Nursing Annual Report 2024 | Sailing Towards Magnet Mastery

Structural Empowerment Nursing Award: Margie Kunz, RN, Nursing Educator II, Clinical Education

If Margie had a motto, it would be "keep learning." After 45 years as a Labor & Delivery nurse, Margie changed track to become certified as a nurse in professional development and L&D/Maternity educator. She has since transitioned 21 nurses into L&D and eight nurses into Maternity. A champion of simulation in education, Margie has worked on immersive scenarios to help nurses hone their clinical and decision-making skills. Margie recently received an Evidence Based Practice (EBP) fellowship with Johns Hopkins and is working on a process to improve the care of patients with post-partum pre-eclampsia.

See video of all nominees >

Recognition: DAISY Award^®

Our nominations for the DAISY Award® continue to increase. We had over 400 nominations in 2023 with 10 winners. The DAISY Award has given our nurses the reminder that the extraordinary care and respect they give to their patients and families each day, is extremely impactful and meaningful.

January  Nikki Bryant, RN, Emergency Care	February  Nick Chow, RN, Oncology	April  Cassie Stocton, RN, Intensive Care	May  Stepphanie Fabia, RN, Medical/Surgical Unit	June  Sharonn Foster, RN, Labor & Delivery
July  Zay Lin, RN, Telemetry	August  Marrissa Williams, RN, Medical Unit	October  Farah Khan, RN, Telemetry/Stroke	November  Chris Ralston, RN, Progressive Care Unit	December  Gracelyn Savella Dye, RN, Telemetry

Certifications and Degrees for 2023

Telemetry Training Program Enhances Los Gatos Med-Surg/Orthopedics Clinical Competency

El Camino Health continues its path toward growing patient care services for communities we serve in Mountain View, Los Gatos, and the surrounding Bay Area locations. The Los Gatos campus has seen remarkable increases in patients serviced annually along with an increase in many services desperately needed by the local community.

Los Gatos Med-Surg/Ortho embarked on a transformative journey to enhance its clinical competency by transitioning from remote to true telemetry patient care. This ambitious project aimed to equip nursing staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively manage true telemetry patients, thereby improving patient outcomes, unit efficiency, and staff satisfaction.

Using The Elemeno App to Enhance the Maternity Nursing Educational Experience During the Implementation of a New Maternity Wing at El Camino Health

When preparing to open our new Maternity wing, we wanted an innovative way in which to orient our staff and keep them up to date. With executive sponsorship from our Chief Nursing Officer, we implemented the Elemeno app. This is an intuitive cloud-based app, that is customized to specific needs of your hospital and unit.

The app allows staff to have just-in-time access to critical information and helps drive best practices. We added all the resources for our new communications systems as well as any algorithms that the staff need in the event of obstetrical emergencies. We also have a QR code that invites the staff to enter any safety issues that require the team’s attention.

Chemotherapy Train the Trainer Program: Enhancing Oncology Workforce

Introduction: In 2023, our primary focus was to increase the number of chemotherapy competent nurses in our unit to better support our cancer treatments and provide high-quality care to our patients.
Strategies Implemented: Oncology Fundamentals Class: We introduced an Oncology Fundamentals Class aimed at providing foundational knowledge on cancer treatment and management to non-oncology certified nurses within our team. This class served as a comprehensive learning opportunity, covering essential topics necessary for understanding and delivering oncology care effectively. "Train the Trainer" Program: Another key initiative was the implementation of a "Train the Trainer" program. In this program, our experienced oncology nurses were trained by our educator to become trainers themselves. These seasoned nurses then took on the responsibility of training newer oncology certified nurses in becoming competent in oncology administration. This cascading model of education not only empowered our nursing staff but also facilitated the spread of expertise within our unit.	Hannah Tra, RN, Oncology Clinical Educator, teaching the Train the Trainer Course
Outcome: As a result of these initiatives, we witnessed a significant increase in the number of chemotherapy competent nurses in our unit. Our efforts saw the percentage of nurses competent in chemotherapy administration rise from 22% to an impressive 48% by the end of 2023. This increase in competent nurses has greatly enhanced our ability to support our cancer patients and deliver comprehensive cancer treatments.