American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Recognizes Inova

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently conferred a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence on theProgressive Care Unit at Inova Loudoun Hospital. This is the third designation of the Beacon Award for the unit.

The Beacon Award for Excellence is a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments. The award recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

AACN President Christine Schulman, MS, RN, CNS, CCRN-K, applauds the commitment of the caregivers attheProgressive Care UnitatInova Loudoun Hospitalfor working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence. These dedicated healthcare professionals join other members of our exceptional community of nurses, who set the standard for optimal patient care.

The silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence earned bytheProgressive Care Unit at Inova Loudoun Hospital signifies an effective approach to policies, procedures and processes that includes engagement of staff and key stakeholders. The unit has evaluation and improvement strategies in place and good performance measures when compared to relevant benchmarks. TheProgressive

Care Unit at Inova Loudoun Hospitalearned its silver 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

“Our Progressive Care Unit nursing staff is committed to proving excellent patient and family care in a healthy work environment. They are always striving to improve policies and procedures,” said Marissa Jamarik, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, Inova Loudoun Hospital. “We are honored to be recognized nationally for our evidence-based practices.”

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About the Beacon Award for Excellence: Established in 2003, the Beacon Award for Excellence offers a road map to help guide exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction. U.S. and Canadian units where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission qualify for this excellence award. Units that receive the Beacon Award for Excellence meet criteria in six categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beaconor call 800-899-2226.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 200 chapters in the United States. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit www.aacn.org, connect with the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aacnfaceor follow AACN on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacnme.

Inova Loudoun Hospital, serving Loudoun County for over 100 years, is part of Inova, a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes.Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research.