Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Opening the CCU Doors

"We will open the doors." This was no magic incantation. Instead, the critical care unit at Virginia Mason Medical Center, a 336-bed acute-care hospital in Seattle, Wash., aimed to provide open, family-centered care and access to information to patients and their families. Under the direction of Michael Westley, MD, medical director, staff was involved in the process change, which stressed communicating and engaging staff with the project?s aim and requesting their feedback. To improve patient and family access, the CCU now welcomes family participation in multidisciplinary rounds, conferences and during the RN shift change report, and encourages family to stay the night in patient rooms. Challenges encountered after implementing changes included family wayfinding difficulties, patient privacy concerns and interruptions as RNs worked. The hospital provides scripting to RNs for managing family flow and ensuring privacy, and support for dealing with the rare difficult family member. With more open access, patient and family satisfaction has increased. To learn more, contact Shirley Sherman, RN, MN, nursing director, critical care unit, at shirley.sherman@vmmc.org.