Our Nursing Stories

From an RN in the Administrative Supervisor Office

Sandra Parker, BSN, RN, Administrative Supervisor, and Violet Hunt, BSN, RN, CEN, MS, MBA, Director of Staffing and Administrative services, recognized a need to improve process performance for organ and tissue donation. Parker, in collaboration with LifeNet Health/SightLife, recognized that over 85% of Washington residents have identified that they wish to be organ and tissue donors. Parker identified that in order to honor the wishes of our community, we have opportunity to improve our reporting processes.

Parker facilitated improved quality of our organ/tissue donation process in alignment with the PSPH strategic plan. Her phenomenal work was recognized by the organization through the InsideProv newsletter that is electronically sent to all PSPH employees, as well as during an in-person awards ceremony during the July 2018 leadership meeting. But more importantly, her work has allowed us to honor the wishes of donors and support meaningful contributions to the health of our communities.

From an RN on the Neurological Unit

Jennifer Blunt, BSN, RN, CNRN, a nurse on the Neurological Unit, wanted to support her nursing colleagues, to improve their comfort with neurological assessment and rapid stroke identification. Blunt participated in the November 2015 Evidence-Based Boot Camp and developed an evidence-based project. Through her journey, Blunt identified the BEFAST Stroke Assessment tool, a step-by-step nursing guide for rapid stroke assessment.

The BEFAST assessment tool was implemented across all nursing units at St. Peter Hospital. It has allowed our inpatient nursing staff to improved care delivery to patients, and as a result, we have demonstrated improved patient outcomes related to early intervention for our patients experiencing acute stroke symptoms.

From RNs on the Family Birth and Special Care Nursery Units

Deb Spencer, RN, Jennifer Gollihugh, RN, and Tammy Antill, RN, collaborated with their manager, Kim Duncan-Kupiec, MSN, RN, to bring the American Academy of Pediatric’s Safe Sleep protocol, to St. Peter Hospital. Safe Sleep is an evidence-based protocol proven to decrease risk for SIDS and other sleep-related issues in the newborn. Wearable sleepers are an essential part of this program, and the nurse champions, Spencer, Gollihugh and Antill, developed the process and provided education to ensure that wearable sleepers were available to all our newborns.

The adoption of the AAP Safe Sleep protocol ensures safety for our vulnerable newborns and supports healthy beginnings for the infant and their parents.

The nurses of Family Birth Center and Special Care Nursery are dedicated to keeping your infant safe and healthy.

Dawn Anderson, BSN, RN, RN Clinical Coordinator, is passionate about improving patient outcomes related to sepsis. In March 2022, Anderson advocated for the additional of a Sepsis RN Navigator using a model to mentor, monitor and rescue to improve sepsis care delivery. The Sepsis RN Navigator functions as a subject matter expert (SME) to assist bedside nursing staff. With the support of this new role, sepsis mortality rates decreased from 1.54 in June 2022 to 1.02 in August 2023.

Christina Kressin, BSN, RN CAPA, Clinical Nurse, Surgical Admission Discharge Unit (SADU) provided breastfeeding education to the community as a population health outreach initiative. Kressin’s presentation provided information about the benefits of breastfeeding for both infant and toddler, in alignment with Washington State Hospital Association’s (WSHA) program to increase the breastfeeding rate to support infant/toddler health. Breastmilk is known to support development of a strong immune system and provides protect from illness.

Toby Johnson (they/them), MSN, RN, OCN, Nurse Educator, Nursing Education and Lindsay Marr (she/her), BSN, RN, CMSRN, Clinical Nurse/Charge Nurse, Orthopedic Unit collaborated with leadership to develop PSPH’s first Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Committee. The purpose of the committee was to “ensure that our caregivers from all backgrounds feel celebrated and supported”. Since its inception in 2022, Johnson and Marr have coordinated numerous events, including pronoun pin distribution and education, DEI education, sponsoring Pride events, and Walk Out of Darkness for suicide prevent.

The 2020 Community Health Needs Assessment identified an opportunity to provide additional focus on mental health and wellness. In 2021, Tendai Masiriri, PhD, MS, MPA, LICSC, Director of Behavioral Health initiated the Mobile Health Clinic. Kristyn Criss, ARNP, FNP-C, Melanie Johnson, RN, Clinical RN, and Mary Trute, BSN, RN, MS- Public Health utilized the mobile health van to provide healthcare to the unhoused population in Thurston County. They have worked tirelessly to develop rapport and trust with this vulnerable patient population. During their first year, they provided treatment and support to more than 600 unhoused community members, including wound care, care for chronic conditions – congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, as behavioral health support.

Annette Reedy, BSN, RN, Caregiver/Employee Health, was nominated by Chief Nursing Officer, Suzie Scott, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, for the March of Dimes Heroes in Action Award 2022, for her leadership during the COVID and fluid vaccine campaigns. Reedy was instrumental in coordinating vaccine clinic schedules, creating informational flyers and sessions, and scheduling volunteers to administer vaccines. Reedy was names a finalist in the category of Public and Community Health and was recognized on both the March of Dimes webpages, and the Providence Swedish social media sites.