Whether administering COVID-19 vaccines, easing their teams into new facilities, or preparing for a virtual site visit from the Magnet surveyors, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center nurses have continually shown over the last year that they can handle any challenge. This spring, nurses across Penn Medicine were invited to celebrate their peers’ resilience, passion for professional development, and patient- and family-centered practices during the 21st Annual Penn Medicine Nursing Clinical Excellence Awards.
As the pandemic began to spread, “People all of a sudden were calling you health care heroes. I always say, ‘What took you so long?’ I’ve always known you were health care heroes,” said Kevin B. Mahoney, CEO of UPHS, during the virtual awards ceremony. “Penn Medicine nurses exemplify the very best traits of all those who work in medicine. Time and time again, I am inspired by our nurses’ leadership and extraordinary dedication to our patients. I am so grateful for your agility, compassion, and ability to continue to bring rigorous science to everything we do.”
This year, five exceptional nurses from PPMC received awards honoring their commitment to promote evidence-based, patient-centered care and to create a stronger, healthier community.
Katie Opsasnick, MSN, RN, PCCN-K
Katie Opsasnick, MSN, RN, PCCN-K,nurse manager of Cupp 3 South, was awarded the Victoria L. Rich Transformational Leadership Award in recognition of her unparalleled work ethic and ability to seamlessly balance a positive attitude with the highest standards of professionalism. An approachable mentor, creative problem-solver, and thoughtful leader, Opsasnick is always willing to share guidance and constructive feedback in an effort to help her peers grow — both within her unit and beyond. As an active facilitator of the Professional Development Committee, she proved instrumental in building and implementing the educational components of the hospital’s new Career Advancement and Recognition of Excellence program for direct care nurses and nursing leadership. Aside from earning her the admiration of her colleagues, Opsasnick’s leadership has also led to measurable outcomes: 3 South’s Press Ganey scores continue to increase every year, and the unit consistently ranks in the 95th percentile for Nurse Communication scores.
Alicia Healey, BSN, RN, PCCN
Also key to Cupp 3 South’s success is Alicia Healey, BSN, RN, PCCN, who received this year’s Dianne Lanham Award for Leadership. As a charge nurse, unit leader, and mentor for her peers, she works alongside Opsasnick to ensure that the unit — which cares for patients with cardiovascular conditions or undergoing thoracic procedures — runs smoothly. Always willing to step up and take initiative, Healey has served as both chair and co-chair of the Unit Council and is a member of the Products Committee. Over the past several months, she organized a trial of a new product that better connects EKG electrodes to remote telemetry (monitoring) units. She collected feedback from key stakeholders, then shared their comments with the committee and demonstrated that not only was the product beneficial for both patients and staff, but it also presented significant cost savings.
Jean M. Boles, MSN, RN, CEN
Emergency Department nurse Jean M. Boles, MSN, RN, CEN, was presented this year’s Helen McClelland Award for Research and Innovation. Whether working with the ED’s Unit Council, Healthy Environment Committee, or Research Committee, Boles is committed to developing and implementing evidence-based improvements. She developed a research study to examine and measure violence in the ED — a complex issue that affects hospitals across the country. Under her guidance, a multidisciplinary taskforce was assembled, and the team put together a Violence and Aggression Behavior Bundle that outlines standardized de-escalation approaches in case an individual becomes violent or aggressive. The ED also piloted a new code response, Code Violet, to activate these interventions, and the code has been adapted across the hospital. Though it took time to translate her research into practice, Boles was confident that the impact would be worth the effort.
Dana Lawrence, BSN, RN, CCRN
Like Boles, Dana Lawrence, BSN, RN, CCRN, a nurse in the Heart & Vascular Intensive Care Unit, is able to envision big-picture changes and bring them to fruition with thoughtful actions. For example, when a ventricular assist device (VAD) policy was updated, Lawrence volunteered to create video of herself changing a VAD dressing to provide a visual resource for her colleagues. Her dedication to providing excellent care to a highly specialized patient population and ensuring other staff can do the same earned her this year’s Lillian Brunner Award for Exemplary Practice. Since joining PPMC in 2012, Lawrence has become a role model for her coworkers and nurses on other units. Not only does she have exceptional assessment skills and advanced knowledge of anatomy and pathophysiology, but she is eager to share her insight during interdisciplinary rounds and during one-on-one interactions.
Lauren Schlegel, BSN, RN
Finally, the Rosalyn J. Watts Award for Community/Patient/Family Relationships was conferred to Lauren Schlegel, BSN, RN, a nurse in the Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care Unit, in recognition of her willingness to go above and beyond to brighten the darkest days. During the height of the COVID restrictions, for example, Schlegel coordinated a time with a patient’s family and friends, instructed them to gather across the street, and decorated the patient’s window so they could easily spot it. When the day came, she positioned the patient by the window and gently raised his arm to wave at the group because he was too weak to do so on his own. A family member wrote a letter thanking Schlegel for her compassion, noting, “Even in the middle of a pandemic, the staff remains innovative and supportive, and for that our family is grateful!”