Honor accorded by American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
Sarasota Memorial’s Cardiovascular Thoracic Stepdown/Cardiac Progressive 3 Unit recently was honored “for its high-quality care, earning a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical–Care Nurses (AACN),” the hospital has announced.
“The national honor — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — singles out units that successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s 6 Healthy Work Environment Standards,” a news release explains. “Units that achieve this 3-year, 3-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria,” the release adds.
Cardiac Progressive 3 is the third Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) nursing unit to earn a Beacon Award, the release points out. “The hospital’s Critical Care Unit has earned a silver-level Beacon Award, and its Cardiac Acute/Cardiac Progressive 1 Unit received a gold award,” the release adds.
“To earn the honors, all of the units have demonstrated excellence in categories including leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement,” the release explains.
“Sarasota Memorial’s Cardiovascular and Thoracic Services have repeatedly earned national recognition for superior care, and the Cardiac Progressive 3 Unit is instrumental in providing the specialized expertise and outstanding patient experience that lead to our excellent outcomes,” said SMH Chief Nursing Officer Connie Andersen in the release. “The Beacon Award validates staff’s dedication and hard work,” Anderson added in the release.