Present: Sunny A., Chris C., Frank M., Sue P., Liz O., Hector R., Jordan P., Theresa C., Lucy M.

UA Role:

• Linen may not always be first priority for the day.  Please check that supplies are available for the nursing staff and fill out CSD and special order forms.
• Carry Phone only No UA s to carry a beeper.  The method for reaching the UA is through the phone only.  When you arrive at work, please put your name on the white board of the unit as well as the phone number.  If you happen to be covering two units this needs to be done on each unit.  This is for proper communication among the team.  This should be completed no later than 8am.
• Ordering – Review store room for supplies. There is a small white board in the store rooms.  If you notice low levels of a particular supplies and it is not a delivery day, the storeroom needs to be notified.  If it is a delivery day, the list will need to be reconciled against the delivery.
• Breakfast delivery and pick up needs to be timely.
• Room Carts – This may require filling more than once per day given the needs of the patients.  Empty rooms need to have carts stocked.  These rooms will have patients and should be ready and properly supplied.
• 24 Hour sheets these sheets are faxed to payroll each day.  If you float, you need to notify the unit to which you floated.  If you are working on more than one unit, you need to indicate that you are working the other units as well.  This is for charging purposes.  The previous charge nurse should be aware of the need to float a UA for a shift.

Unit Secretaries

• Faxing 24 hours sheet – This needs to be faxed daily and noted if faxed.  There is a stamp on each unit.
• Phone – please use proper identification when answering the phone
• Call lights -The nurses need to be notified when call light assistance is requested by the patient.
• Desk coverage – the Secretary desk needs to be covered during rounding time
• Communication – each handoff should consist of what has been done for the day and any outlying tasks.  Please let the RN charge know when you are not going to be at the desk.
• Breaks are no more than two 15 minute breaks during the shift and 30 minutes for lunch.  These cannot be combined.  Extended breaks will not be tolerated.

Additional discussion:

• EKG strips need to be faxed for the previous day.  Do not batch scan
• The food order needs to be placed before 2pm.  This is still not happening consistently
• There has been a lot of change over the past 6 months in the role and hours of the UA and it is essential that everyone is on board for the common goal, working together to provide for our patients.
• We will meet quarterly.  Our next meeting will be in August.  Time and date TBD.  Nursing is invited to attend

Respectfully Submitted,

Paula Gellner MS, RN

Clinical Manager CTIC, ICTU

Rhode Island Hospital

Paula.Gellner@lifespan.org

O (401) 444-5992

C (401) 533-4362

Assignment:  0-1 patient is desirable for the charge nurse as appropriate to allow for time to manage the days’ activity.

Communication:

1. Daily Meeting with ICTU Charge RN (0830?) to discuss plan for the day

• # Post Ops, admits, discharges, transfers
• Prioritize transfers to accommodate work flow

2. Lead morning collaborative rounds

• Daily 0930 (1030 on Wed)

3. Point of Contact for staff and PA’s; Coordinate with manager/supervisor any concerns

• Acuity issues, traveling, bedside procedures, CRRT, IABP, etc.

Responsibilities: May delegate as necessary if appropriate

1. Staff Assignment’s

• Appropriate for acuity, preceptor assignments to meet needs
• Staffing needs; blast page; staffing office communication

2. OR assignment’s

• Assign rooms, ensure set up, 1^st and 2^nd RN’s staffed
• Each room should have a physical bed accounted

3. Next shift assignment

• Staff shift appropriate for acuity
• Daily communication handoff

4. Night Shift Charge

• Zoll/Code cart checks; ensure completion

Present – K. Parrott, J. Pimental, M. Gaboriault, W. Swain, C. Duray, K. Ricci, K. Cacal, K. Kelahan, C. Bracken

Topics

Wound dressing – Company rep at 8:15am  we will be using the PICO dressing by Smith and Nephew in the near future.  This will work with some of our wounds on our larger patietns coming from the OR.

Call offs – Please note that call offs are for 4 hour increments only.  The only time 8 hours is granted is 11p-7a.  You are responsible to ensure that you are needed back on the unit once the 4 hours is up or that you are staying off.

Reminder:  Next Cardiac Day/Schedule planning – The schedule for this day will be worked on in the next week.  The date is April 28 from 8 to noon in Galkin.  We will be having a lecture on sedation as requested as well as other topics.  Once the schedule of events is finalized, it will be posted.

Pain lecture April 5^th – This will be held at the Capital Grille in Providence.  Please contact the representative if you would like to attend, the email is Maureen.hogan@mallinkrodt.com

Unit Practice Council my CTIC.com – This website was created by Ray Cord.  He gave a brief overview of the site.  In order to make it ours and include the necessary information for everyone to use, please submit websites, videos etc. so that they can be uploaded.

Heart Walk – information on teams, donations.  Please access the team websites through the American Heart Association.  CTIC APPs have taken the lead and are walking for a past collegue, Gordon.  Amy Lanoue has a friend who will be walking as well in honor of her child who received Open Heart surgery soon after birth.  Please pick a team, donate and walk with us!

After Party – We are trying to make plans for an after party.  Say Tuned!

Leader Rounding – Donna Saul our Critical Care Director will be rounding on the CTIC and ICTU Quarterly.  She was on CTIC Tuesday and very impressed with the energy of the staff and the passion for providing excellent patient care.  She will round on ICTU as well.

Discrepancy report documentation -The discrepancy log must be signed off each day by the charge nurses.  Please bring all discrepancies that are not able to be resolved to my attention.

 Protocols -These protocols are finished being revised and will be presented at the next Pharmacy and Therapeutics meeting for roll out approval.

Magnesium

KCL

Extubation Data – We are trying to extubate the post op patients within 6 hours of arrival on the unit.  So far due to the case mix and patient condition, our success with this initiative is slightly over 60% in 6 weeks.

A Line study   We are still collecting our data.  We need 30 more samples, let’s not drop the ball here!  When you remove an A-line the tip needs t be sent for culture.

White Boards White boards are not being kept up.  Ensure that your is complete 100% of the time.  This is information that our patients deserve to know.  When we have floats, this needs to also be encouraged.

Credentialing –Last week!!!!!  If you have not signed up, please do so!

Message form Cheryl, Infection Control representative:

• Sterile water and saline are good for 24 hours once opened, these need to be dated and timed, thrown away once 24hours is up.
• Change suction canisters!
• Purple wipes (all wipes) need to be closed, hey will dry out
• Cylinders for urine collection need to be dated and named for the patient. If setting up a room, just leave the materials in the room and the admitting nurse will label

Respectfully submitted,

Paula Gellner