- Jun
- 15
- 2017
Truly Innovative
Truly Innovative is the President’s Awards winning team from Huntington Hospital. With a thought-through plan, nurses and telecommunications partnered and invented a new and innovative way to assess and manage a cancer patient’s pain, referred to as the Pain Bundle.
“First we had a vision to create a device that would enable patients to reach their nurse directly by implementing a speed dial on the back of the room phone. Teaming up with telecommunication expert, Stephen Smith, the “Nightingale” was born,” says Marie Roggenkamp (Brennan), nurse manager on Huntington’s Oncology Unit 1 (shown on the far right).
In addition, two bedside nurses Meghan Billia (back row in photo) and Jessica Shremshock, came up with a plan to reassess and address a patient’s pain with a portable multi-alarm timer, kept on medication carts.
A third strategy was developed to identify patients whose pain scores were higher than a six by generating an automated report.
“Eventually we envision an enhanced version of the Pain Bundle implemented into nursing homes,” says the team.
To get started on the next phase, the team is working on a second button on the Nightingale phone which will allow additional functionality to a broader audience.
The organization really keeps us motivated by encouraging our innovative spirit with programs such as the President’s Awards and Innovation Challenge.
When asked about the new Innovation Challenge, which is open to all employees through July 10, the team advises:
Find like-minded employees who share the same passion about an innovation. Never quit on your idea, be persistent, especially if it benefits patient care.