Communication Empowers Nurses at St. Lucie Medical Center

Caregivers are astutely aware of the important role strong communication has in providing outstanding patient care; however, in the current fast-paced complex environment, identifying who knows what and how to best share information can sometimes be difficult. By creating six Shared Leadership Councils that purposefully meet routinely, nursing at St. Lucie Medical Center (SLMC) in Port St. Lucie, many of the communication difficulties have been addressed.

 

SLMC initially developed a Nursing Professional Practice Council in early 2006. Early membership included the chief nursing officer, nurse directors and managers. Success was recognized early and this effort expanded quickly and included staff and charge nurses. “On each council we have representatives from every nursing department. We developed the structure, ground rules and even added a processing component. Processing of a meeting occurs the last few minutes of every meeting and gives each member an opportunity to be honest and provide constructive feedback. This helps the team build trust and improve communications,” says Nancy Hilton, Chief Nursing Officer.

 

The St. Lucie Leadership Councils include: Nursing Leadership, Nursing Professional Practice, Nursing Professional Development, Nursing Quality, Clinical Nurse Leader, Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice and Unit Practice. These councils promote collaboration and influence the delivery of care by empowering the council members to discuss clinician challenges and participate in making decisions. This increases professional accountability and leads to improved patient outcomes. “Nurses are in an optimal position to communicate current trends and provide solutions to barriers for care delivery,” shares Hilton.

 

The Nursing Professional Practice Councils have been so successful that 100 of the 350 nurses now serve on at least one council. This inclusive group includes clinicians across all areas of the hospital such as Quality, Infection Control, Information Technology and Risk Management. “The nurses have a strong voice both on their unit and across the hospital,” Hilton says. The councils meet monthly to ensure the lines of communication are constantly open. Then, each council provides an update to the Nursing Leadership council. This ensures that each council has the support needed to develop strategic initiatives.

 

Communication continues outside the council. A defined communication tree ensures council members connect with unit staff nurses and members not on the council. This encourages each person to participate and have a voice. Additionally, communication boards feature updates on current activities in each area. Communication, along with shared leadership, ensures strategies to improve patient care are successful. Frequent reports to leadership ensure there are resources aligned to support their strategic initiatives.

 

“Each council is empowered to approach any issue with the perspective that it is a priority,” Hilton shares. “The councils are very effective because they give each person a voice. And, there is nothing better than seeing the results from their ideas.”