Over the past year, UAB Medicine clinicians have embraced a new mantra: “The pump stays with the patient.” Although simple in theory, the transition away from the former process of how IV pumps moved across our facilities has been a complex study in quality and process improvement. The initial problem was multifaceted; pumps were unavailable or not making it to units that needed them, surgeries were delayed because of setup issues, and one-way communication through the paging system created a serious communication issue that left staff wondering when exactly a pump would arrive, if at all.

As part of a designated “Baby-Friendly Hospital”, nurses at the UAB Women & Infants Center use evidence-based methods to provide new moms the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. The benefits of breastmilk, especially for premature babies, extend well-beyond nutrition and bonding.

We are pleased to announce this month’s UAB Medicine DAISY Award, recognizing the super-human work that nurses do for patients and families every day. Submissions and stories are reviewed each month, and then the winner is surprised at a special ceremony. You can submit a DAISY nurse nomination using the box on your unit.

If you’re an RN looking for an alternative to bedside nursing and need standard hours Monday-Friday, check out the UAB Medicine Clinical Call Center to challenge your nursing skills in a new way. You will utilize your nursing assessment skills and act autonomously to triage calls from patients, caregivers, and other health care team members while working at a fast but steady pace – which can be a welcome change from the floor. And although you are not at the bedside providing hands on patient care, you still have meaningful interactions with patients.

Friday, June 21 is Take Your Dog to Work Day, an annual event created by Pet Sitters International, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters. For obvious reasons, employees of a medical center can’t participate. However, two UAB Medicine employees “take their dogs to work” several days throughout the year to provide animal-assisted therapy for those who need it.

Congratulations to Sarah Shipley, RN, Nursing Professional Development Specialist with UAB Hospital’s Emergency Department who recently received the CipherHealth Nurse Award for Outstanding Patient Care.

We are pleased to announce this month’s UAB Medicine DAISY Award, recognizing the super-human work that nurses do for patients and families every day. Submissions and stories are reviewed each month, and then the winner is surprised at a special ceremony. You can submit a DAISY nurse nomination using the box on your unit.

It might not have snowed, but we still had FUN!

UAB Medicine has been named one of the “150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare” by Becker’s Hospital Review for the fifth year in a row, the only Alabama-based health care entity to be so honored. The list recognizes hospitals, health systems and organizations committed to fulfilling missions, creating outstanding cultures and offering competitive benefits to their employees.

UAB Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Terri Poe, DNP, RN, NE-BC, was awarded the 2018 “Outstanding Nursing Administrator Acadame or Service Award” from the Alabama State Nurses Association in October.

The UAB Outpatient Clinical Decision Unit (OCDU) expanded in early September, relocating to P7 in the West Pavilion and greatly increasing its capacity to 51 observation and treatment spaces. Formally created in July 2015 to help ease demand for inpatient beds, the unit delivers nursing-driven care for non-emergency patients who need more attention than an outpatient visit provides but less than a full hospital admission.

UAB Medicine is the Best Medical or Healthcare Workplace and the Best Workplace for Technology/Research according to the 2018 Best of Birmingham awards, which are voted on by readers of Birmingham magazine and featured in its September edition.