Mount Auburn Healthcare Connection

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When Anthony Ayag was hired as a registered nurse at Mount Auburn Hospital nine years ago, he was immediately pleased with how his colleagues’ attitudes and approach to care lined up with his own. “There is a collective passion to improve patient care,” he says. “This patient-centered approach is exactly why we began implementing the use of whiteboards in patient rooms and the bedside reporting initiative.”

A culture of collaboration
Before nurses leave their shifts, they use a variety of methods to communicate the patient’s plan of care to the oncoming nurse. However, Ayag’s team has adopted a new system that he believes is more comprehensive and improves patient and nurse satisfaction.

“Now, at change of shift, we do an entire report with the patient, at the bedside” he says. “We go over everything the nurse taking over will need to know, such as medications the patient is taking; testing or imaging that they had or will have; allergies; overview of the patient care plan; and any other special instructions.”

There are several benefits to bedside shift-change reporting, including:

• Giving the patient a voice in their care. During the bedside reporting, patients can play an active role in the conversation by asking questions or voicing concerns. It also keeps patients and their families up-to-date on their care plan.

• Creating an opportunity to introduce the patient, family and nurse. When a nurse’s shift changes, he or she introduces the new nurse to the patient and family, which allows them to get to know one another. It can also help reassure the patient that the nurse responsible for his or her care is fully informed.

• Providing nurses with a complete report. The face-to-face contact gives nurses an opportunity to reaffirm the patient’s plan of care.

This method of shift-change reporting also helps nurses partner with patients and reduces patient anxiety.

Strengthening communication
In addition to bedside reporting, Ayag’s team uses specialized whiteboards to help keep patients, their families and medical staff up-to-date on the care plan.

“We write down all the vital information that the staff and patient need to know on the whiteboard. It includes the date; goal for the day; names of the medical staff caring for them; activity level; diet; and upcoming testing or therapy,” he says. “There is also a space for patients or family members to write comments, notes or questions to the medical staff or patient.”

Bedside reporting and whiteboards are part of the initiative to transform care at the bedside and align with the patient-centered approach at Mount Auburn Hospital. “We want our patients to feel like they’ve had a positive experience from the moment they arrive,” says Ayag. “That’s why we are constantly reviewing and seeking ways to improve our performance.”

Experience the patient-centered care at Mount Auburn Hospital. Call (617) 499-5094.