Skip to contents
In This Issue:
A Progress Report on the Post-Partum OB Service Excellence Project
As one of the four ongoing Service Excellence projects at BWH, the Post-partum OB project is making headway in improving the post-partum experience in the Connors Center for Women’s Health for mothers with newborns and their families.According to Paula Gillette, RN, director of Women’s and Newborn Services, the slogan “Caution: Culture Shift Ahead” represents the primary focus of these efforts. “Shifting the overall culture has been the backbone of our efforts. We recognize that overall improvement depends on both patient and employee satisfaction,” she said. In addition to Gillette, the team driving the culture shift is comprised of staff nurses, nurse managers, senior hospital leadership and physicians. Based on initial observations made through mock patient visits as well as patient interviews, the team identified four areas of opportunity including the accommodation of patients and visitors, improving the patient/care provider link, workload and patient placement management, and refining/redefining the overall post-partum OB culture. The team was then charged with creating unique approaches for improvement. Project highlights include:
•“Team Approach,” a time for all nurses to discuss and review patient needs;
•“Web Nursery,” a web-based photo gallery showcasing newborns and allowing friends and family the opportunity to see new babies even if they are unable to see to visit them in the hospital; •An upgraded “call light system,” a way to speed communication between patients and staff;•“Mom Quest,” a floor map that aims to better manage staff workload and efficiency by mapping the layout of all patients on a floor and identifying their acuity levels;•“Storkbytes,” an employee newsletter that provides updates on post-partum OB care and showcases exceptional employees; and •“Commitment to Care,” a care stan-dard for all post-partum nurses.The “Team Approach” involves gathering all nurses on a given floor, prior to the change of shift, to review acuity and social issues for the patients. The approach has been piloted on all three post-partum floors (Connors Center 8, 9 and 10) for the past two months and has been met with positive feedback overall. The Post-Partum OB Service Excellence team has also been taking a closer look at the “call light system,” an element closely linked to patient satisfaction. The team is currently working on ways to provide patients more direct access to their designated nursesIn addition, when finalized, the “Commitment to Care” standard for nurses will be distributed to all staff on a small plastic card to be attached to their employee ID cards.Gillette explains that all aspects of the improvement process have been a concerted effort. “The keys to making this a lasting effort are communication, experimentation and maintenance on behalf of all post-partum staff,” said Gillette.