American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recognizes MetroHealth Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with Gold Beacon Award for Excellence
National three-year award with gold, silver, bronze designations marks a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and achieving a healthy work environment
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently conferred a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence on the NICU at MetroHealth. The Beacon Award for Excellence — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.
Senior Vice President - Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer, Melissa Kline, applauds the commitment of the NICU nurses, providers, support staff and entire interprofessional team for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence. These dedicated healthcare professionals join other members of the exceptional community of nurses who set the standard for optimal patient care.
Our NICU critical care team is the best, providing support to patients and their families throughout the duration of a hospital stay. And in the NICU, that stay could be for several weeks or even months.
We already know that our NICU team provides excellent care, and now everyone else will too. They're being presented with a Beacon Award for Excellence, which recognizes outstanding care. Our NICU is one of only a handful in the nation to receive gold-level recognition from The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
The gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence earned by the NICU signifies excellent and sustained unit performance and patient care. The unit earned a gold award by meeting the following evidence-based Beacon Award for Excellence criteria:
- Leadership Structures and Systems
- Appropriate Staffing and Staff Engagement
- Effective Communication, Knowledge Management, Learning and Development
- Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
- Outcome Measurement
AACN will honor the NICU with an announcement in AACN Bold Voices, the monthly member magazine distributed to more than 100,000 nurses nationwide, and at the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, the world’s largest educational conference for critical care nurses.
About the Beacon Award for Excellence: Established in 2003, the Beacon Award for Excellence offers a road map to help guide exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction. U.S. or Canadian units where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission qualify for this excellence award. Units that receive the Beacon Award for Excellence meet criteria in six categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call (800) 899-2226.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN joins together the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and claims more than 235 chapters worldwide. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit www.aacn.org, connect with the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aacnface or follow AACN on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacnme.
Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than 20 health centers. Each day, our nearly 9,000 employees focus on providing our community with equitable healthcare — through patient-focused research, access to care, and support services — that seeks to eradicate health disparities rooted in systematic barriers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.
