caring november 6, 2003 - mghpcs.org...ballantine co-founded friends with hope, a foundation that...

Inside:Janet Ballantine Oncology

Volunteer Award .................. 11111

Jeanette Ives Erickson ........... 22222Updates

Fielding the Issues ................. 33333International Patient & FamilyCenter

Patient Education .................... 44444Health Literacy Day

Exemplar ................................. 66666Joan Vivaldelli, RN

New Graduate Critical CareProgram Graduation ........... 77777

Healing Arts Festival .............. 88888

JM Foundation NursingScholarship Program .......... 99999

Professional Achievements ..1010101010

Educational Offerings ............1111111111

Yvonne Munn NursingResearch Awards .............1212121212

CaringCaringNovember 6, 2003

H E A D L I N E S

WorkingMGH

A

together to shape the futurePatient Care Services

mong many other things,Janet Ballantine was a

warm and caring per-son, a committed volun-

teer, and a knowledgeablebreast-cancer patient. With afriend and fellow cancer patient,Ballantine co-founded Friendswith Hope, a foundation thatsupports breast-cancer researchat Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

and MGH. Since its creation,Friends with Hope has raised$100,000 and donated $60,000to MGH.

On October 24, 2002, after along battle with breast cancer,Janet Ballantine died. Recog-nizing the important role MGHstaff, and especially volunteers,played in supporting Janet andher family during her illness, her

family has established the JanetBallantine Oncology VolunteerAward.

The award will recognize thecontributions of volunteers whoconsistently demonstrate caring,compassion, and a commitmentto the volunteer role. In the fu-ture, recipients of the award willbe selected by the Janet Ballan-

First annual Janet BallantineOncology Volunteer Award

continued on page 10

Ballantine Award recipients, Elaine Grollman (center right) and James Gillespie (left),with Clare Swan, RN (second from left); Paul Bartush (back left); Dr. Jerry Younger

(back right); and members of the Ballantine family.

November 6, 2003November 6, 2003Jeanette Ives EricksonJeanette Ives Erickson

Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, MSsenior vice president for Patient

Care and chief nurse

MGH is busier than ever:a brief update

can’t remem-ber a time

when we’vebeen as consist-

ently busy as we areright now. On the heelsof our Magnet recogni-tion visit and our JCAHOaccreditation visit, weare immersed in effortsto advance our strategicplan, we’re launchingnew programs and ser-vices, and our census isregularly higher thanbudgetary expectations.We are all busy!

I’d like to use thiscolumn to bring you upto date on some thingsthat are happening thatyou may not be awareof because so much isgoing on. For instance,on Tuesday, October21, 2003, we hosted a

visit from Alex Azar,the General Counsel forthe US Department ofHealth and Human Ser-vices. Dr. Slavin, Dr.Torchiana, and I spenttime with Mr. Azarsharing our concernsand educating him aboutthe challenges we’refacing, such as Emergen-cy Room diversion,staffing issues, and sur-gical delays. We spokeat length about the impli-cations of the 80-hourwork rule for our clini-cians; and we touched onpending legislation suchas the special Medicarepayment that teachinghospitals receive andthe emergency prepar-edness investment we’vemade without any newfederal funding.

We escorted Mr.Azar on a tour of the‘operating room of thefuture,’ where he wasable to see a minimallyinvasive kidney surgery.We visited the Emergen-cy Department wherehe was able to see ourpatient tracking systemand decontaminationfacilities. This was anincredible opportunityto inform the highestranking lawyer for theDepartment of Healthand Human Servicesabout what we do andthe challenges we face.I’d like to thank DebColton, Marie Egan andMaryFran Hughes fortheir help in facilitatingMr. Azar’s visit.

On Monday, Octo-ber 20, the Central Re-source Team (CRT)implemented the RNRapid Response model,which is in effect from7:00am–11:00pm every

day. The RN RapidResponse model allowsthe CRT to allocate nurs-ing resources in a moreefficient and effectivemanner (for a maximumof 4 hours at a time) inresponse to changes inunit work load and/oran unanticipated needfor nursing services.Rapid response nursesare able to assist withadmissions, discharges,transfers, off-unit tra-vel, patient emergenc-ies, and other patient-

I

Attention NortheasternUniversity alumni

The Center for Clinical & ProfessionalDevelopment is pleased to announcethat the Office of Alumni Relations at

Northeastern University is hosting a reception in honor of Northeastern

alumni and students workingat MGH.

Professor Hortensia Amaro, PhD, director of Northeastern’s Instituteon Urban Health Research, will speak

on racial and ethnic disparitiesin healthcare.

Wednesday, November 12, 2003 4:00–6:30pm

Holiday Inn, 5 Blossom Street

For more information, call Joanne-Marie Smith, at (617) 373-8345 or e-mail

[email protected]. This event is free for Northeastern alumni

and students. Please register by Friday,October 31, 2003.

care situations that mayarise unexpectedly.

This week, for in-stance, an inpatient unittook advantage of theRapid Response modelwhen a patient on theirunit became unstable. Arapid response nursewas requested; she es-corted the patient toRadiology for CT scan-ning and transferred thepatient to the ICU. Ra-pid Response nurseshave been requested onunits experiencing mul-tiple admissions or tofacilitate movement ofpatients in and out ofthe ED and the PACU.

I expect this inno-vative new program tohave a positive impacton our ability to respondto rapidly changing pa-tient-care situationsquickly and effectively.

The employee andvolunteer Flu Vaccina-tion Program began onOctober 20. Employeeswere able to go to loca-tions in the WACC, theMain Corridor, andMGH East to receive

Come and celebrateRamadan

with an MGH communityfast-breaking feast

Patient Care Services, The Diversity SteeringCommittee, The MGH Chaplaincy, and Muslim

members of the MGH community invite youto join in Iftar, the breaking of the fast during

the month of Ramadan.All Muslim patients, family members, staff,

and friends are welcome.

Wednesday, November 12, 2003 5:00–7:00pm

Wellman Conference Room

For more information, send e-mail to:[email protected]

or [email protected] continued on next page

bhcpinastsiin

Jeanette Ives Ericksoncontinued from previous page

flu vaccine up until theend of the month. Vac-cine is still available viathe peer vaccinationprogram on participat-ing units, by appoint-ment in the Occupa-tional Health Office,and at MGH East onNovember 12, from9:00am–1:00pm in thelobby of Building 149.October and Novemberare the preferred months

to receive flu vaccine.The MGH Board of

Trustees recently tour-ed the new YawkeyAmbulatory Care Build-ing currently under con-struction. Great progressis being made, and boardmembers were veryimpressed by the trans-formation of this newspace in such a shorttime. The Yawkey Am-bulatory Care Building

is scheduled to open inthe fall of 2004.

Dr. Slavin and Iwould like to invite theentire MGH communityto a reception celebrat-ing our Magnet hospitalrecognition. The recep-tion will be held on Wed-nesday, November 12th,from 2:30–4:30pm in theWACC Lobby. I hopeyou’ll plan to attend.

By now, all MGHnurses (RNs and LPNs)should have received aMagnet recognition pinby mail at their homes.If you haven’t receiveda pin, please contactMaureen Greenberg at6-3100.

UpdateI’m pleased to announcethat Elizabeth (Liz)Johnson, RN, has ac-cepted the position ofclinical nurse specialistfor Ellison 14 effectiveimmediately.

Nursing Career ExpoInvite your friends and colleagues to the

Nursing Career Expo to learn more about staffnurse, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner,patient care associate, and surgical technologist

opportunities at MGH.

SundaySundaySundaySundaySunday, November 16, 2003, November 16, 2003, November 16, 2003, November 16, 2003, November 16, 200312:00–4:00pm12:00–4:00pm12:00–4:00pm12:00–4:00pm12:00–4:00pm

North and East Garden Dining RoomsNorth and East Garden Dining RoomsNorth and East Garden Dining RoomsNorth and East Garden Dining RoomsNorth and East Garden Dining Rooms

For information, call: Sarah Welch at 726-5593

November 6, 2003November 6, 2003

The International Patientand Family Center

Fielding the IssuesFielding the Issues

Question: I know therewas a decline in the num-ber of international pa-tients coming to MGHfollowing September 11,2001. Have our interna-tional services pickedup again?Jeanette: I’m happy toreport that our Interna-tional Patient and Fam-ily Center is once againbustling and busy. MGHhas always been a meccaof healthcare servicesfor patients from allover the world. Peoplefrom all nations are stillseeking our clinical ex-

pertise for themselvesand their loved ones.

Question: What is therole of the InternationalPatient Center?Jeanette: The Interna-tional Patient Center(IPC) was establishedin 1995. It grew fromour understanding thatinternational patientsrequire certain servicesnot called for by dome-stic patients. Originally,the IPC was part of theAdmitting Department.In 1999, it became partof Patient Care Services.

Question: What kind ofservices does the IPCprovide?Jeanette: Some interna-tional patients havefamily members orfriends living in the Bos-ton area who can helpthem navigate throughour complex institution.The majority of inter-national patients, how-ever, are unfamiliar withour city and our hospi-tal. They have come toMGH because we areone of only a few placesin the world that canprovide the clinical care

they need. The IPChelps international pa-tients and their familieswith all aspects of theircare prior to their arri-val in Boston, duringtheir stay, and afterthey return home. Pa-tient registration, Visaapplications, lodging inthe Boston area, trans-portation to and fromthe hospital, are justsome of the servicesprovided by the IPC.The office also assistsinternational patients tosecure appointmentswith appropriate spe-cialists at MGH. IPCstaff collaborate withcaregivers to ensure thatpatients are seeing theproviders they need

ased on their medicalistory. They also worklosely with the Inter-reters Office to ensureterpreters are avail-

ble when needed. IPCaff facilitate admis-on and discharge ofternational patients

by working closelywith the AdmittingOffice and case mana-gers. And they inter-cede with internationalinsurance agencies andother payers to faci-litate financial arrange-ments.

Question: Do all hos-pitals have IPCs?Jeanette: No. MGH isone of only a handfulof hospitals that has acenter dedicated toserving internationalpatients. The goal ofthe IPC is to help in-ternational patientsand their families feelsafe and comfortablewhile they’re in ourcare, and provide per-sonalized services thatcomplement the clin-ical care they are re-ceiving. It is a teameffort that begins inthe IPC and extends toall the other servicesand departments withwhom we collaborate.

The Employee Assistance ProgramWork-Life Lunchtime Seminar Series

presents

“Successful Singlehood:Expanding your Social

Network”Presented by Henri Menco, LICSW

Being single and meeting new peoplecan be challenging. This is especially truewhen moving to a new city. Henri Menco

believes the number one thing preventingpeople from meeting new people is fear of

rejection. Menco will discuss ways of makingyourself visible, social networking, places to

meet people, positive self-talk, and just how tohave more fun in life

Thursday, November 13, 200312:00–1:00pm

Wellman Conference Room

For more information, call 726-6976.

in the n, RPh;


n October 8,2003, the Pa-

tient EducationCommittee, in

collaboration with othersin the hospital commun-ity, sponsored the firstHealth Literacy Day atMGH.

Health literacy refersto a person’s ability toread, understand, and usehealthcare information.According to a recent na-tional survey, almost halfof American adults readat, or below, basic literacylevels.

Lori Pugsley, RN, co-chair of the Patient Educa-tion Committee, says, “Aperson’s stress or anxietylevel can lower her abilityto read or hear importantinformation in a medicalsetting. Difficulty under-standing can happen to

anyone, at any age, andany reading level.”

One way to raise thelevel of understanding isto use plain language, orsimple words, when com-municating with patients.Other solutions includeusing easy-to-understandvisual presentations, illu-strations, and drawings;concrete examples; and apersonal, friendly writingstyle.

“Plain language helpseveryone,” says CarolHarmon Mahony, OTR/L,co-chair of the PatientEducation Committee.“Because of limits ontime, healthcare providersneed to be able to processinformation quickly andaccurately.”

Health Literacy Daybegan with a colorful dis-play table in the Main

Corridor and includedpresentations by Dr. Ri-ma Rudd and Dr. KimKaphingst, from the Har-vard School of PublicHealth.

“Health Literacy: HelpYour Patients Understand,”a video from the AmericanMedical Association, wasshown continuouslythroughout the morning.The video emphasizedthat healthcare providerscan’t always tell when apatient has low healthliteracy. By writing andspeaking clearly to allpatients, says the AMA,“clinicians enhance overallpatient care and reducehealthcare costs.”

On display were thedischarge guidelines creat-

ed by nurses in the Pre-Admission Testing Area.The brochure is an exam-ple of a document that iswritten in plain language,is simple to use, and isvisually appealing.

A poster from theMGH Interpreters Officedemonstrated how health-care instructions can be

converted into plain lang-uage (English) and thentranslated into other lang-uages.

The committee de-signed a ‘Match Game’where words were placedon a magnetic board, andplayers were asked tomatch a simple word witha corresponding complex

Patient EducationPatient EducationPatient Education Committee

is ‘keeping it simple’—by Deborah Jameson, RN, librarian, Treadwell Library

and Angela Sorge, RN, Ellison 11

O

DrDrDrDrDr. Rima Rudd. Rima Rudd. Rima Rudd. Rima Rudd. Rima Rudd

Janet Haddock, OTR/L, demonstratesthe ‘Keep it Simple’ Match Game.

Staffing the Health Literacy Day boothDonna Slicis, RN; Firdosh Patha

jeb23

Continued on next page

Main Kathl


Books and videos availableat Treadwell Library to help you write

in plain language

American Medical Association-AMA Founda-tion. Health Literacy kit and video.

Teaching Patients with Low Literacy Skills,Doak C, Doak L, and Root J, 2nd ed., Lippin-cott; 1996.

Writing and Designing Print Materials for Ben-eficiaries, McGee, J., Dept. of Health & Hu-man Services, 1999.

Making Health Communication Programs Work,National Cancer Institute, Dept. of Health &Human Services, 2001.

word. For example, a play-er could select ‘Use’ in-stead of ‘Utilize,’ or ‘Doc-tor’ instead of ‘Physician.’

Information was alsoavailable on writing clear-ly; creating brochures,consent forms, and pa-tient-education informa-tion; and medication sched-ules with headings in dif-ferent languages.

Health Literacy Dayculminated with two af-

ternoon presentations inthe Haber ConferenceRoom by nationally ac-claimed speaker, Dr. RimaRudd, MSPH, ScD, andher colleague, Dr. Kimber-ly Kaphingst, ScD.

Rudd, a senior lectureron Society, Human Devel-opment and Health at theHarvard School of PublicHealth, is an expert onliteracy-related disparitiesand literacy-related bar-

riers to healthprograms, ser-vices, and care.Rudd sharedsome alarmingstatistics fromthe NationalAdult LiteracySurvey (NALS)that found that51% of adultsin the UnitedStates cannotaccurately andconsistentlylocate an inter-section on amap or use abus or train

schedule; 47% of adultscannot complete an orderform; and 49% of adultscannot interpret instruc-tions. These statisticsonly touch on the ‘silentcrisis’ that is looming inthis country, and especial-ly in health care. Researchshows that low literacyrates impact health care,can lead to poor overallhealth, low adherence tomedical regimens, andincreased use of medicalservices including hospi-talization.

Rudd’s advice to healthprofessionals is to, “Keepit simple. Speak and writein plain language. It’s im-perative that caregiverskeep patient education ata level consistent with theskills of the average adult.It’s also necessary to pro-vide alternative optionsfor patients with differentlearning styles and needs.As healthcare providerswe need to ask ourselves,have we accomplishedthis mission?”

Participants in Health LiteracyParticipants in Health LiteracyParticipants in Health LiteracyParticipants in Health LiteracyParticipants in Health LiteracyDay 2003Day 2003Day 2003Day 2003Day 2003

The Patient Education Committee

The Diversity Committee

Cancer Resource Roomhttp://cancer.mgh.harvard.edu/Resources/

Contact: Debbie Essig, 726-9239Translation Services for MGH

Contact: Karin Hobrecker, 726-6073

Blum Patient & Family Learning Centerhttp://www.massgeneral.org/pflc/

Contact: Taryn Pittman, 724-7352

Treadwell Libraryhttp://massgeneral.org/libraryContact: Elizabeth Schneider,

[email protected], 724-2791, forinformation on plain language workshops

and/or monthly lunchtime work group.

Kaphingst’s area ofinterest is developing ef-fective communicationstrategies for use withlimited-literacy audiences.She discussed ways toevaluate the readability ofwritten materials. Onetool was the SMOG read-ability formula, whichestimates difficulty bycounting the number ofpolysyllabic words in a30-sentence sample. Ano-ther was the SuitabilityAssessment of Material(SAM) tool that assessesdifficulty by content, gra-phics, layout, and culturalfamiliarity.

These are just a few ofthe ways we can assess andevaluate patient-educationmaterials. Treadwell Libraryoffers monthly lunchtimesessions to help staff evalu-ate documents and provideassistance in convertingmaterials into plain language.

The Patient EducationCommittee would like tothank everyone who helpedmake Health Literacy Day2003 a great success. Com-mittee members look for-ward to working with theMGH community to raiseawareness about healthliteracy and the need to‘keep it simple.’

DrDrDrDrDr. Kim Kaphingst. Kim Kaphingst. Kim Kaphingst. Kim Kaphingst. Kim Kaphingst

Corridor are (l-r): Mary Elizabeth McAuley, RN;een Creedon, RD; and Lori Pugsley, RN.


y name is JoanVivaldelli, andI have been a

nurse for oneyear. When I was inhigh school, someonegave me a card that con-tained a captivatingquote. The card stayedin the top drawer of mynight stand until I foundit several months ago,and was amazed by thetruth of its words. Itsaid: “Pain is the deep-est thing we have in ournature, and union throughpain and suffering hasalways seemed morereal than any other.” Idon’t think I fully un-derstood the meaning ofthis quote until I metMrs. R and her family.

I had only been anurse for a week when Iadmitted Mrs. R to ourunit. She had terminalbreast cancer with meta-stases throughout herbody, and she was toreceive an NG tube todrain the bilious fluidfrom her stomach. Herhusband and daughterhad accompanied her,and it was obvious they

were very involved inher care. I realized thatmy role with this fam-ily was going to be tomake sure they had asmuch autonomy withtheir mother as possi-ble, and still make sureshe received the bestpossible care. I gaveMrs. R and her familyas many options as Icould and always tookthe time to explain whatI was doing.

Over the severalweeks that Mrs. R washospitalized, I sensedthat she and her familyreally began to trust me.I especially connectedwith Mrs. R’s daughter,‘Sarah.’ Sarah and I wereabout the same age, andI was moved by howshe cared for her mom.If Mrs. R needed tovomit, Sarah was thereto hold the bucket. Ifshe needed to use thecommode, Sarah wasright there helping meget her to it. Often, Sarahwould follow me out ofthe room to talk to meprivately about how hermom was doing.

As Mrs. R’s condi-tion began to deterior-ate, Sarah would talk tome more frequently, notonly about her mother’sphysical distress, buthow her illness wasaffecting the family.The grief this familywas experiencing alsostarted to affect me.My own mother hadpassed away when Iwas 14, and I knowhow horrible that lossfelt. I wanted to help asmuch as possible, butthe words of one of myold nursing professorskept running throughmy head: “Never letyour emotions get in-volved when dealingwith patients and fam-ilies, or you’ll burn outbefore you know it.”

As a new grad, I wastorn. Was I supposed todisconnect from thisfamily and let them fendfor themselves, or was Isupposed to reach outto them and risk feelingthat sense of loss theywere sure to experi-ence?

One afternoon, Sarahfollowed me out to thehallway. She seemedmore distressed thanusual.

“Is everything okay?”I asked, knowing fullwell that it wasn’t.

Sarah began to sob.“My mother has beenmy best friend through-out my whole life,” shesaid. “She helped methrough the worst times,and now there’s nothing

I can do to keep herfrom dying.”

As I listened to Sa-rah, I also began to cry.Remembering the painof my own mother’sdeath, I knew the depthof her sorrow. I decidedto share my story withSarah.

Soon after, Mrs. Rand her family wenthome with hospice care.I received a letter fromSarah thanking me againfor listening to her andsharing my experience.She said it was comfort-ing to know she wasn’tcompletely alone in herloss.

Ironically, that wasthe night I stumbledupon the card I’d beengiven so many yearsago. I realized that as anurse, I’m still human. Ifeel pain and suffering. Isee it every day. I don’tregret sharing my storywith Sarah, or letting heremotions affect me. Wefound ‘a union throughpain’ that day. And eventhough the pain wasvery real, it was lighten-ed a bit for both of us.

ExemplarExemplar

Joan Vivaldelli, RNstaff nurse, Phillips House 20

MNew nurse learns meaning of

‘union through pain’

Comments by JeanetteIves Erickson, RN, MS,senior vice presidentfor Patient Care andchief nurse

Whether or not to dis-close personal informa-tion to patients and/orfamily members is acomplex and delicatedecision. Depending onthe circumstances, itcould be perceived asunnecessarily burdeningindividuals who are al-ready in a very vulner-able state. Patricia Ben-ner, RN, says nurses are‘compassionate stran-gers;’ clinicians whostand outside the painand suffering of the pa-tient but are fully pre-sent and compassionate.Joan shared her storywith Sarah, not to bur-den her, but to comforther, to let her know shewasn’t alone at a sadand challenging time.

It’s up to each cli-nician to decide if per-sonal disclosure is inthe best interest of his/her patient. I think Joanmade the right decision.

Thank-you, Joan.

Get REAL!Have you ever thought about the

impact MGH has on the environment?

REAL (Raising Environmental AwarenessLeague) is a newly formed environmentalgroup at MGH seeking new members.

For more information, e-mail:[email protected] or

[email protected]

November 6, 2003November 6, 2003RecognitionRecognitionNew Graduate Critical Care

Program graduation

TTTTTop:op:op:op:op: New graduate, KarenBraccialarghe, RN, dialogueswith PICU clinical nurse specialist,Kathryn Beauchamp, RN, afterreading her clinical narrative.Above:Above:Above:Above:Above: Doctor Michael Fifer (centerback) and program coordinators,Laura Mylott, RN (left), and MiriamGreenspan, RN (right), with newgrads, Richard Stephens (front)and Kelli Mackerley (front right), andpreceptors, (l-r): Ed Ciesielski, RN;Katie Swigar, RN; Kathleen Carr, RN;and nurse manager, Adele Keeley, RN.At left:At left:At left:At left:At left: New grads, (standing l-r):Kathleen Pullen-Norris, RN; PamRoberts, RN; Jeanette Cerullo, RN;Karen Braccialarghe, RN; and KelliMackerley, RN. (Seated): MelissaMokler, RN, and Richard Stephens, RN.Carolyn Bryant, RN (not pictured) wasalso a participant in the program.

n Friday,October 3,

2003, eightnew graduate

nurses joined the ranksof the New GraduateCritical Care Programalumni when they re-ceived certificates ofcompletion at a specialcelebration luncheon intheir honor. Karen Brac-cialarghe, RN; CarolynBryant, RN; JeanetteCerullo, RN; Kelli Mack-erley, RN; Melissa Mo-kler, RN; Kathleen Pul-len-Norris, RN; PamRoberts, RN; and Rich-ard Stephens, RN, be-came the newest grad-uates of the programsponsored by MGH andthe MGH Institute ofHealth Professions.

Speakers, MargeryChisholm, RN, director

O of the Graduate Programin Nursing at the IHP;Laura Mylott, RN, co-coordinator of the NewGraduate Critical CareProgram; Lisa Townsend,RN, preceptor; and The-resa Gallivan, RN, as-sociate chief nurse, allspoke about the rigorousand demanding challengesof the program, the in-valuable support andexpertise of the precept-ors, and the unique tal-ents and gifts of the eightprogram participants.

Speaking on behalf ofher fellow participants,Karen Braccialarghe, reada powerful narrative de-scribing a particularlypoignant clinical situationin the PICU. Followingher reading, clinical nursespecialist, Kathryn Beau-champ, RN, dialogued

with Braccialarghe aboutthe many opportunitiesfor clinical learning sheexperienced throughoutthe program.

For information aboutthe program, call LauraMylott at 4-7468. Forapplication information,call Sarah Welch in Hu-man Resources at 6-5593.

November 6, 2003November 6, 2003CelebrationsCelebrationsHealing Arts Festival

combines caring, craftsand culture

The second annual Healing Arts Festival was held Friday, October3, 2003, in the WACC Lobby, giving children and adults a chanceto enjoy a variety of musical, artistic, and inspirational activitiesgeared at healing the soul. Children played and performed; therewere art shows and open-mike ad-libs; and one 10-year-old authorhad her own book-signing. It was an evening of recreation, relax-ation and rejuvenation, and you can bet a good time was had by all.

The Healing Arts Festival was sponsoredby the Healing Arts Team, MassGeneralHospital for Children, the department of

Nursing, the departments of Medicine andPediatrics, and the Elizabeth Whiteside

Charitable Foundation. The Child-CaregiverTile Wall was sponsored by the Making

a Difference Foundation.(Photos by Paul Batista)

November 6, 2003

November 6, 2003

Next Publication Date:November 20, 2003

Published by:Caring Headlines is published twice eachmonth by the department of Patient Care

Services at Massachusetts General Hospital.

PublisherJeanette Ives Erickson RN, MS,

senior vice president for Patient Careand chief nurse

Managing EditorSusan Sabia

Editorial Advisory BoardChaplaincy

Mary Martha Thiel

Development & Public Affairs LiaisonGeorgia Peirce

Editorial SupportMarianne Ditomassi, RN, MSN, MBAMary Ellin Smith, RN, MS

Materials ManagementEdward Raeke

Nutrition & Food ServicesPatrick BaldassaroMartha Lynch, MS, RD, CNSD

Office of Patient AdvocacySally Millar, RN, MBA

Orthotics & ProstheticsEileen Mullen

Patient Care Services, DiversityDeborah Washington, RN, MSN

Physical TherapyOccupational Therapy

Michael G. Sullivan, PT, MBA

Police & SecurityJoe Crowley

Reading Language DisordersCarolyn Horn, MEd

Respiratory CareEd Burns, RRT

Social ServicesEllen Forman, LICSW

Speech-Language PathologyCarmen Vega-Barachowitz, MS, SLP

Volunteer, Medical Interpreter, Ambassadorand LVC Retail Services

Pat Rowell

DistributionPlease contact Ursula Hoehl at 726-9057 for

all issues related to distribution

Submission of ArticlesWritten contributions should be

submitted directly to Susan Sabiaas far in advance as possible.

Caring Headlines cannot guarantee theinclusion of any article.

Articles/ideas should be submittedin writing by fax: 617-726-8594or e-mail: [email protected]

For more information, call: 617-724-1746.

n October 24, 2003,the Vincent Obstet-

rics and GynecologyService and the depart-

ment of Nursing honored fourrecipients of the newly createdJM Foundation Nursing Scho-larship Awards. The JM (Jere-miah Milbank) Nursing Scho-larship Program, an initiativeof the Vincent Obstetrics fund-raising campaign, supports theprofessional growth and devel-opment of Vincent staff mem-bers pursing a career in nurs-ing.

The JM Nursing Scholar-ship Program is made possiblethrough the generosity of theJM Foundation, an organiza-tion that focuses on each indi-vidual’s responsibility forhealth and health-related po-licies. This was the first timethe foundation granted funding

to a program that supportsnursing education. Three of thescholarship recipients, YvonneParr, Rosie Sanon, and RobinToner, are working toward acareer in nursing. The fourth,Maria Avila-Wallace, RN, isadvancing her nursing educa-tion toward a degree as a nursepractitioner. All scholarshipsare $5,000.

Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN,senior vice president for Pa-tient Care, thanked the VincentObstetrics and GynecologyService and the JM Foundationfor their commitment to nurs-ing and for this generous gift.Ives Erickson praised the reci-pients for their resolve as theyembark on their nursing ca-reers, saying, “You are thefuture of our profession. Youare the role models for others

Education/SupportEducation/Support

who will follow in your foot-steps. I know you won’t regretyour decision to become anurse; I never have.”

Ives Erickson thanked IsaacSchiff, MD, chief of the Vin-cent Service, and Judy Friend,trustee of both MGH and theVincent Memorial Hospital,and chairman of the Vincentfund-raising campaign, for theirunwavering support of nursingand their ongoing commitmentto quality patient care.

Special thanks went to Vi-cky Whitney, a trustee of theVincent Memorial Hospital,for her personal efforts inchampioning this scholarshipfund with her family’s found-ation. Without Whitney’sstrong advocacy, this awardwould not have been possible.

For information about theJM Scholarship, call 724-8044.

Celebrating nursing in the Vincent Service are (standing, l-r): Peggy Settle, RN; Mel Heike,RN; Hiyam Nadel, RN; Robin Toner, Yvonne Parr, Joan Gallagher, RN; Linda Kelly, RN; Judy

Newell, RN; and Deb Burke, RN; (seated): Rosie Sanon, and Maria Avila-Wallace, RN.

The JM Foundation NursingScholarship Program

—by Mary Ellen Heike, RN, staff specialistWomen’s HealthO

Please recycle

of Hispanic Nurses

Claribell Amaya, RN; Kathleen Myers,RN; and Ivonny Niles, RN, presented,

“We Talk the Talk; We Walk the Walk,”at the National Association of Hispanic

Nurses Conference in Puerto Rico,July 16–18, 2003.

tine Award Selection Committee; thisyear, however, the Ballantine family se-lected the recipients personally. They areJames Gillespie and Elaine Grollman.

On October 12, 2003, at an intimategathering in the Cox 8 Conference Room,Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, senior vicepresident for Patient Care, presided overthe first presentation of the Janet Ballan-tine Oncology Volunteer Awards. Beforepresenting Gillespie and Grollman withtheir awards, Ives Erickson read excerptsfrom letters written in support of theirselection.

“Jim Gillespie started volunteering atMGH in February, 1996, after retiringfrom an investment firm in Boston. Hevolunteers on the Blake 2 Infusion Unit,where he organizes the daily lunch pro-cess. Jim has given 5,237 hours of volun-teer service to MGH. He works with

systems that are sometimes over-burden-ed and still manages to get positive out-comes for patients. Staff, patients, andfellow volunteers say that Jim, ‘alwaysputs patients first.’

“Jim is dedicated to his role on Blake2, often staying later than asked. He issmart and organized and gives his timefor the purest of reasons... to truly makea difference in the lives of others. Jim is asource of friendship and inspiration tomany.”

“Elaine Grollman came to MGH inSeptember, 1999, after retiring from acareer in retail sales. She came to MGHafter a family member had been treatedhere. Elaine is a volunteer on the Blake 2Infusion Unit, having given more than840 hours of service. Staff on Blake 2say, “Elaine is committed and concernedabout our patients. She has a lovely re-

Janet Ballantine Oncology Volunteer Awardcontinued from front cover

lationship with staff and patients alike.Elaine has a wonderful sense of humor,and because she cares so much about ourpatients, she uses her warmth and humorto lighten many situations.’

“A while ago, Elaine injured her footand was absent for a few weeks. She re-turned wearing a brace on her foot, and itwas too far to walk from the VolunteerOffice to Blake 2. So volunteer staff wheel-ed Elaine to Blake 2 in a wheelchair. Whenshe arrived, she jumped out of the wheel-chair and dove into her duties.”

For more information about the JanetBallantine Oncology Volunteer Award, callThe Center for Clinical & ProfessionalDevelopment at 6-3111.

November 6, 2003November 6, 2003Professional AchievementsProfessional AchievementsED nurses publishin Forensic Nursing

The MGH Emergency Departmentforensic nursing cluster published thearticle, “Forensic Nursing Process: anEvaluation of Forensic Patients in the

Clinical Environment,” in a recent issue ofForensic Nursing. Authors included Barbara

Goll-McGee, RN; Sherry Couto, RN;John Ferrandi; Kelly Jankowski; RN;Patricia Lawlor, RN; Ines Luciani-McGillivray, RN; and Maryellen

Robertson, RN.

Tyrrell presentsin local forums

Rosalie Tyrrell, RN, professionaldevelopment coordinator, presented,“Understanding and Working with a

Multi-Generational Workforce,” at theSeptember 10, 2003, Nursing SpectrumCareer Expo at the Hynes Convention

Center in Boston.Tyrrell presented, “Understandingand Leading a Multi-Generational

Workforce,” at the September 11, 2003,Northeastern University Faculty

Orientation Day.

Carroll, Hamilton, presentpaper at European Congress

of Cardiology

Diane Carroll, RN, clinical nursespecialist, and Glenys Hamilton, RN,

nurse researcher, presented their paper,“Quality of Life in Implantable

Cardioverter Defibrillator Recipients:Changes Over the First Two Years,”

at the European Congress of Cardiologyin September, 2003,

in Vienna.

Cox publishesin Critical Care Nursing

Quarterly

Erin Cox, RN, access nurse in theEmergency Department, published herpaper, “Synergy in Practice: Caring forVictims of Intimate Partner Violence,”

in the October-December 2003issue of Critical Care

Nursing Quarterly.

Amaya, Myers, and Nilespresent at National Association

Coakley, Fitzgerald, andSomerville present at

International Conferenceon Family-Centered Care

Amanda Coakley, RN; Ellen Fitzgerald,RN; and Jackie Somerville, RN, presentedtheir poster, “Effectiveness of the MGHOncology Patient Advisory Council,” atthe First International Conference onFamily-Centered Care: Advancing the

Quality of Health Care in the 21stCentury, at the Sheraton Hotel in

Boston, September 4–6, 2003.

Buselli, Carroll, Forman,and Stuart-Shor publish

in Journal of CardiovascularNursing

Elizabeth Buselli, RN; Diane Carroll, RN;Daniel Forman, MD; and Eileen Stuart-Shor, RN, published their article, “Are

Psychosocial Factors Associated with thePathogenesis and Consequences of

Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly?”in the July-August Journal of

Cardiovascular Nursing.

2003

2003

Educational OfferingsEducational Offerings November 6, 2003November 6, 2003

For detailed information about educational offerings, visit our web calendar at http://pcs.mgh.harvard.edu. To register, call (617)726-3111.For information about Risk Management Foundation programs, check the Internet at http://www.hrm.harvard.edu.

Contact HoursDescriptionWhen/WhereCPR—American Heart Association BLS Re-CertificationVBK 401

- - -November 187:30–11:00am/12:00–3:30pm

Natural Medicines: Helpful or Harmful?Clinics 262

1.8November 194:00–5:30pm

Advances in Anti-CoagulationWellman Conference Room

TBANovember 208:00am–4:30pm

End-of-Life Nursing Education Program (Day II)O’Keeffe Auditorium

TBANovember 218:00–4:30pm

New Graduate Nurse Development Seminar IITraining Department, Charles River Plaza

5.4 (for mentors only)November 258:00am–2:30pm

16.8for completing both days

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)—Provider CourseDay 1: O’Keeffe Auditorium. Day 2: Wellman Conference Room

December 1 and 158:00am–5:00pm

CVVH Core ProgramVBK 601

6.3December 17:00am–12:00pm

Conflict Management for OAs and PCAsVBK 601

- - -December 11:00–2:30pm

Chemotherapy Consortium Core ProgramWolff Auditorium, NEMC

TBADecember 28:00am–4:30pm

CPR—American Heart Association BLS Re-CertificationVBK 401

- - -December 47:30–11:00am/12:00–3:30pm

Nursing Grand Rounds“Ethical Dilemmas in Clinical Practice: a Case Presentation.” O’KeeffeAuditorium

1.2December 41:30–2:30pm

Natural Medicines: Helpful or Harmful? Researching theLiterature on Herbs and Dietary SupplementsClinics 262

1.8December 34:00–5:30pm

Introduction to Culturally Competent Care: Understanding OurPatients, Ourselves and Each OtherTraining Department, Charles River Plaza

7.2December 58:00am–4:30pm

Managing Patients with Psychiatric Illness in the General-CareSettingO’Keeffe Auditorium

TBADecember 58:00am–4:00pm

CPR—Age-Specific Mannequin Demonstration of BLS SkillsVBK 401 (No BLS card given)

- - -December 88:00am and 12:00pm (Adult)10:00am and 2:00pm (Pediatric)

New Graduate Nurse Development Seminar ITraining Department, Charles River Plaza

6.0(for mentors only)

December 108:00am–2:30pm

Intermediate ArrhythmiasHaber Conference Room

3.9December 108:00–11:45am

Pacing: Advanced ConceptsHaber Conference Room

4.5December 1012:15–4:30pm

BLS Certification for Healthcare ProvidersVBK601

- - -December 118:00am–2:00pm

OA/PCA/USA Connections“Teamwork.” Burr Conference Rooms 5 & 6

- - -December 111:30–2:30pm


CaringCaringH E A D L I N E S

Send returns only to Bigelow 10Nursing Office, MGH

55 Fruit StreetBoston, MA 02114-2696

First ClassUS Postage Paid

Permit #57416Boston MA

he Center forClinical &Professional

Development isnow accepting

proposals for The Yv-onne L. Munn NursingResearch Award, whichfunds two research stu-dies annually for thepurpose of improvingpatient and family careat MGH. Applicantsmust be members of theMGH clinical nursingstaff, and all researchteams must include a

doctorally-preparednurse mentor for sup-port and guidance indeveloping proposals.

Proposals may besubmitted any time dur-ing the year but must bereceived by February15, 2004, in order to beeligible for the 2004Yvonne Munn NursingResearch Award. Reci-pients will be notifiedof their acceptance byphone and in writing.Formal recognition willoccur at the annual Yv-

onne Munn ResearchLecture during NurseWeek, in May.

Recipients’ nameswill be added to theplaque that hangs in theEllison Corridor, andwill receive a $1,500research grant to fundtheir studies.

Award recipientsmust submit a progressreport to the associatechief nurse for The Cen-ter for Clinical and Pro-fessional Developmentevery six months until

the research project iscompleted. Upon com-pletion of the project,findings must be sub-mitted for oral or posterpresentation. Doctoral-ly-prepared nurses willprovide assistance inproposal developmentand research implemen-tation.

For more informa-tion, or if you havequestions regarding pro-

ResearchResearchThe Yvonne L. Munn

Nursing Research AwardsNow accepting proposals

T

posal preparation andsubmission, please e-mail Trish Gibbons, RN,at [email protected] visit the website: http://pcs.mgh.harvard.edu/CCPD/cpd_award_munn.asp. Eligibility require-ments and guidelines forproposal developmentare also available in TheCenter for Clinical &Professional Develop-ment on Founders 6.

Joint Commission Satellite NetworkPresentations

November 13th: “Hospital-Wide CompetencyAssessment”

December 18th: “Performance Improvement:Achieving Results”

For information about these sessions,call 6-3111

caring november 6, 2003 - mghpcs.org...ballantine co-founded friends with hope, a foundation that...

Documents