faulkner nurse - evans

Faulkner Nurse • SUMMER 2011 1

NURSING PAIN MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: PAIN AS THE FIFTHVITAL SIGN Jane Shufro, RN, BSN, CPAN

Faulkner Hospital’s Nursing Pain

Management Committee is dedicated

to meeting the pain management and

education needs of our patients and their

families. In the past, Faulkner has had

an interdisciplinary pain management

team that addressed the issues of pain

assessment, sedation risks, and identifi ers

for safe medication administration within

the hospital.

Over two years ago the need for a specifi c

Nursing Pain Management Committee

was identifi ed to look at nursing practices

related to pain management. Since then,

the committee has continued to further the

education and professional development

of the nursing staff in the area of pain

assessments, reassessments and protocols,

creating an environment that is conducive

to excellence in nursing practice and

patient care.

The Committee is comprised of registered

nurses representing each of the inpatient

and specialty areas, staff development,

nurse practitioners and nurse directors,

as well as an Associate Chief Nurse. The

Committee Co-chairs oversee the planning

of monthly meetings and any workshops,

one of which was a “retreat day” where

the committee met for an entire workday

to refi ne the QI pain audit tools to

more accurately refl ect the type of pain

NURSEFAULKNER

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1

N E W S F O R A N D A B O U T F A U L K N E R

H O S P I TA L N U R S I N G S TA F F

continued on P2

IN THIS ISSUE

P3: 6 South and patient satisfaction

P4-5: Nursing Awards

P6: Are you a culturally competent nurse?

P8: Endoscopy profi ciency workshop

P11: Recommendations for verbal education

Members of Faulkner Hospital’s Nursing Pain Management Committee from left, Mary Pat

Cunniffe, Kitty Rafferty, Barbara Peary, Helene Bowen Brady, Jane Shufro, Jeanne Hutchins

and Lauren Morrisssey.

Faulkner Nurse • SUMMER 20112

assessments for their own practice areas.

Prior to this, all units used the same tool

to assess pain which did not accurately

portray the best practice. They also collect

and collate the monthly pain QI data

that demonstrates how staff document

pain assessments and re-assessments.

Although many of the staff nurses have

been introduced to their unit pain tool,

they may not necessarily have information

about where that data is used – or that it’s

designed to enhance strategies that could

improve how nurses document.

“We feel that nurses do know where their

patient’s pain level is but the challenge

is ensuring that nurses are consistently

documenting the excellent nursing care

they are providing,” according to Helene

Bowen-Brady from staff development.

Working with IS to refi ne Meditech so

that RN’s can document “real time”

assessments and using the Vocera/

Signet integration to monitor response

to patient’s requests for medication

are a few of the accomplishments that

the committee has brought to current

nursing practice. By reviewing the

quality indicators monthly, the committee

members are able to identify strong

nursing practices that can then be

shared with other units in an effort to

improve nursing practices related to pain

management.

Education to meet the learning needs of

nursing staff was another focus this past

year and a guide to pain reassessment

documentation, “The Road to Excellence

in Pain Management” was posted on

Nursing Practice Boards for unit discussion.

The committee members will be looking at

the development of educational programs

for patients, family and staff about pain

management, as well as collaborate to

revise policies and procedures related to

pain management.

In the near future, we will be conducting

a staff Knowledge and Attitude survey

which will be used to apply evidence-

based interventions for more effective pain

management in our nursing practice.

First let me say thank you and

congratulations for another successful

celebration of our Nursing Profession

as we closed out the month of May with

Nurses’ Week, a week that continues to

highlight the best of our practices here at

Faulkner Hospital.

This year we had a Nursing Awards

Ceremony attended by not only staff and

their families but the families that continue

to support our Nursing Awards. It was so

enriching to be able to hear of the great

practice of all the award winners pictured

in this edition of Faulkner Nurse. After

reading this edition of Faulkner Nurse you

will see exactly what makes our nurses the

best! They are often seen as mentors,

patient educators, life long learners and

nurses that our patients and families have

come to count on for their care.

The poster session during Nurses’ Week

allowed us to highlight the many diverse

areas of practice that we have here at

Faulkner Hospital. Our next few months

will be challenging ones as we all examine

our ability to provide care that continues

to meet all the quality and satisfaction

metrics that we have attained - whether it

is our Press Ganey inpatient satisfaction

scores reaching an all time high of the

95th percentile or achieving best practice

nationally for care of CHF patient.

This high quality care is the expectation

of our patients and staff and we need to

provide this care in the most affordable

fashion to meet the demands on us as a

healthcare institution. I know as we work

together on this we will reach solutions

that not only maintain the excellence in

patient care but also assure that the care

is accessible for all patients. Enjoy your

summer.

Sincerely,

Judy Hayes RN, MSN, CNO

Vice President of Nursing

DEAR NURSING COLLEAGUES

Judy Hayes, RN, MSN, CNO

Nursing Pain Management Committee: pain as the fi fth vital sign, continued from P1


Published by Marketing and Public Affairs(617) [email protected]

We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future issues.

6 SOUTH’S EFFORT TO IMPROVE PATIENT SATISFACTION

Last September, the staff of 6 South

was asked to participate in a Lean

quality improvement initiative.

The Lean program is a philosophy

that helps drive effi ciency through

employee empowerment and

changes at the grass roots level.

Lean principles include gaining

respect from individuals for their

ideas which fosters the most impact

on results.

After reviewing the Press Ganey

report from last summer it was clear that

a change needed to be initiated. July of

2010’s press Ganey report showed that

patients were scoring nursing staff at a

lower percentage than previously. Kathy

Codair, Nursing Director, solicited Sarah

Sawyer, staff nurse, to research the issues

and problems.

Together Kathy and Sarah, coached by

Cori Loescher, attended a Partner’s wide

Lean training program which met monthly

for fi ve months. Sarah and Kathy met with

the staff to defi ne sources of waste and

delays in meeting people’s needs. They

analyzed the results of two Press Ganey

questions: delay in meeting the patient

needs and staff’s attitude toward requests.

Data was collected in these two areas over

a period of time. The researchers found

that call lights were being answered in a

timely manner, however the patient’s need

was not always being met, such as when

a patient requested pain medication but

there may not have been a doctor’s order

for the pain medication.

Sarah and Kathy initiated education to the

nursing assistants regarding the impor-

tance of quality communication with pa-

tients. A script was designed by the nurs-

ing assistants to outline key information.

The nursing assistant introduces them-

selves by name to their patient and family

and explains the purpose of their visit.

They educate the patient on their

room and how to use the call

light. The nurse and the nursing

assistant update the patient white

board every shift in the room with

their name and titles.

In-patient satisfaction surveys

were completed both before and

after this intervention. Below are

two graphs of the Press Ganey

results showing the improvement

in the two questions. The fi rst

graph shows the delay in meeting

the patient’s needs and the second graph

shows the staff’s attitude toward requests.

Kathy and Sarah warn that change takes

time and having staff input was the key

to the success that they have seen. The

hardest thing now will be sustaining the

success.

Sarah Sawyer, left and Kathy Codair.


NOTES ON NURSES’ WEEK AWARDS

THE ELAINE HAZELTONMEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

was established by Elaine’s family and is given to a nurse who

demonstrates a dedication to Faulkner Hospital and the practice

and advance of nursing along with continuing their education.

This year’s winner was Kimberly Tierney, RN, 6N.

Kimberly Tierney, RN

THE ANGELA MCALARNEY AWARD

was presented to Margaret McNulty, RN, Dana-Farber/Brigham

and Women’s Cancer Center at Faulkner Hospital. The McAlarney

Award was established in 2003 to be given to a member of the

Nursing Department in recognition of excellence in patient

teaching.

From left, Judy Hayes and Margaret McNulty.

THE MAL AND LOIS LEWIS EXCELLENCE IN NURSING PRACTICE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD was established in 2010 to be given to a nurse that meets

the following criteria 1. a nurse working in cardiology that

demonstrates compassion in a family centered context, 2. a nurse

that advocates for the patients using evidence-based research

and 3. a nurse who is recognized by her/his peers for their unique

contribution. The 2011 winner was Tammy McNeil, RN, 6N.

From left, Judy Hayes, Tammy McNeil and

Annie Lewis-O’Connor, PhD.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE 2011 AWARD WINNERS!


This past May, seven members of Faulkner Hospital’s Nursing staff were presented with awards. The nurses were nominated by their peers.

Each award has different criteria but all of the awards link to the profession of nursing.

The last award presented was the MARY DEVANE AWARD.

This award was established in 1999 to be given to any member of

the Nursing Department in recognition of their commitment to

delivering patient care with compassion, kindness and humor.

The award was presented to Diane Corgain Hunt RN, OPOU.

From left, Judy Hayes and Diane Corgain Hunt.

THE MRACHECK AWARD was established in 1995 to be given to three members of the Nursing Department for recognition

of their clinical skills, as well as to support their continuation in the nursing profession. This year’s winners were Bridgid Stevens, RN,

6S, Jackie Dejean, RN, 7N and Karen Clougher, RN, 6N.

Bridgid Stevens From left, Judy Hayes and Jackie Dejean. From left, Judy Hayes and Karen Clougher.


As we enter the second decade of the new

millennium, we should take a moment or two to

ponder some of the changes that have occurred.

Technology continues at a remarkable pace

bringing with it tremendous advances to people’s

lives. Unfortunately this may also come with a

price.

Society, more and more has expectations of

instant gratifi cation. Whether it’s high speed

internet or fast food, we always want better and

quicker. We are hooked to our cell phones,

iphones, ipads and computers from the moment we wake until

the moment we go to bed. It should come as no surprise that this

way of life has crossed over into our practice as nurses.

Along with providing expert care to our patients, we also need to

remember to take care of our co-workers and ourselves. Stop and

think of the last time you told someone on your unit that they did

a great job, or the last time you sincerely thanked a

colleague. I encourage senior nurses to remember

that they were once new to their chosen fi eld and

worked hard to gain experience and build their skill

set. Faced with individual goals and providing expert

care in this fast paced world may make it hard to

consider mentoring, but remember we were all once

new nurses and just as frightened and overwhelmed

as some of our colleagues may be right now.

So as we refl ect on the celebration of the recently

passed Nurses Week, let’s try to remember that

skilled and expert nursing practice comes with old-fashioned time

and mentoring. We should challenge ourselves and pause long

enough to recognize and support our colleagues. Finally, let’s

keep a special eye open for our newer nurses and welcome them

to our team.

AN EYE TOWARDS THE FUTUREBy Brenda Cleary, RN

Brenda Cleary, RN

The United States is more diverse than ever

before and this will continue to be true. American

nurses require advanced skills to provide culturally

competent care for the patients. Culturally com-

petent care means that nurses and other health-

care professionals are able to work in cross cultural

situations effectively.

The fi rst step is to be aware of differences be-

tween you and patients. These differences may

be about their thoughts and values about health

care and their lives. The second step is to provide

culturally sensitive care which requires interpersonal and com-

munication skills. A lack of cultural sensitivity may cause confl ict

and unsafe care. A nurse or physician may believe that patients

must follow our advice no matter what their culture is because

our health care is the best in the world. However, our world class

medicine could be useless and meaningless if patients do not

understand or refuse it because our healthcare providers are

culturally incompetent.

Think about this situation. You go to an Asian country and have

chest pains. You have limited language profi ciency in that coun-

try’s language. The hospital smells different and is a

very unfriendly environment. The doctors prescribe

some strange medicines and acupuncture therapy

and these medicines are traditional and familiar in

this Asian country but not to you. They say this is

what you must do. Would you be comfortable ac-

cepting these strange therapies? What would you

want to know if you wanted to be treated by them?

Nurses have important roles to play in culturally

sensitive care. However, our skills and healthcare

systems are not yet advanced enough to provide

culturally competent care for patients who are not familiar with

US healthcare and practices. Some cultures are very complex. In

addition, family dynamics or religion may create confl ict between

healthcare providers and patients. Nurses must understand the

patients’ comfort level and provide them with adequate infor-

mation. Nurses must improve interpersonal skills and skills that

establish a trusting relationship between nurses, patients and their

families. This may not solve all cultural problems but it is the most

important part of cultural competency. Please share with me any

of your cultural care experiences.

ARE YOU A CULTURALLY COMPETENT NURSE?By Yuka Hazam, RN, MSN, 6 South

Yuka Hazam, RN


The responsibility of the registered nurse

for the care of any patient arises from a

legal concept known as the “standard of

care.” The standard of care is defi ned

as the degree of skill and learning of

the average, qualifi ed member of the

profession practicing the specialty,

taking into account advances in the

profession. While this defi nition may

sound like legalese, the standard of care

is an important concept for nurses to

understand when assessing his or her risk

of liability for adverse events.

The standard of care is determined by

applying nursing actions (or omissions)

against what is required by statute and

regulation, policies and procedures,

and other evidence of accepted nursing

practice. When a nurse departs from the

standard of care in the treatment of his or

her patient, and the patient is injured as

a result of this departure, the nurse can

be found negligent, and may be subject

to damages to compensate the patient

for injuries resulting from the negligence.

Negligence may occur when a nurse

fails to use adequate clinical judgment

in patient assessment, or when the nurse

fails to implement appropriate nursing

intervention. How does this apply to the

care of a suicidal patient?

When caring for a patient at risk of

suicide, the nurse is responsible for what

the average qualifi ed nurse would have

learned about suicide risk assessment as

part of nursing education, hospital policies

and procedures, and nursing practice

guidelines, which may be taught as part

of Nursing Case Review, seminars, and

workshops. The average qualifi ed nurse

would be expected to know the basic

requirements of suicidal risk assessment,

such as asking the patient if he is having

thoughts of harming himself, and if

so, whether he has a plan. Once the

assessment confi rms that there appears

to be a risk of suicide, the nurse has a

non-delegable duty to use reasonable

judgment to meet the patient’s need for

safety from self-harm.

A non-delegable duty is one that only the

professional nurse can perform under the

authority of her professional license; a

non-delegable duty cannot be assigned

to an unlicensed practitioner. In the case

of a patient on 1:1 observation, this means

that although a sitter or security offi cer

may be the person who is assigned to stay

with the patient and perform the actual

observation, it remains the sole duty of

the nurse to perform ongoing patient

assessments, to monitor for a change

in condition, to assure that the sitter

has received clear and comprehensive

instruction about what is expected of him

or her, and to perform adequate hand-

off communications with the doctor, the

sitter, and the next nurse who cares for the

patient. If the nurse fails to perform these

duties and in essence, leaves the patient in

the unsupervised care of a sitter or security

guard, the nurse has departed from

the standard of care, and is responsible

for any injury that may result from such

negligence.

How can a nurse assure that she has

met the standard of care for monitoring

a suicidal patient? The nurse must

be familiar with hospital policies and

procedures for the care of a patient at

risk for suicide, and comply with the

policy requirements. This policy can

be found in Faulkner 411 and the nurse

should review it when a suicidal patient

is under his or her care. Compliance

with the policy can be demonstrated

through good documentation of nursing

assessment, care, and communication of

signifi cant changes. Documentation on

a communication tool sheet that contains

reminders and an observer care plan

assures that both the nurse and the sitter

understand what is required to assure

that the patient has received adequate

monitoring and care during the shift.

While no nurse is expected to guarantee

the safety of a suicidal patient, the nurse

must provide reasonable care. Following

these steps can provide the patient with

good nursing care and demonstrate that

the nurse has met the standard of care.

RISK MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CARING FOR THE SUICIDAL PATIENT ON 1:1 OBSERVATIONJoanne Locke, RN, JD


Seven thousand patients annually undergo endoscopic proce-

dures at Faulkner Hospital’s Gregory Endoscopy Centre. Each of

these patients depends upon the nursing staff to be thoroughly

skilled in all aspects of endoscopic care. The Joint Commission

requires that staff be competent to perform their tasks and that

competence be assessed and documented at one to three year

intervals.

In the technologically advanced endoscopy setting, new modali-

ties and applications are frequently introduced and endoscopy

staff must remain current in this changing environment. As endos-

copy has moved beyond diagnostic procedures to the therapeutic

and interventional, excellence in patient care and technological

profi ciency are closely linked.

To meet this challenge, the nurses of Gregory Endoscopy Cen-

tre dedicated an entire February afternoon to participating in a

hands-on profi ciency workshop. The physician staff demonstrated

their commitment to this endeavor by freeing the endoscopy

schedule for the allotted time period. The workshop familiarized

staff with lesser-used endoscopic therapies and reviewed day-to-

day processes to insure quality and safety based on best practice

guidelines. The nursing staff identifi ed a need for more hands-on

exposure and, with physician input, guided the content of the

workshop.

A station was prepared for each procedure under review. Nurses

analyzed guidelines for safe preparation, operation and disas-

sembly of equipment and confi rmed profi ciency by practice and

return demonstration. Individual profi ciency was documented

per Joint Commission requirements. Guidelines were informed

by manufacturers’ instructions, on site in-services provided by

manufacturers’ representatives, journal articles, and standards de-

veloped by the Society for Gastrointestinal Nurses and Associates

(SGNA). “Just in time” teaching is always available to endoscopy

nursing staff, as experts in a particular modality provide education

and support to those less experienced. Stations included endo-

scopic band ligation, clipping, electrocautery, balloon dilators,

argon plasma coagulation, sclerotherapy, and ERCP. The nurses

are also required to be thoroughly familiar with endoscope repro-

cessing. Competence in this area is assessed and documented

annually.

Procedural sedation and medication safety in the geriatric popula-

tion are two required competencies assessed annually by written

exam. Endoscopy nurses also maintain current ACLS certifi cation.

Patient safety is ensured by knowledgeable nurses, competent in

their fi elds of practice. Thorough familiarity with diseases of the

GI tract, and the mastery of technology essential to excellence in

endoscopy practice, enhances self perception and confi dence.

This mastery demonstrates to the practitioner and patient that

the skills and knowledge necessary for excellence in patient care

have been attained. The furthering of knowledge is a professional

responsibility. A commitment to continued nursing education

promotes excellence in patient care, safety and satisfaction.

ENDOSCOPY PROFICIENCY WORKSHOP


As peri-operative nurses working

in the holding area, we see many

patients having many different

types of surgeries. A common

factor in these patients is fear or

anxiety relating to intravenous (IV)

insertion. No one likes having an

intravenous inserted, some are

very frightened; and a few patients

have a severe needle phobia.

It is estimated the incidence

of needle phobia among the

general population is 3-4 percent

(Fernandes, P. 2003). This needle phobia

can cause such a high level of anxiety

and fear during IV insertion, that patients

become pale, diaphoretic and may even

have vaso-vagal reactions. This is a real

concern to peri-operative nurses working

in the pre-operative holding area.

Many of our patients have more fear and

anxiety over the intravenous insertion

than the actual surgical procedure. This

is true regardless of whether this is a fi rst

surgery or a more experienced surgical

patient. “As one of the most common

invasive nursing procedures, insertion of

an intravenous catheter has a long track

record of being painful, stressful and a

patient dissatisfi er” (Halm,2008, pp. 265).

The anxiety regarding IV insertion can

be alleviated in several ways. As with

all patients, the nurse must fi rst assess

the patient. The nurse may be able to

determine what concerns and fears this

particular patient might be experiencing.

Some patients are afraid of the needle

stick, some are uncomfortable with the

idea of seeing any blood, and some are

terrifi ed of the anticipated or expected

pain associated with IV insertion.

Depending on patient needs, a detailed

explanation of the IV insertion procedure,

use of relaxation techniques, and the use

of a local aesthetic can greatly reduce

fears and anxiety.

“But it’s two sticks, instead of one.” This

is a frequent statement that we hear over

and over. Some of our colleagues can

be skeptical about the use of buffered

Lidocaine before IV insertion. After

years of starting IV’s in the Emergency

Department and in the GI Department,

I came to the pre-op holding area. In

the pre-op holding area, anesthesia

showed me how they use buffered sub-

dermal Lidocaine to insert IV’s. Some of

our colleagues can be skeptical about

the use of buffered Lidocaine before

IV insertion. I, too, was a skeptic; after

all it was two needle sticks instead of

one. But with so many patients fi lled

with fear and anxiety about IV insertion,

I was willing to be open minded about

the process. After observing anesthesia

insert many IV’s using buffered Lidocaine,

I have observed patients are much

more comfortable and have decreased

pain and anxiety during IV insertions

(Opanasets, K. 2011).

One percent Lidocaine is acidic

on the pH scale and therefore

it causes a burning sensation

when it is injected, so Sodium

Bicarbonate (Neut) is used to

buffer and decrease the pH which

results in less burning.

A study in the Annals of

Emergency Medicine states:

“Pain and anxiety can be

reduced by pre-treating with

local anesthetics” (McNaughton,

Zhou, Robert, Storrow, Kennedy, 2009

pp. 214). This study concluded pain and

anxiety were greatly decreased during IV

insertion using intra-dermal Lidocaine.

IV insertions are a hospital procedure

that provokes pain and anxiety. There

are ways of alleviating this anxiety

by reducing the pain associated with

IV insertions. In order to provide

patients with the best care based on

evidence-based practices, hospitals

should develop IV insertion policies

to include the use of intra-dermal

buffered Lidocaine for every IV start in

the adult population. Our goal should

be to decrease pains and relieve anxiety

whenever possible.

Based on the research we have done and

the clinical process we have observed

it is our intention to work towards an IV

insertion policy that permits the use of

buffered Lidocaine for the insertion of IV’s

here at Faulkner Hospital.

INTRAVENOUS INSERTION ANXIETY/NEEDLE PHOBIABy Kathleen M. Opanasets, RN and Diane M. Pessa, RN

From left, Kathleen Opanasets and Diane Pessa.


Pat Marinelli, RN, MSN, was recently named Nurse

Director of Faulkner Hospital’s ICU.

Marinelli has served as the acting director for the

past six months and brings over 30 years of critical

care nursing and leadership to her new position.

Previous to this position, she had been the clinical

leader in the ICU since 1998.

“Pat has been a well respected member of the

ICU team, has been recognized by her physician

colleagues for her skill and collegiality and is a

key member of numerous nursing and hospital

committees,” says Judy Hayes, Chief Nursing Officer.

Marinelli received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing,

along with a Masters of Science in Nursing and

certification as an Adult Nurse Practitioner from the

University of Massachusetts Boston.

Pat Marinelli, RN

New ICU NUrse DIreCtor NameD

Renia Noel, RN, BSN, was recently named Nurse Director for the Emergency Department.

Noel comes to Faulkner Hospital from Cambridge Hospital where she held the same position. Prior to her work at Cambridge Hospital, she worked at Lowell General Hospital for 16 years.

She is currently pursuing a Masters in Science degree in Health Informatics and Management at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. She holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing as well as a certificate in Health Management and Policy, both from UMASS- Lowell.

Dedicated to her family; husband, Paul son Lukas and daughters Zoe, Sidney and Nina, she worked weekends and attended classes during the day in order to further her nursing education.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work at Faulkner Hospital as it has a great reputation for creating strong quality care that is patient centered,” Noel said.

In her spare time, Noel enjoys the outdoors, a good book and cheering on the sidelines at her children’s sports games.

emergeNCy DepartmeNt Names New NUrse DIreCtor

Renia Noel, RN

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Faulkner Hospital’s Patient and Family

Education Committee identifi ed verbal

education as our initial priority project. The

committee conducted a literature review

of articles from 1990-2010. The need for

patient education is widely recognized

in the medical community. The Joint

Commission standard PC.02.03.01 states:

The hospital provides patient education

and training based on each patient’s

needs and abilities.

Communication is effective when patients

comprehend accurate, timely, complete,

and unambiguous messages from

providers in a way that enables them

to participate responsibly in their care.

However, the reality is that communication

is often partially understood,

misunderstood or misinterpreted. Even

with the best of intentions, patient

education that fails to educate can result

in adverse events or poor outcomes. The

Joint Commission studied patient/provider

communication as root causes of sentinel

events and found that oral communication

caused 10 percent of sentinel events from

2006-2008.

Our literature review enabled us to

defi ne barriers to good verbal education

and provide recommendations for best

practices in verbal education.

Faulkner Hospital’s Patient and Family

Education Committee recommends the

following practices for effective verbal

education:

PATIENT AND FAMILY EDUCATION COMMITTEE PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VERBAL EDUCATION

• Find out what the patient already knows before providing information

• Ask patients specifi c questions like, “What brought you to the hospital?”

• Realize that patients may not even be aware that they do not understand

• Use easy to understand language free from technical jargon

• Talk to – NOT AT – people

• Be empathetic, pay attention to the patient’s fears and try to address them

• Ask patients about their life experiences and use in teaching

• Be aware of patients’ non-verbal messages

• Emphasize one to three key points

• Present the most important information fi rst and repeat it

• Provide information in several different ways

• Supplement verbal education with simple visual materials

• Use a question list

• Use a teach back method and ask patients to repeat information in their own words

• Don’t just ask the patient, “Do you understand?”

• Family members may also need to be educated

• Use an interpreter if a patient requires one due to language or disability

• Patients must be given an opportunity to ask questions

Patient and Family Education Committee Members: Christi

Barney, Rebecca Blair, Maureen Fischer, Ellen Fusfeld, Carolyn

Geoghegan, Dave Hill, Georgette Hurrell, Paula Knotts, Cara

Marcus, Bruce Mattus, Megan McAlpine, Kenneth Pariser, Drew

Sanita, Kelly Schoppee, Kathleen Shaughnessey, Billie Starks,

Peggy Tomasini, Shannon Vukosa and John Wright.


Faulkner Hospital

Marketing and Public Affairs

1153 Centre Street

Boston, MA 02130

What is a mentor? My defi nition

of a mentor is a person who

offers their knowledge and/

or expertise and support to a

person who is new to an area of

mutual interest. For instance,

a mentor can be a person

who provides guidance and

encouragement to the mentee,

the person that is new and

unfamiliar to the area of mutual

interest.

I am a mentor because I think that it is very rewarding to be

able to offer the skills and knowledge that I have gained

over the years in my nursing practice to a newly licensed

nurse. I also mentor because I think it is important to give

back to someone else. When I was a novice nurse I was

approached by a veteran nurse who wanted to take me

under her wing to help guide me in my new role as a nurse.

It was the most wonderful experience for me. It made me

feel special and secure in the fact that I had someone in my

corner that I could go to when things became a little hectic

and out of control. She would be there to offer me words of

encouragement and support and it gave me the confi dence

that a new nurse needs to succeed in this very demanding

occupation.

As a mentor I am not only there for issues that occur in

the nursing profession but I am also there for any personal

issues or concerns that the mentee might have outside of

the practice. Essentially, I am a confi dant and friend that is

there for any concerns or issues that the mentee might have

during this phase in their life. I am very fortunate that I have

the opportunity to mentor. It makes me feel proud to know

that I am able to give of myself to someone in the way that

my mentor gave of herself to me. It has come back around

full circle. Like Oprah Winfrey says, “we must pay it forward”

and I am proud to say I am doing just that!

Lotonya Guice, RN, BSN

WHAT IS A MENTOR?By Latonya Guice

faulkner nurse - evans

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