Chief Nursing Officer, El Camino Health
Leader Rounding
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our nurses have continued to give 110%, providing quality care when patient volumes are at record highs and finding innovative solutions as they adapted and overcame adversity during each surge. During this busy time, El Camino Health's senior leadership, including Chief Nursing Officer Cheryl Reinking, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, DipACLM and clinical nurse managers, continued consistent staff and patient rounding on inpatient units. WeCare leader rounding is a collaborative effort between our leadership and the Patient Experience Team.
This year, we implemented the "WeCare Wagon" as a means to support and thank our healthcare teams for their continued resilience and commitment to positive patient outcomes throughout the pandemic. Leaders across thess organization take turns visiting nursing units and departments throughout the hospital, offering bottled water and snacks as a small token of appreciation to those who've gone above and beyond to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 surges.
During WeCare rounding, our leaders visit with staff to discuss issues that impact their work, including how to improve care. They also visit with patients to get feedback on their hospital stay. As a result, El Camino Health has seen a significant improvement in patient satisfaction scores for "Likelihood to Recommend".
Recognition: DAISY Award®
Although the global pandemic continued to impact daily clinical work, our nurses remained focused, delivering consistent, high-quality care during unprecedented times. This level of care was not lost on patients and their families.
Our nominations for the DAISY Award® increased dramatically with 250 nominations and 10 winners for 2021. This recognition program reminds our nurses that the extraordinary care and respect they give to patients and families each day is impactful and meaningful.
January Mona Soleimanieh, RN, Medical Surgical Oncology
March Savannah Schmidt, RN, Medical Unit
May Erica Schweitzer, RN, Surgical Pediatrics
June Joanne Landicho, RN, Acute Rehabilitation Center
July Yesenia Jimenez, RN, Medical Unit
August Marisa Faust, RN, Surgical Pediatrics
September Mason McNulty, RN, Medical Surgical Oncology
October Judy Chan, RN, Surgical Pediatrics
November Rishav Ranjan, RN, Scrivner Center for Mental Health & Addiction Services
December Ethan Stone, RN, Critical Care Unit
El Camino Health Mentor Program
The Clinical Education department offers a voluntary, formalized mentor program open to all nurses. Mentor and mentee pairs are matched based on the following criteria:
- Nursing experiences
- Professional development goals
- Attributes they have or would like to gain
The pairs are encouraged to meet monthly in person, by phone, or via Zoom. We support the mentor pairs using a cohort method and give them access to an online platform to track their goals and progress, and view webinars. The mentoring program leads offer support throughout the process to ensure they have resources to work toward the mentees' goals.
Heather Roorda, RN
Beth Willy, RN
Bridget Denzel, RN
“Nurses need support at all phases of their career to navigate the changing landscape of healthcare. As a mentor, I learned humility, how to listen, and how to be of service to my mentee as we worked to establish the right relationships to support her DNP project.”
Heather Roorda, RN
We celebrate our cohorts at our midpoint roundtable, where mentor pairs discuss their progress, and at our final showcase, where they share their achievements. Past mentoring goals include:
- Obtaining nursing specialty certifications
- Becoming a CNIII
- Getting accepted into a transitions-to-specialty
- Gaining leadership skills
- Becoming involved in research as they work on completing their DNP
“During the pandemic, it was tough mentally, physically, and emotionally as a nurse. In the float pool, I rotated often to different units, so I struggled to find a mentor of my own. When the opportunity came, I was matched with my mentor Pattie DeMellopine, who was extremely helpful with her vast knowledge of bedside nursing, best practices, and advancing our profession. With Pattie's guidance, I was able to stay focused on achieving my hours, studying, and ultimately, completing my Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN) certification.”