Unit Based Councils meet for annual Spring Summit

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital’s Department of Nursing recently brought together nurses from each unit for their annual Spring Unit Based Council Summit. Attended by co-chairs from each of the Unit Based Councils and Nursing Shared Governance Committees, the day provided the opportunity to share ideas and best practices. The topics for the day supported ongoing leadership advancement for nurses under the American Nurses Association (ANA) leadership domains of “Leading the Way: Leading yourself, leading others, leading the organization.”

The day began with ice breakers and a welcome from Executive Director of Nursing Professional Development, Practice and Innovation Colleen West, DNP, MBA, RN, CPHQ, followed by an update on the Nursing Strategic Plan by Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services Cori Loescher, MM, BSN, RN, NEA-BC. In her welcome, Loescher said, “This is one of my favorite days of the year. I get to hear about all of the amazing work you are doing on your units!”

Later, Helene Bowen-Brady, DNP, MEd, RN-BC, NEA-BC, gave a presentation on abstract writing followed by a presentation titled “Defining a Problem and Gaining Buy-In” by Performance Improvement Manager Claire Massero, MS. Before breaking for lunch, the group heard one more presentation titled “Narrowing the Gaps Between Insulin Dosing and Glucose Point-of-Care Testing to Improve Glycemic Control” by Clinical Nurses Jessica Ollis, BSN, RN, and Kim Danna, RN.

After lunch, Quality and Magnet Program Manager Tracy Lane, BSN, RN-BC, gave an update on BWFH’s ongoing quest for Magnet designation, focusing on how to prepare for the upcoming site visit scheduled for July 1 to 3. Then the talk turned to individual unit updates on their clinical questions to round out the day.

Before the close of the summit, participants had a chance to share their feedback on their experience. “This is my first Unit Based Council Summit. It was really educational from top to bottom,” said 2 South staff nurse Hannah Jackson, BSN, RN. “I am really happy I came.”

For other nurses who have been to the Unit Based Council Summit before, they were equally glad they attended. Outpatient Infusion Center Clinical Leader Ginny Grace, BSN, RN, said, “It’s amazing to see how each unit’s projects are changing and how much more involved they are becoming. It gives me energy to go back to our department, rally the staff and get working on our projects.”

Similarly, Program Manager for Informatics for Nursing/Patient Care Services Paula Wolski, MSN, RN-BC, reflected on how far the Department of Nursing has come over the years. “I can remember a time when we were at 50 percent capacity on a daily basis and we honestly thought the hospital was going to close,” she said. “To see the changes that have taken place since then and the role that nursing has played in all of it makes me very proud.”