Beacon Award Within Reach of Any Nursing Unit

Nurses in any hospital can and should strive to attain the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence for their unit. “There is no perfect unit.

There is no perfect place to work,” said Sue Little of Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio. “However, there are great places to work.”

During the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence Panel Discussion yesterday, Beacon Award recipients answered questions regarding how their units are run and the process they went through in applying for the Beacon Award.

“Don’t let a question or even a series of questions keep you from submitting (an application),” said Doug Peterson, of the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan.

Applying for the Beacon Award

The most important aspect of the application process is making sure most if not all staff members are on board.

Denise Fochesto of Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, N.J., suggested that nurses should take the time to inspect what they do and tell the “story” of their unit in detail in the application because application reviewers want to get a sense of the spirit of a unit.

Sarah Proctor of Mission Hospitals in Asheville, N.C., said her unit formed groups, split the application into sections, and assigned each group a section to complete.

Many panel members told of how they had worked together with other units in their hospitals or with mentors from other hospitals who had been through the application process. Peterson recommended setting regular meetings for all staff members involved in the application process and setting a target date for submission.

Encouraging Improvements on a Unit

In the face of application denial or low enthusiasm, all nurses should remain committed to improving their unit to the standard of the Beacon Award.

One consideration in the application process is the integration of evidence-based practice and research into the clinical setting. To achieve this, panelists recommended combining procedural committees with research groups. The panel also said that journal clubs are essential and can function as a springboard to other initiatives and research projects.

“Encourage your staff to come to the table,” Fochesto said, emphasizing the importance of participation.

One nurse asked for advice on physical space limitations, especially in units with few windows. Panel members suggested taking patients outside when possible and maintaining a strict regimen of night and day light to ensure that patients maintain a sense of time.

Another nurse was curious about certification rates on units that apply for or have received the Beacon Award. The panel members acknowledged the difficulty of getting nursing staff members to take certification exams. They suggested encouraging nurses to go through the process in groups and setting up a “wall of fame” to recognize nurses’ accomplishments.

On Peterson’s unit, the nurses took advantage of the discount offered when 10 or more nurses sign up together to take the certification exam.

Some panel members noted that their hospitals offered on-site preparation courses and paid the testing fee. At Proctor’s hospital, certification is not only encouraged, but expected of all nurses hired.