2022 Quality Summit ePosters (Non-CE) - General Quality Improvement-13. Raising the Bar: Utilizing the Expertise of Nurse Project Leads in a Heart & Vascular Hospital to Facilitate Process Improvement and Promote Change

13. Raising the Bar: Utilizing the Expertise of Nurse Project Leads in a Heart & Vascular Hospital to Facilitate Process Improvement and Promote Change

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The document discusses the utilization of nurse project leads in a heart and vascular hospital to facilitate process improvement and promote change. The RN project leads have expertise in various areas such as management and cardiac surgery, cardiac surgery and support devices, cardiology, structural heart disease, cath lab, and EP and invasive/noninvasive cardiology.<br /><br />The RN project lead team at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, links patient care, process improvement, and data teams to standardize care processes and align multidisciplinary teams to drive outcomes and support priority initiatives in the Heart & Vascular Hospital (HVH). The role of the RN project leads was created in 2017 to provide expertise and promote change, and the team has grown to include five additional members since then.<br /><br />The nurse-driven project lead team is well positioned to champion initiatives in clinical quality improvement, operational excellence, education, clinical informatics integration, and innovative solutions to challenges. However, a challenge to maintaining team integrity is ensuring clarity on the original intent of the role as different service lines seek project lead support.<br /><br />The team of six RNs with a combined clinical experience of over 175 years bridges the gap between clinical team resources and the scope of clinical and operational initiatives through engagement, collaboration, and communication. Their responsibilities include prioritization and project planning, monitoring progress, and communication with the multidisciplinary team.<br /><br />The multidisciplinary project lead team model promotes engagement, collaboration, and efficient communication, resulting in an standardized and guideline-driven approach to care. The practice changes led by project leads align with best practices associated with lower costs, higher patient satisfaction, and better patient outcomes.

Keywords

nurse project leads

heart and vascular hospital

process improvement

change promotion

RN project leads

cardiac surgery

cardiology

cath lab

clinical informatics integration