The Neuroscience Service Line at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (TMC) has earned Silver Beacon Awards of Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
The Beacon Award for Excellence — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — recognizes caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards, including skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition and authentic leadership. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria consistent with Magnet® Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.
“To have a reputable, highly-regarded organization like AACN recognize every one of our units in the Neuroscience Service Line validates the incredible work that is being performed in these units on a daily basis,” said Toni Vonwenckstern, Chief Nursing Officer at Memorial Hermann-TMC. “Being Beacon-designated at any level signifies each unit has a positive, supportive, collaborative, nurturing, and empowering environment for our nursing staff which is very rewarding.”
Winners of the Silver Beacon Award of Excellence include Memorial Hermann-TMC’s Stroke Unit, Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (NSICU), Neurovascular Intensive Care Unit (NVICU), Neuroscience Immediate Care Unit (NIMU), Neuroscience Acute Care Unit, Neuroscience Elective Unit, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and Neuro In-patient Rehabilitation.
“Receiving a Beacon Award for Excellence demonstrates a team’s commitment to providing safe, patient-centered and evidence-based care to patients and families. Creating healthy and supportive work environments empowers nurses and other team members to make their optimal contribution,” AACN President Elizabeth Bridges, PhD, RN, CCNS, FCCM, FAAN explained. “Achieving this award is such an honor and brings such joy to those who have worked so hard to achieve excellence in patient care and positive patient outcomes.”
The Silver Beacon Award for Excellence signifies an effective approach to policies, procedures and processes that includes engagement of staff and key stakeholders. It also signifies the units have evaluation and improvement strategies in place and good performance measures when compared to relevant benchmarks. The Silver Award winners met the following evidence-based Beacon Award for Excellence criteria: