Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital’s Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) has received the gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with gold, silver or bronze designations meet national criteria consistent with Magnet® Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.
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.
“Achieving the gold-level Beacon Award is indicative of the high caliber, evidence-based care provided on CVICU at St. Mary’s Hospital," said Jody Bishop, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, chief nurse officer for Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital. "The outcomes achieved here reflect the hard work and dedication of this team, and we are beyond thrilled to be the only CVICU in the Richmond region to receive this gold-level recognition from the AACN.”
The gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence signifies an effective and systematic approach to policies, procedures and processes that include engagement of staff and key stakeholders; fact-based evaluation strategies for continuous process improvement; and performance measures that meet or exceed relevant benchmarks. Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital CVICU 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, and Learning and Development
- Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
- Outcome Measurement