Staffing Support

In recent months, we’ve made significant progress in supporting our nurses to improve job satisfaction and reduce burnout. This includes adding more PRNs to our teams, giving the hospital greater flexibility to fill staffing gaps and respond to periods of high patient volume.

The safety and security of our nurses and patients are our highest priorities. We’ve taken proactive steps to mitigate potential risks and to respond swiftly and effectively in the event of a security breach.

• Patient Safety and Visitor Code of Conduct: Clear guidelines were established to hold visitors accountable for their actions – failure to comply will result in removal, barring from facilities, and legal action
• Blue Folder: Quick access to Workplace Violence Prevention (WPVP) resources on every unit
• Increased Security Personnel:
  • Security officers attend bed huddles to improve awareness and coordination around workplace violence and safety concerns
  • Added extra security to high-risk areas
• Evolv Metal Detection System: This system at the GSH ED entrance improves safety by enabling efficient weapon detection without delaying patient entry (coming soon to UMH)
• Wanding Protocol: Implemented ad-hoc security measures for weapon detection
• Masada De-Escalation Training: Course designed to equip staff with skills to peacefully and effectively resolve contentions or dangerous situations
• Support Staff & Care for Caregiver: Additional support if an event occurs
• Purple Diamond Protocol: Concise emergency response protocol to mitigate urgent or threatening events
• DHS 3D Mapping: Mapping of hospitals to assist outside agencies with disaster or emergency response
• Clear Signage for Visitors: Clear signage throughout the hospital outlines the visitor code of conduct
• Free and Secure Parking: We offer free, convenient, and secure parking for our associates, making it easy for them to transition safely to and from the hospital
• Security Debrief: Following each security event, we conduct a thorough real-time debrief to assess the situation

Wellbeing

We believe it’s essential to provide our nurses with benefits and services that support their health and wellbeing. When we care for our nurses, they can better care for our patients.

In May, MedStar Health’s nursing program was recognized with the first Well-Being Excellence™ credential awarded by the prestigious American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). MedStar Health was the only acute care health system in the Mid-Atlantic region awarded this credential and one of only five recognized internationally for the new global distinction that highlights the effectiveness of work to improve the wellbeing of nurses and other diverse teams. Watch the moment we learned the great news.

• Free mental health coaching
• Expedited mental health services
• Employee Assistance Program
• 24/7 mental health support
• Monthly wellbeing CEs
• Dedicated nurse wellbeing specialist

We continue to offer career advancement and professional development opportunities to retain and attract talented nurses.

• Preceptor pay and charge nurse pay
• Education Assistance
  • Increased to $5,250/year for full-time nurses
  • Can be used for conferences
• Clinical Advancement Program (CAP)

• Mentorship Program with biannual celebrations
• Certification
  • Annual Certification Fair to promote certification
  • Certification Day and recognition board
• Dine and Discover and Nursing Grand Rounds (each occurs 4x per year)
• Community service projects (2x per year)
• MedConnent to streamline workflows and reduce documentation burden
• Remote Video Monitoring enhances patient safety and offers support to associates

Shared Governance and Nurse-Led Initiatives

Collaborative governance is essential to empowering our nurses and delivering quality patient care. We want our nurses to know that their voices matter and that they play an active role in shaping decisions made at our hospitals.

• Councils Led by Staff Nurses
  • Professional Development Council
  • Practice Council
  • Nursing Quality and Safety Council
  • Patient and Family Education Council
  • Night Shift Council
  • Nursing Informatics Council
  • Research Council
• Committees & Nurse Champion Programs

Keeping our nurses informed is crucial for our success. We have established a standard of transparency that ensures our nurses are well-informed and have a voice in decision-making processes.

• Late Night with Leaders
• Frequent Leadership Rounding
• Katch Up with Karen
• Nursing Today (monthly newsletter from Karen)
• Nursing Notes (quarterly)
• Annual Nursing Report
• Associate Town Halls
• Leaders are Listening
• Associate Voice Survey (2x per year)
  • Collaborative meetings with associates to focus on actionable changes in response to survey results

Awards, Recognition, and Presentations

• Baltimore’s Best RN nominations (multiple each year)
• Nurse & Tech of the Year Awards
• DAISY Awards
  • DAISY Award: 3x/year (increasing to 4x/year)
  • DAISY Leader Award: 1x/year
  • Team DAISY Award: 1x/year
• Certification Day recognition with a specialized gift
• Certification board to showcase certified nurses
• Multiple published nurses and poster presenters
• Magnet Journey
• Impact Awards
• Make a Difference
• Nurses’ Day Award
• Unit Celebrations
• Peri-Op Service Line Circle of Excellence
• MedStar Health HeRO Awards