Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1170652
Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com 19 September 16–October 14, 2019 What led you to become a CNE? As I mentioned earlier, I was a preceptor for senior nursing students. I enjoyed that process so much that I decided I wanted to nurture future nurses and strengthen the quality of care they provide to patients, patients' families and our com- munity. I have both personal and profes- sional knowledge from my career to share with future nursing generations. Learning the theory aspects was quite strenuous. Having a strong support sys- tem helped, but being a single mom and paying my way for both my bachelor's and master's degrees was honestly tough. I became a CNE eight months ago. I choose to work in the hospital because I can still have some direct contact with patients while I help to improve our nurs- es' educational environment. As a CNE, what are your responsibilities? I'm responsible for care coordination and ensuring the safety of patients and staff by facilitating and conducting in-service training sessions for our nurses. I also organize our monthly nurse orientations and EMR trainings. Beyond that, I oversee our nurse resi- dency program and coordinate with other department heads for the hospi- tal's annual skills day. What do your days look like? Whom do you interact with and what do you spend most of your time doing? My typical day is usually eight hours rather than the RN's customary 12-hour shift. I participate in the daily morning huddle and then round on patients. I also do a daily suicide screening audit for all ER patients as well as all patients who are admitted to an inpatient unit. Since we have nursing students prac- ticing here at Foothill Regional Medical Center (FRMC), I have the responsibility of keeping them abreast of any changes they should be aware of. We're fortunate to use the HealthStream EMR. Since it's a recent addition to our facility, I partici- pate in weekly webinars on how to mas- ter the system. As an educator, I assign nurses to edu- cational classes based on their director of nursing's discretion. I still have some interaction with patients, but the majority of my time is spent with the nursing staff. Do you only educate nurses and patients, or do you also educate physicians and other staff? I coordinate a great deal with other department heads, but I mostly focus on the nurses. If we've implemented new practices that affect the entire hospital, I get on board and assist with the educa- tional process in whatever manner would be most helpful to move the initiative along. In my position, I do not provide any direct patient or family education. What about your work inspires you and gets you out of bed every morning? I'm really motivated about patient safety. Our hospital recently implemented Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) screenings, so I had the oppor- tunity to work with our sister hospitals to educate all nurses within our organiza- tion on this screening tool. I also conduct- ed in-service trainings for every nurse. It's easy to be passionate about some- thing so meaningful, but it's especially important to me because it's the first big project I've tackled as a CNE here at Foothill Regional Medical Center. Tell us a little about FRMC from your perspective. As the only hospital in Tustin and its sur- rounding area, FRMC serves a diverse community and is very patient- and fami- ly-oriented. Every staff member is warm and friendly, and our healthcare teams provide high-quality, compassionate care to their patients. Our facility just underwent some major renovations, so we now have access to many technologies that help us more readily and accurately identify and diagnose patients' health conditions. In terms of leadership, we have an open- door policy so that our leaders are always available to hear concerns or suggestions from staff. What would you recommend to readers interested in exploring the CNE role? To become a CNE, you first need to pur- sue your BSN or MSN. You must be dedi- cated and passionate about patient safe- ty, the educational process and engaging with others. CNEs need to be able to interact successfully and seamlessly with a wide variety of staff members. This role also requires a great deal of organization, energy and attention to detail. In terms of your own career, do you have any specific goals in mind or things you'd like to learn? I'm committed to lifelong learning, since half of what I'm doing as a CNE may not be relevant in the next five years anyway. Healthcare is always changing and evolv- ing — I need to evolve and grow along with it. __________________________________________ Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, CPC, NC-BC, has worked as a nurse since 1996 and has maintained the pop- ular nursing blog Digital Doorway since 2005. He offers expert professional coaching for nurses and nursing students at www.nursekeith.com. WN I'm committed to lifelong learning. Healthcare is always changing and evolving — I need to evolve and grow along with it.