I started as a Nurse Resident at Emory University Hospital, and worked up to Nurse Clinician III after 2 years of time on the floor. Below are projects and research I conducted during this time.
I conducted a Value Improvement Project assessing nurses’ education level and comfortability in responding to clinically deteriorating patient conditions. From this research, I developed the “Acute Changes in Patient Condition Reference Sheet” that empowered new graduate nurses and instilled critical thinking skills in rapid response situations. This reference sheet and results of my research are currently incorporated into 6E’s orientation process.
My residency cohort members and I completed an Evidence-Based Project (EBP) on our unit that studied the rates of missing patient belongings and impact that lost valuables have on patient trust, recovery, and financial burden to the unit. We created an educational pamphlet and conducted an in-service on appropriate charting of patient items upon admission or transfer to our unit. We also altered our physical shift-report sheet that is handed between nurses to include the presence of patient items at the bedside in their initial assessment. Our post-implementation data showed a dramatic decrease in number of missing patient valuables, as well as improvements in unit finances and overall patient trust in the healthcare system. We presented our findings to a panel of other Nurse Residents and Unit Directors from across Emory University Hospital, which voted to award us a Certificate of Recognition for the “EBP project with the greatest impact on patients, families, nurses, or other clinicians.”