Anderson Hospital Nurses Earn CNOR Strong Designation

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Category: News & Events

Created: Tuesday, 07 February 2023 15:23

Congratulations to Anderson Hospital’s Surgery Department on their 2023 CNOR Strong Designation.

“Earning the CNOR Strong designation represents a facility-wide commitment to nursing excellence and outstanding patient care,” said James X. Stobinski, CEO of Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI).   Research shows that nurses who earn the CNOR credential have greater confidence in their clinical practice, having validated their specialized knowledge in perioperative nursing. “Thus, a team of CNOR certified nurses who have mastered the standards of perioperative practice furthers a culture of professionalism and has been correlated to improved outcomes in surgical patients.”  

Specialty nursing certification is the formal process by which a certifying agency validates a nurse’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in a defined role and clinical area of practice.

“We are so proud of our staff and their commitment to excellence and lifelong learning,” said Julie Mattingly, BSN, RN, CNOR, Operating Room Nurse Manager at Anderson Hospital.  “This recognition goes to show how hard this team is willing to work in order to provide the best possible care to our patients.”

Perioperative nurses pursue certification for a variety of reasons.  Certification allows nurses to demonstrate their commitment to exceptional patient safety and adhere to current standards in their field of practice.

Congratulations to the following OR nurses who earned 2023 CNOR designation:

• Patrick Crader
• Kimberly Dunakey
• Sean Ealy
• Phil Gonzales
• Bretton Little
• Lindsey Luckett
• Julie Mattingly
• Chelsea McConnell
• Kari Moore
• Jen Shewmake
• Lisa Timmermann
• Patti Verdu
• Mark Walker
• Jen Wuebbels
• Wanda Wuehler

Susan Stumpf, RN, Awarded the Daisy Award at Anderson Hospital

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Category: News & Events

Created: Monday, 30 January 2023 10:39

EXTRAORDINARY NURSE RECOGNIZED AT ANDERSON HOSPITAL

January 30, 2023 (Maryville, IL) –  Susan Stumpf, RN of Anderson Hospital was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. 

Susan, a treatment center nurse with Anderson Mercy Cancer Care, was nominated by a young, single, mother of three with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  “I was terrified, but Susan explained everything and what to expect,” said the patient facing treatment.  “Every time I arrived for chemo, I was met with open arms by both Susan and her team.  They have cried with me and laughed with me and rang the bell with me.”  Now a year post treatment, the patient returns for checkups to hugs and continued support from Susan and her team.  “I can truly and honestly say I love them.” 

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes.  Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease.  The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. 

Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, "When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do.  The kind of work the nurses at Anderson Hospital are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to

the nursing profession internationally in over 5,000 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with

recognition of Nurse-led Teams, Nurse Leaders, Nurses Advancing Health Equity,

Nursing Faculty, Nursing Students, Lifetime Achievement in Nursing and through the J. Patrick Barnes

Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, Medical Mission Grants and their new

Health Equity Grant programs. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.       

How do I convince my parent to get a hearing aid?

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Category: News & Events

Created: Wednesday, 25 January 2023 15:27

An article from the Senior Safety Advice website.

A friend of mine recently told me that her parent refuses to get a hearing aid even though she has explained the basic problems they’re having. Their hearing loss is making it difficult for them to follow conversations, watch television, and even hear the doorbell. My friend told me that she is really worried about their safety and well being.

If you’re concerned about your parent’s hearing loss, there are a few things you can do to encourage them to get a hearing aid:

Schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist. This will give your parent the opportunity to discuss their options with a professional and get an idea of what type of hearing aid would be best for them.

Talk to your parent about how hearing loss is impacting their life. Explain how a hearing aid can help them communicate better and stay connected to loved ones.

Offer to accompany your parent to appointments and help them with the research process. This will show that you’re supportive of their decision to get a hearing aid and that you’re willing to help them through it.

Be patient and understanding. It can be difficult for adults to admit they need help with their hearing. Try to be understanding and remind your parent that there’s no shame in getting a hearing aid.

If your parent still refuses to get a hearing aid, you can try exploring other options, such as assistive listening devices or captioning services. You can also continue to talk to them about the benefits of a hearing aid in the hopes that they’ll change their mind.

Some other tips include…

1. Talk about the benefits

One of the best ways to convince your parent to get a hearing aid is to talk about all the benefits they’ll enjoy. Hearing aids can vastly improve quality of life, making it easier to communicate with loved ones and participate in activities that were once difficult or impossible.

2. Find a trustworthy provider

If your parent is worried about the cost of hearing aids or the quality of the devices, do some research to find a reputable provider. There are many companies that offer affordable, high-quality hearing aids.

3. Get a second opinion

If your parent is still hesitant, consider getting a second opinion from another audiologist or ENT doctor. This can help put their mind at ease and give them the information they need to make an informed decision.

4. Talk to them about the adjustment period

Hearing aids can take some time to get used to. Let your parent know that it may take a few weeks or even months for them to get used to the devices. Encourage them to be patient and give themselves time to adjust.

Our Audiology Department can help!    We see patients in THREE locations including:  Maryville, Edwardsville and Bethalto

Bystander CPR Saves Lives

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Category: News & Events

Created: Friday, 06 January 2023 10:42

A Heart Attack's "chain of survival” begins with what care is delivered at the community level 

Millions saw Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills collapse from cardiac arrest earlier this week.  “This was traumatic  for everyone, especially Hamlin’s family and teammates but also for so many others involved and witnessing the event. More than 70% of  cardiac arrests that do not happen in the hospital, occur in a home where access to medical professionals and an AED is not as readily available,” said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association. “Recognizing a cardiac arrest, calling 911 immediately, performing CPR and using an AED as soon as it is available are critical for survival. Statistically speaking, it is likely that the person will need to be helped by a family member or a friend in order to survive.” 

There are so many timely lessons to be learned after this tragic event, but most importantly, the lesson of timely CPR.  “As you can imagine, despite the best efforts of our EMS teams, if no or ineffective CPR happens prior to EMS arrival, good outcomes are difficult,” said Steve Nikolaisen EMT-P,FP-C, Anderson EMS System Coordinator.  “As we all know by now, the “chain of survival” begins with what care is delivered at the community level before EMS arrives and also what happens after the patient arrives at the hospital.”

Earlier last year Nikolaisen developed a concept that would provide a means for our EMS providers to achieve a 90% compression fraction while performing CPR.  “Compression fraction accounts for the time spent performing chest compressions during cardiac arrest relative to the time spent performing other required tasks (check for unresponsiveness, check for a pulse, apply pads, delivery shock, pause for ventilation, establish an airway, etc.),” explained Nikolaisen. “The concept behind 90% high performance CPR is that all actions outside of performing compressions are done with “pit crew” precision to minimize any off the chest time.”  The concept was presented to both Edwardsville Fire Department and Glen Carbon Fire/Police Department who have implemented the strategy.  Teams were trained by utilizing  “Apollo” a high fidelity manikin.”  “The advantage in utilizing “Apollo” is that we are provided with instant and recorded feedback in reaching the 90% compression fraction goal,” explained Nikolaisen.  “We successfully developed an approach and skill set  that allowed for us to achieve our goal of 90% or greater compression fraction.”  Since July, crews from these departments implement 90% high performance CPR and are seeing unprecedented levels of Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) being achieved in the pre-hospital setting.   “With the improved levels of ROSC we appear to have tripled our neurologically intact to discharge numbers from the previous 6 months.”  In non-clinical terms, this strategy is saving lives! 

With American Heart Month right around the corner (February), now is a perfect time to get educated on the importance of bystander CPR.  Here are some great resources from the American Heart Association:

Bystander CPR  https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/bystander-cpr

Hands Only CPR Video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbw4Whd0bJ0

Anderson Hospital and its EMS Partners have plans for more education and events in February.  

Ashley Brannan, RN, receives Daisy Award from Anderson Hospital

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Category: News & Events

Created: Thursday, 08 December 2022 08:46

EXTRAORDINARY NURSE RECOGNIZED AT ANDERSON HOSPITAL 

December 8, 2022 (Maryville, IL) –  Ashley Brannan, RN of Anderson Hospital was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. 

Ashley, a specialty care nurse in both the Intensive Care and Intermediate Care units at Anderson Hospital, was nominated by a family whose father was a patient Brannan cared for in the ICU.  The nomination read:

“What a bright light Ashley is! Even though she had many other clients, Ashley made my dad (87) feel comfortable. She was quickly accessible and always fresh and friendly with answers to our inquiries. "Inquiring minds want to know!" Speaking of answers, she always answered my dad’s repeated questions. Due to his Alzheimer's, my dad asked the same questions over and over and over but each time Ashley would respond with a smile as if it was the first time she answered him,  although it was the 15th!  She also made "light" of his attempts at escape with jokes and amusing quips rescuing what could be a tense situation and transforming it into a shared smile with my dad.  Ashley also listened to extra maintenance - instructions about hearing aids, "pants“, and other concerns - listening with empathy and love as if a family member. Thank you for great staff!” 

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes.  Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease.  The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. 

Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, "When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do.  The kind of work the nurses at Anderson Hospital are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”