The iCARE program recently celebrated its first birthday so it seemed like the perfect time to look at the Clean And Restful Environment initiative aimed at improving the overall experience for not only our patients but also our visitors and colleagues.
Kid: Makenzie Mother: Christine Simmons, B.S.N., R.N., clinical leader, UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital Surgical Services
HOW ARE WE DOING?
Patient experience scores for cleanliness and quietness significantly increased within months of the iCARE launch.
Kid: Adan Grandmother: Michelle Barrett, manager, UF Health Shands Human Resources Employee Relations
Kid: Claire Mother: Amanda Lutz, M.O.T., OTR/L, D.R.S., occupational therapist, UF Health Shands Rehab Center for Kids at Magnolia Parke
It was a step in the right direction and reinforced how important a clean and restful environment is to our patients. Our iCARE champions and adopters identified areas for improvement and came up with creative solutions to improve the overall patient experience. Cleanliness was a major focus during the first year, and now the focus will shift to quietness. Research shows that decreasing noise in patient care areas aids in the healing process and helps facilitate speedier recoveries.
The iCARE team is excited to announce the launch of our newest campaign — “Shhh … Silent Hospitals Help Healing” on patient units.
Kid: Kainon Mother: Shana Cline, R.N., registered nurse, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital Pediatric Cardiac ICU
The campaign serves as a general reminder to be attentive to unnecessary noise levels, and best of all, it features children and grandchildren of our very own faculty and staff.
Kid: Camden Father: Michael Graziano, supervisor, UF Health Shands Facilities Maintenance Operations
“We hope that by featuring our very own employees’ children or grandchildren, it will boost morale and encourage our faculty and staff to be more aware of their noise when in patient care areas,” said Irene Alexaitis, D.N.P., R.N., NEA-BC, UF Health Shands chief nursing officer and chair of the iCARE committee.
“Quietness is integral to the healing process and we want to make sure our patients and visitors know that we are doing everything we can to provide the best healing environment possible.”
Kid: Lyla Grandfather: Keith Swart, medical technologist, UF Health Shands Hospital Point of Care
Last fall, we asked faculty and staff to submit a photo of their child or grandchild so we could have ‘models’ for the campaign.
Kid: Ramsey Father: Richard Brinkley, dosimetrist, UF Health Radiation Oncology
In total, we received photos of 105 kids. The iCARE committee selected 10 participants.
Kid: Javier Mother: Aiesha Clarke, vendor coordinator, UF Health Shands Food and Nutrition Services
LOUD FLOORS NO MORE
Kid: Briceston Mother: Cynthia Orton, office representative, UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute
Throughout UF Health Shands Hospital, 178 thresholds — the metal strip that runs across the bottom of a doorway — have been replaced to help reduce crossover noise.
In addition to these replacements, 90 noisy wheels on food and nutrition or pharmacy carts have also been replaced.
These small measures significantly help eliminate unnecessary noises on our patient floors.
Kid: Kazarriah Mother: Felicia Shenbanjo, training associate, UF Health Shands Admissions
The committee would like to thank everyone who sent in a submission. It was so much fun seeing each of these young, bubbly faces and imagining them as a “Shhh … kid.”
While it was hard narrowing the number down to 10, we hope you enjoy this fun campaign and that it helps improve quietness around our hospitals!