QUALITY AND OUTCOMES

• Nursing Research
  • Nursing Research Council
  • Nursing Research Highlights
  • Current Research Activities
  • Past Research Activities
• Performance Improvement
  • Excellence in Action 2007
• Centers of Excellence

Nursing Research

Nursing research is integral to professional practice at AtlantiCare. Nurses at all levels are involved in research activities to explore, predict and discover practice applications. Nursing research is used as the scientific basis for confirming or enhancing existing knowledge as well as generating new knowledge. The result is validation of existing practice, implementation of changes in practice, and enhanced evidence based provision of patient care. 

The Nursing Research Council is comprised of nurses from staff to executive nursing leaders. We enlist the support of a doctoral prepared Nurse Researcher as a consultant to the Council.

Purpose: The Nursing Research Council is responsible for promoting the conduct, evaluation, and practice integration of relevant nursing research at ARMC .

Goals:

• Encourage and assist individuals through the research process.
• Oversee the availability of ARMC research resources.
• Facilitate research application submission to the ARMC Institutional Review Board (IRB).
• Assist in the dissemination of research findings.
• Enhance nursing research process knowledge to members of the council and nurses throughout AtlantiCare
• Promote nursing research throughout the Forces of Magnetism

• The Council meets on a monthly basis to discuss ongoing research, new initiatives, and plans for the annual research day conference. Additionally, research education is provided by advanced practice experts.
• The Nursing research council chair is a voting member of ARMC’s IRB, several additional IRB members are Clinical Nurse Researchers who also participate in the Nursing Research Council. 

• Effects of Smoking Cessation on Psychiatric Inpatients’ Behaviors Using the Nicotine Patch
• Effects of Live Music Therapy in the Hospital Setting
• Issues and Practices of Peripheral IV’s utilizing stabilization devices
• Attitude and Knowledge of the Emergency Department Staff Regarding the Role of the ED Nurse Practitioner
• A Multifaceted Approach to Reducing Medication Errors

• Nursing Preceptors Redesign Process impact – presented Nationally - 2004
• "The Steps to Making Research a Reality" – presented Nationally - 2004
• Pet Therapy in an Acute Care setting
• Barriers to Nursing Research – presented Nationally - 2006
• Participated in the ENA’s LUNAR III study – published 12-07

Sponsorship of the 4th Annual Research Day April 20, 2007 “Fueling the Epidemic of Health: Nursing Research and the Use of Evidence-Based Practice”

Keynote Speaker: Susan Salmond, EdD, RN

• Over 150 nurses participated in a day long program featuring prominent speakers from across the country.
• Nationally renowned speakers presented throughout the day and Research Posters from ARMC staff nurses, academia, and students provided a rich and diverse variety of topics.

Fifth Annual Nursing Research Day, Friday April 11, 2008. Trump Marina Atlantic City.

Performance Improvement

Nursing at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center is committed to providing safe, state of the art care to all patients. Nursing Services recognizes that nursing is an integral component of the Mission, Vision and Values of the Medical Center and, as such, is dedicated to serving our patients and community.

Nursing quality and performance improvement extends from unit based efforts within specific departments and flows through our council and committee work. We are aligned with organizational structures including the “5 B’s,” Best Quality, Best Finance, Best People and Workplace, Best Community Health, Best Customer Service. We strive to continuously assess and evaluate quality of care, provision of a safe environment for patients, customers, and staff, and adherence to regulating agencies.

We utilize the Plan –Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model to develop, implement, and evaluate performance improvement efforts.

Excellence in Action 2007

Nurses at all levels of the organization are involved with Quality initiatives. Nursing leadership has created a culture where nurses feel empowered to utilize meaningful data to initiate change in patient care delivery. Nurses are encouraged and rewarded for participating as “champions” and change agents. Champions are mentored in a specific patient care delivery initiative and become experts and consultants to their colleagues. Champions lead colleagues in exploring and strategizing initiatives best suited for their patient populations and unit needs. This integrative approach has created a culture of “ownership,” positive patient outcomes, and staff satisfaction.

Read about some of the organizational achievements:

1. AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center was designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services during the fourth quarter of 2007. We are the first and only Comprehensive Stroke Center in southeastern New Jersey.
2. ARMC has achieved composite measure scores at the target of 97% for all quarters of 2007. The City and Mainland Campuses were ranked first and second in the State of NJ for results for AMI, Heart Failure and Pneumonia (2007 NJ DOH Hospital Quality Report.) .
3. ARMC received Disease Specific certification from JCAHO for the Joint replacement programs. This makes ARMC one of three hospitals in the state and 13 in the country that have certified programs.
4. Maintained designation as a Chest Pain Center by the Society of Chest Pain Centers.
5. Maintained Quality Internet website. Provides consumers with information on Quality at AtlantiCare as well as links to JCAHO, CMS, NJDOH and public report cards.
6. Participated in the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators program to benchmark Nurse Sensitive Indicators in the areas of Patient Falls, Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers, Restraint use, Nursing Hours of Care, RN Skill Mix, Pediatric IV Site Infiltrations
7. Participated in the New Jersey Hospital Association Pressure Ulcer Prevention Collaborative which ended during the third quarter of 2007. Incidence rate ranked below the National Average set by Hill-Rom.

Centers of Excellence

AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center is home to many centers of excellence and specialized services.

• The Heart Institute at ARMC is the region's only cardiac surgery center.
• Level II Regional Trauma Center; one of only two in southern New Jersey .
• The Joint Institute
• The Spine Institute
• The Center for Surgical Weight Loss & Wellness
• AtlantiCare Women’s Health & Wellness, which includes our state-of-the-art Center for Childbirth

To find out more about AtlantiCare’s commitment to quality care, click here.