July 2023 ASPHP Newsletter

The “ALL in Approach”
Rhonda Turner, MSN- LD, CSPHA

Along this 37-year journey in healthcare, I cannot recall how many times I have heard that we need to take an “All in Approach.” Until recently, I have not seen the impact of what that means from a comprehensive approach. The evolution at my healthcare organization is mind blowing…here is a piece of the journey from my perspective.

In 2013, we began reigniting our SPHM program in one region. I was introduced to the 8 ANA SPHM Standards and the book by Dr. Susan Gallagher titled “The Implementation Guide to the 8 ANA SPHM Standards” and this was my foundation in learning how to become a leader with everything related to SPHM and Fall Prevention. The line that engraved my heart is found on page 26, “An effective SPHM program requires a complex interplay among a number of disciplines and departments. The goal of this program is to create a partnership between employers and healthcare workers that implements and supports safety goals.” That statement has stuck with me throughout the years, and it is something that I go back to often.

As we began our work to shift the culture, we ensured that we had a strong mix of team members from every platform. We were able to gain approval to bring back our hands-on SPHM education and over two years, we saw dramatic improvements. This included engagement from every platform, increased use of our SPHM equipment and accessories, bedside staff stepping up as leaders in the moment, and we saw a 49% decrease in our injuries related to patient handling.

I was asked to help reignite the system team in 2015. We started with a gap assessment and saw the same need around hands-on education and leadership oversight. We set the wheels in motion to bring back the necessary hands-on education with a clear game plan to increase champions and leaders in every corner. We used the work from the three-hospital region as our pilot and our foundation to build upon. We built our team to ensure that we had many disciplines and departments engaged in the solution. We are seeing the same results with decreased staff injuries and improved patient outcomes.

Fast forward to 2019, a small pilot at our largest facility had been creating an action plan to increase the daily mobility of geriatric patients on a medical surgical unit. This strong interdisciplinary team utilized virtual Acute Care for Elder (vACE) rounds. This team was able to demonstrate that it is possible to increase mobility which in turn improves patient outcomes through a multilevel approach. This best practice caught the eye of leadership and quickly gained approval to adapt it to system level. The new Early Mobility Clinical Practice went live in November 2020. It was amazing and again, because of the “complex interplay with multiple disciplines and departments,” we had great success.

Then a dream came true! In 2022, the executive leadership again saw the significant impact that mobility brings to patients and the early mobility clinical practice evolved into an extraordinary focus with improved dashboards and daily multi-level discussions around mobility. My mind is blown daily, and I live in the land of goosebumps. What I have witnessed throughout the years is what the “ALL in Approach” truly means. It takes commitment and persistence on every level to ensure that we are doing the right thing for the patients we care for and to ensure that our staff injuries related to patient handling continue to decrease. I leave you with this, always examine who is on your team and ensure that you have that comprehensive team approach. Thank you for what YOU do every day for patients and staff safety! It does take all of us!