• Employees who are not COVID Pass users will be able to schedule their COVID testing appointment at the testing site when the clinic is open; please be aware that the ‘walk-in’ scheduling will take longer and plan accordingly.
• Results will be available in Patient Gateway, and turnaround time for results is between 24 and 36 hours.  Click here to view instructions on enrolling in Patient Gateway.
• Employees will be able to schedule 1 elective COVID test every 7 days through COVID Pass.  Please note that a block on COVID Pass will prevent users from accessing the schedule until exactly 3 days past the time of your last elective COVID test.

Safety Highlight of the Week

Recently, a safety report was submitted regarding the use of medication reconciliation on 6 North.  Read the complete edition of Last Week In Patient Safety (intranet link).

Save the Date

Black History Virtual Empowerment Recognition Breakfast: Salute to Champions of Action and Integrity
Thursday, March 11
9 to 11 am
Virtual via Zoom

Virtual Meet and Greet with Black Excellence @ MGB Employee Resource Group
Thursday, March 11
1pm - 2pm
Via Zoom 

30 Minute Yoga at Your Desk
Tuesday, March 16
12 noon to 12:30 pm
EAP Webinar

Pillars of Excellence Award Ceremony
Wednesday, March 17
10 to 11 am
Virtual/Livestream

De-Escalation Recert/Initial Training
Friday, March 19
8 am to 12 noon
Via Zoom 

Comparing Award Letters
Wednesday, March 24
12 noon to 1 pm
EAP Webinar

De-Escalation Recertification Training
Friday, March 26
3:30 to 7:30 pm
Via Zoom

A Maven’s World 9th Annual Two Day Virtual Women’s Conference (MGB Sponsoring)
Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27
Time varies
Virtual via Zoom

BWFH Links

• APP Affair
• BWFHconnect
• BWFH MD News & Views
• BWFH Nurse
• BWFH Perks
• BWFH Pulse – Email Edition
• BWFH Pulse – Print Edition
• Employment Opportunities
• Last Week in Patient Safety
• Monthly Education Calendar