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25 Years of Nursing:
Change, Growth, Innovation
Recruiting 200 nurses to open a brand-new hospital takes something special. Froedtert Hospital had that “something” 25 years ago and still has it today.
Built on innovation, dedication, compassion and drive, Froedtert’s nursing history and culture have set an enviable standard of excellence.
One of Froedtert’s earliest innovations was an unusual nursing schedule, according to Pam Maxson-Cooper, MS, RN, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer.
The 7/70 schedule — where nurses work seven 10-hour days, then are off for seven days — gave the hospital a recruiting edge when it opened, says Maxson-Cooper. “Froedtert still has excellent retention because of it. We’re the only hospital in the city using 7/70 as a core schedule.”
Adaptability is another hallmark of nursing at Froedtert. For example, the hospital opened with an RN-only nursing staff and several years later added patient care assistants, or PCAs. In recent years, the hospital began additional training to elevate PCAs to patient care technicians, now the norm in skilled support positions, Maxson-Cooper says.
Another important innovation came 15 years ago when Froedtert created a process for more staff nurse input. “Staff nurses have responsibility and accountability over the quality of care delivery, patient and peer education and evidence-based practice changes.” Maxson-Cooper says, “Shared governance is their voice.”
Blazing National TrailsFroedtert blazed a national trail as one of the first in the country to use the Six Sigma business model of quality improvement. SixSigma aims to reduce variances in any process, improve standardization and increase safety. “Almost all nursing directors have been trained on the Six Sigma model,” says Maxson-Cooper.
The nurses themselves are, perhaps, the most important factor in shaping Froedtert’s nursing history. “We have a high level of nurses who return to school, who are lifelong learners,” says Maxson-Cooper. She estimates more than 60 have been certified or renewed certifications in their specialties in the past two years.
Maxson-Cooper believes that while nurses have always been dedicated to caring for the whole patient as an individual, recognition of that role has grown recently. “Nursing is becoming more recognized as a professional practice and the advantage of having a nurse available 24/7 to care for a patient is becoming more valued.”
Having been with Froedtert since day one, Maxson-Cooper has enjoyed watching the hospital and the profession grow. “I love being able to enhance the professional practice at Froedtert and provide staff the tools they need to succeed alongside our patients. We're part of an extraordinary institution.”
Source: Froedtert Today Date: September 2005 |
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