Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix

As a three-time Magnet®-designated facility, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix (BUMCP) values and supports nurse autonomy, professional growth, and the generation and implementation of new nursing knowledge through evidence-based practice and nursing research. BUMCP nurses are recognized for their contributions to patients, the nursing profession, and society at large.  

Contribution to Patients: BUMCP nurses provide patient-centered nursing care using process improvement and evidence-based practice methods to achieve excellence in patient outcomes. Nursing care delivery is based on the principles of human caring, defined by Joanne Duffy’s Quality Caring Model. 

Examples include: 

• Personal Care Folders to assist patients in transitioning from hospital to home
• Nitrous oxide administration to reduce pain in laboring women
• Aromatherapy to reduce post-op nausea & vomiting in the PACU
• Care coordination across the healthcare continuum for patients with Cystic Fibrosis
• Hypoglycemia rate reduction in Medical-Surgical patients
• Process changes to reduce door-to-treatment times in acute CVA patients arriving in the Emergency Department
• Research study supporting the use of abdominal binders by post-operative cesarean section women to reduce pain and improve satisfaction
• Early mobility of geriatric patients in Medical-Surgical units to reduce hospital length of stay
• Implementation of infant-directed feedings to maximize oral intake for premature neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
• Implementation of new external urinary catheter for females to reduce indwelling urinary catheter days and catheter-related complications 
• Use of oral glucose gel in hypoglycemic newborns to reduce insertion of intravenous lines and nursery admissions 
• Clinical nurse involvement in improvement teams to reduce hospital-acquired complications, such as patient falls, pressure injuries, and central line and urinary catheter-related complications.
• Nurse staffing adjustments are made based on patient populations and acuity

Contribution to Profession: BUMCP nurses are supported to practice at the highest level within their scope of practice. As such, professional development is valued and promoted, and nurses create and implement innovative practices based on empirical data. BUMCP nurses collaborate with the interprofessional health care team and are recognized internally as well as externally to the larger community

Examples include:

• Tuition assistance and scholarships support nurses to advance their formal education, with 71% of the BUMCP nursing workforce prepared at a BSN or higher level
• Financial and study support is provided to facilitate nurses obtaining national certification, with 33% of eligible nurses nationally certified
• BUMCP offers a Clinical Ladder to recognize direct care BUMCP nurses for their level of expertise and advancement in contributing to patients, profession, and society.
• Continuing nurse education is offered through online and in-person platforms, including CE Direct and monthly Nursing Grand Rounds, respectively
• Shared Leadership councils drive department- and organization-level improvements such as the Hybrid Shift Report Transition process, patient whiteboards in the new patient tower, and unit-based education councils.
• BUMCP partners with the DAISY Foundation to recognize nurses who go above and beyond in providing compassionate, excellent patient care.
• BUMCP RN satisfaction performance, reported by the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), outperforms the national mean for all subscales on the Practice Environment Scale, the Job Enjoyment Scale, and Nurse Autonomy measure.
• Implementation of a Behavioral Emergency Response Team to deescalate disruptive behavior of patients with psychiatric diagnoses admitted to Medical-Surgical units
• Dissemination of nursing research and evidence-based practice to the greater nursing community through robust presentation and publication portfolio

Contribution to Society: BUMCP Nurses collaborate with internal and external partners to influence healthier patient populations. Examples include:

• Internal process improvement projects to ensure timeliness of care, such as:
  • Discharge coordinators to promote accuracy and timeliness of hospital discharge
  • Administration of Hepatitis C Vaccinations to reduce treatment wait times for Liver Clinic patients
  • Enhanced Recovery process for Cesarean Section patients to reduce hospital length of stay
  • Reorganized clinic space to promote efficiency in patients undergoing elective Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) procedures
• Nursing research and evidence-based practice are at the core of BUMCP nursing. Ongoing projects in both have changed practice within Banner Health, as well as the larger nursing community through projects such as:
  • Peanut Ball for Laboring Women research study to reduce cesarean section rates
  • Research study to identify Compassion Fatigue in Nurses. Subsequent evidence-based practice interventions to address/ offset Compassion Fatigue
  • Evidence-based project changed IV site rotation practice across Banner Health
  • Nurse-driven protocols, such as indwelling urinary catheter removal, oral care to reduce mucositis in oncology patients, and a hypertension protocol for obstetrical patients
• BUMCP nurses promote healthier communities through various projects and partnerships:
  • BUMCP Trauma outreach programs, including distracted/ drunk driving program and bicycle safety for children
  • Arizona Opioid Assistance & Referral Line operated by BUMCP’s Poison and Drug Information Center
  • March of Dimes fundraising
  • American Heart Association fundraising
  • Partnership with Ben’s Bells and Arizona Donor Network to provide emotional support to families considering organ donation