Nursing accomplishments
At Baylor Scott & White Health, our nurses are dedicated to the care of a diverse community of patients. As members of our frontline care team, nurses take pride in seeking opportunities to provide a higher level of care. At Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas and Fort Worth, the nursing team collaborates with all clinical staff and medical staff to provide excellence in specialized cardiovascular care.
Our mission is to operate an integrated heart and vascular healthcare delivery system. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing, the Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital exists to serve the Dallas – Fort Worth areas and beyond by offering a continuum of quality service dedicated to quality care, patient safety, medical education, research, and community service.
Magnet® recognition was received for the fourth consecutive time and earned by 2% of US Hospitals; a testament to the continued dedication to high-quality nursing practice. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® distinguished healthcare organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence and this credential is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice.
The following information is specific to Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital.
Structural empowerment
As evidenced by the National Database Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) for fiscal year 2020, the RN satisfaction ranged in the 90th percentile with a job enjoyment score of 4.35 on a 5.0 scale.
>86%
Retention rate for all employees in FY22
90%
RNs holding BSN or higher degree
>46%
Clinical team with one or more national certification
Exemplary professional practice
In the fiscal year 2022, the nursing team achieved the following key metrics:
- CMS 5-Star Rating
- Top 10th percentile for all hospitals in the Magnet® Hospital Comparison Group pertaining to:
- Percent of surveyed patients with hospital-acquired pressure injuries - medical device related
- Percent of surveyed patients with hospital acquired medical device related and any injury stage 2 or higher
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections per 1,000 catheter days
- C. diff rate healthcare acquired per 1,000 patient days
ASPIRE plan/projects
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital nursing team participates annually in ASPIRE projects. ASPIRE—short for Achieving Synergy in Practice through Impact, Relationships, and Evidence—empowers nurses to develop expertise in caring for specific patient populations. This is a voluntary program for staff RNS at the bedside, and a cash bonus may be awarded.
Some of the more recent ASPIRE projects include the following:
- Would the implementation of a mock code system for nurses annually improve knowledge in real-life code scenarios as compared to nurses who have not been through mock code training? Leader: Jonathan Radcliffe, BSN, RN-BC, CCRN, FCCS, TNCC
- Does implementing a mock code system improve knowledge and comfort in real-life code scenarios as compared to nurses who have not been through mock code training? Leader: Marlena Holt, BSN, RN-BC
- Would a mock code improve knowledge in real-life scenarios as compared to nurses who have not been through mock code training? Leader: Meridith Smyly, BSN, RN-BC
- For post-TAVR patients, does an easy to read, simplified discharge education packet help decrease 30-day readmission rates as compared to the current discharge materials? Leader: Morgan Ingebrigtsen, BSN, RN-BC
- Does the development of a BLAH (Bleeding and Hematoma) taskforce (with established interventions) influence the BLAH rate in patients receiving sticks (sheaths via radial or femoral artery) as compared to our current way of practice within a five-month period? Leader: Kristen Nelson, BSN, NE-BC, CCRN
- Co-PI in Research Study: Medical Surgical Patients’ and Registered Nurses’ Satisfaction and Comprehensiveness of Patient Assessment of Pain Using the Clinically Aligned Pain Assessment Tool (CAPA). Leader: Ketnarly Estimon, BSN, RN
- Co-PI in Research Study: Medical Surgical Patients’ and Registered Nurses’ Satisfaction and Comprehensiveness of Patient Assessment of Pain Using the Clinically Aligned Pain Assessment Tool (CAPA). Leader: Mary Vitullo, BSN, BA, RN-BC
Recent updates: knowledge, innovation and improvements
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Internships for registered nurses
Internships for registered nurses
Several internships are offered to registered nurses who wish to excel in specific areas of expertise:
- An 12-week Cardiovascular Essentials Internship offers classroom learning as well as clinical experience with a preceptor and provides the knowledge needed for cardiac telemetry. Nurses will experience one week of facility orientation, three weeks of didactics and eight weeks with a preceptor.
- Critical Care Essentials Internships are provided for those who wish to excel in EKG interpretation; use of emergency drugs; emergency protocols; ABG interpretation and management; hemodynamic monitoring, including arterial, CVP, pulmonary artery, and cardiac output monitoring; mechanical ventilation management; lab interpretations; and medical ethics
- Operating Room Internship is also offered regularly for 16 to 20 weeks and is based on AORN standards
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Research/process improvement projects
Research/process improvement projects
The following are innovative research projects and process improvement projects:
- A Retrospective Cohort, Pilot Study to Examine the Association between B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Diuretic non-adherence in Adults with a < 30-day Heart Failure Hospital Readmission from 2014 to 2018
- An investigation of the Mixed-Method Relationship Between Diuretic Medication Nonadherence and Brain Natriuretic Peptide or NT-proBNP among Adults with a 90-Day Heart Failure Hospital Readmission
- Effects of Virtual Reality as a Non-Opioid Pain Management Intervention for Patients on Bed Rest after Percutaneous Sheath Removal at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospitals in Dallas and Fort Worth Campuses
- Medical Surgical Patients’ and Registered Nurses’ Satisfaction and Comprehensiveness of Patient Assessment of Pain Using the Clinically Aligned Pain Assessment Tool (CAPA©)
- Moral Distress Moral Distress Among Nurses in a Cardiovascular Specialty Hospital in the Environment of a Pandemic: A Survey Study
- The Impact of Educational Modality Used for Patient Education for Procedures Requiring Moderate Sedation
Internships for registered nurses
Several internships are offered to registered nurses who wish to excel in specific areas of expertise:
- An 12-week Cardiovascular Essentials Internship offers classroom learning as well as clinical experience with a preceptor and provides the knowledge needed for cardiac telemetry. Nurses will experience one week of facility orientation, three weeks of didactics and eight weeks with a preceptor.
- Critical Care Essentials Internships are provided for those who wish to excel in EKG interpretation; use of emergency drugs; emergency protocols; ABG interpretation and management; hemodynamic monitoring, including arterial, CVP, pulmonary artery, and cardiac output monitoring; mechanical ventilation management; lab interpretations; and medical ethics
- Operating Room Internship is also offered regularly for 16 to 20 weeks and is based on AORN standards
Research/process improvement projects
The following are innovative research projects and process improvement projects:
- A Retrospective Cohort, Pilot Study to Examine the Association between B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Diuretic non-adherence in Adults with a < 30-day Heart Failure Hospital Readmission from 2014 to 2018
- An investigation of the Mixed-Method Relationship Between Diuretic Medication Nonadherence and Brain Natriuretic Peptide or NT-proBNP among Adults with a 90-Day Heart Failure Hospital Readmission
- Effects of Virtual Reality as a Non-Opioid Pain Management Intervention for Patients on Bed Rest after Percutaneous Sheath Removal at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospitals in Dallas and Fort Worth Campuses
- Medical Surgical Patients’ and Registered Nurses’ Satisfaction and Comprehensiveness of Patient Assessment of Pain Using the Clinically Aligned Pain Assessment Tool (CAPA©)
- Moral Distress Moral Distress Among Nurses in a Cardiovascular Specialty Hospital in the Environment of a Pandemic: A Survey Study
- The Impact of Educational Modality Used for Patient Education for Procedures Requiring Moderate Sedation
Shared governance
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital was designated as a Magnet organization in 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2021 by the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®. This prestigious designation recognizes excellence in nursing services.
Electronic Health Record Council
Chair: Clarisse Navarro, RN
Recorder: Brianna Hood, RN
Facilitator: Mark Ocampo, BSN, RN
Clinical Practice Council
Chair: Anna Perry, BSN, RN
Facilitator: Nancy Vish, PHD, RN, NEA-BC
Patient Education Council
Chair: Lorenza Wright, BSN, RN
Recorder: Nina Richter, RN, BSN
Facilitator: Hope Caldwell, BSN, RN, NE-BC
Professional Development Council
Chair: Jonathan Radcliff, BSN, RN-BC, CCRN, FCCS, TNCC
Co-Chair: Lauryn Blanton, MS-EP
Recorder: Elizabeth Whitt, BSN, RN-BC
BRAIN – Bridging Research and Innovation – Research Council
Chair: Lesley Abraham, RN, BSN
Facilitator: Henry Viejo, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Patient Experience Council
Chair: Meghan Gustus
Co-Chair: Natalie Holmes
Recorder: Ira Boyd
Facilitator: Michelle Sension, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC and Sanjay Shrestha, BS, ACSM-EP
STARRS – Service, Training, Accountability, Recruitment, Retention and Satisfaction
Chair: Ashley Pernicano, RN
Co-Chair: Camillia Woods, RCS
Facilitator: Jennifer Watson, BSN, RN-BC, NE-BC
Professional leadership
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital team members participate in leadership roles outside the organization. Team members in professional leadership roles include:
- Louise Meymand-Pelletier, BSN, RN-BC—Governmental Affairs Chair of Texas Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
- Nancy Vish, RN, PhD, FACHE, NEA-BC—Board member, Secretary, American College of Healthcare Executives, North Texas