Highlights: Innovation and Resilience
There are two projects I am most proud of. The first was the initiative I took early in the COVID-19 Pandemic to solve the PPE crisis at MRMC. I found a creative commons pattern online, created the small prototype on the doll at 11 pm, and at 530 am the next day, gathered my supplies and headed to work. I pitched the idea, demonstrated the process, and the COO was willing to give it a try. We created 85 gowns in one day, my manager and I. Knowing we would need a much bigger team to create the number of gowns needed, we were able to quickly mobilize a team of wonderful volunteers who were brave enough to come into the medical center at a time when everyone was fearful. Through the creativity of the engineering department, the use of the cafeteria (no visitors were allowed in due to the pandemic) and my direction, we assembled a team to manage the daily count of gowns needed. We developed a process for the distribution of gowns to each unit twice per day, and kept careful records of utilization to right-size production and distribution to each unit, through collaboration with each department. I worked between the team of dedicated volunteers, and the staff who were not happy that we were not able to supply them with their usual gowns. However, the staff and patients were kept safe and protected. The staff infection rate for covid over a five- month period was 0.87% .the project solved a problem, met the needs of patients and the organization, and was an opportunity to be part of something extraordinary. I learned that I love to solve problems and lead teams. It was valuable leadership experience that I felt blessed to be part of.
The second, is the DNP project I completed with my partner Lisa. We took an idea mentioned by the Director of a nursing program at a midwestern university, and used our experience and vision to developed a project to impact nursing student retention rates through resilience building. The project exceeded our expectations and we are ready to get to work to improve the lives of and retain as many nursing students and nurse residents as we can. We hope to take what we learned through our DNP program and make a contribution to the nursing profession and the quality and safety of patient care through nursing education.
The prototype gown that sold the process to the COO and passed the infectious disease physician approval.
Gown patterns on the cafeteria tables created from recycled tri-fold poster boards.
Permanent patterns created by the engineering department from thin wood.
The equipment built by engineering to hold the rolls of 3ml plastic sheeting that had to be measured, cut, and refolded
Life-saving work
Volunteers who devised quality control measures for efficiency. The tabulation of production per day is recorded on the white posters on the wall behind the table. The volunteers created 18,000 gowns and made donated Tyvek jumpsuits into "frocks" for donning and doffing.
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This is a doll that the very creative volunteers made from one of my worn-out uniforms as a remembrance of the 4 months we spent together, 5 days per week ensuring the staff had the PPE that they needed until the supply chain issues were solved.
There was a sample gown displayed on the column. Staff would come to eat lunch in the cafeteria and observe the work being done by community volunteers to keep them safe.
Giving a television interview to the local Milford TV station, as well as to the local newspaper, The Milford Daily News. The gown was "Life saving work" protecting the staff in the early period of the pandemic when PPE became nearly impossible to obtain, suppliers would only provide "the usual allocation". Supply companies were refusing to deliver to new customers.
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Nursing Education occurs in many settings, creativity and innovation spark learning and recall
Innovation
Resilience
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