HealthTrust Workforce Solutions is excited to enhance the employment experience of every clinician and assist in providing exceptional care to patients across the country. At this time, we wanted to provide an update regarding our timekeeping expectations for clinicians.
Kronos Punches at HCA Healthcare Facilities:
If you are aware that a punch was missed or a correction needs to be made in Kronos, please notify the Time Editor at the facility (i.e. Nursing Office or Unit manager), so they may enter the corrections in real-time so it will not delay your pay. It is your responsibility to ensure your punches are reflected and accurate in Kronos.
Meal Breaks:
You are expected to take a 30-minute meal break during each shift.
The most common issues are short and missed meal breaks.
Punches out and back in must be at least 30-minutes in order for the meal break to register
Tip: Set a timer on your phone for 30–35 minutes to remind you to ensure a full 30-minute meal break
Be sure to work out an assigned meal break time with a buddy or arrange with the charge nurse to ensure coverage & compliance.
Meal breaks must be taken within the first 8 hours of your 12-hour shift, but not before the first four hours of your shift.
In the event that you are unable to take a meal break, please notify the facility designee (Charge, Supervisor, Director) and document per facility guidelines.
Please Note: Failure to comply with the above performance expectations may result in disciplinary action leading up to termination.
Clinicians, we are thankful for your commitment and dedication to patient care!
HealthTrust Workforce Solutions is proud to have the opportunity to continuously provide employment to excellent clinicians who are dedicated to patient care. At this time, we wanted to provide an update regarding our current floating expectations for clinicians working on a per diem basis.
If you work with HealthTrust Workforce Solutions on a per diem basis, you may be asked to float or transfer to an assigned unit or shift, for which you are qualified, including working "Charge" as directed by the Client facility. You may also be asked to float to another facility within the Client's system, if applicable.
As we continue to provide exceptional care to patients, we are thankful for your commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others. Through floating or transferring, we know that facilities can receive the necessary clinicians to help care for patients.
Great changes are coming to the Meditech Nurse and Charge Nurse/Clinical Nurse Coordinator Print Report and Magic Key Menu in NUR and a new EDM Desktop Menu. Nurses and charge nurses will begin to see a different, simplified, look and feel to their menu.
Print Report Menu
The Print Report has been streamlined to make it easier for nurses to find the routines which are utilized most frequently throughout the shift. With the exception of the EBCD Reports, all other reports have been moved to the Magic Key Menu.
NUR Magic Key Menu
The Magic Key Menu has been standardized across the entire East Florida Division to allow for a more consistent experience across all of our facilities.
Integrated Desktop (Status Board Buttons)
The Integrated Desktop (Status Board Buttons) has also been standardized and nurses may notice that the sequence of the buttons may be have changed up or down on the list of options.
Variance Menu
A new button has been added to the Status Board options. The Variance button houses facility specific reports utilized for specific process workflows at each individual site.
EDM Desktop Menu
The EDM Desktop Menu has been restructured and unutilized routines removed thereby de-cluttering the desktop menu.
A File Time Variance is a discrepancy of 30+ minutes between the File Time and the Administration Time of a medication. A File Time Variance is created when the user scans the medication after the administration and edits the time to indicate the time the patient was given the medication. File Time Variance is a show of false documentation of medication administration and against policy.
Please ensure medications are being scanned and documented in real time.
Included is an educational document for review on File Time Variances.
Certified Nurses Day occurs every March 19, celebrating the birthday of Dr. Margretta “Gretta” Madden Styles, RN, EdD, FAAN, a visionary nursing leader and scholar.
Kenneth Wall, a nurse at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake in Texas, recently achieved his Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) certification. (left to right) Donna Baptiste, Dr. Karanja, Kenneth Wall, Jennifer Gonzales, Laurie Roth, Yvette Greer.
Florence Nightingale once said, “Let us consider that we are never done as nurses…we must be learning all of our lives.” Like Florence, HCA Healthcare and HealthTrust Workforce Solutions recognize the unique and intrinsic worth of each individual by supporting lifelong learners. On National Certified Nurses Day, we celebrate HCA Healthcare nursing colleagues who have demonstrated advanced skill, knowledge and practice by earning a professional certification in complex nursing care specialties.
“The value of a specialty nursing certification is becoming more important as healthcare becomes increasingly complex and challenging,” said Steve Tarkington, vice president, HCA Healthcare Center for Clinical Advancement.
As a part of our organization’s robust clinical education offerings and support, HCA Healthcare provides qualifying nurses who wish to pursue a specialty certification the opportunity to take advantage of discounted rates, a voucher program and reimbursement upon successfully completing the certification exam.
In 2020, more than 3,753 HCA Healthcare-affiliated registered nurses expanded their professional expertise and advanced their professional skills through the voucher program to earn certification in specialty areas, including:
demonstration that the nurse cares enough to be tested against rigorous standards, confirming their knowledge and skills in a specialty area;
creating an environment of professionalism, contributing to staff retention and patient safety;
serving as a role model for professional development, lifelong learning and dedication to excellence in patient care, and
a sense of pride, fulfillment and empowerment, as well as career advancement. (Research shows nurse leaders prefer hiring a nurse who is certified.)
Thank you to certified nurses across HCA Healthcare and HealthTrust Workforce Solutions for your extraordinary contributions to patient care and your commitment to advancing the nursing practice. Meet a few lifelong learners below…
Cori Morrison, oncology certified nurse at HCA Healthcare’s Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
“To effectively care for patients, I want to be as educated as possible in all of aspects of nursing and treatment,” said Cori Morrison, an oncology certified nurse at HCA Healthcare’s Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Being certified helps me achieve this and stay in-tune with the ever changing facets of the oncology world.”
Callie Ballenger, division nurse residency coordinator for HCA Healthcare’s MidAmerica Division, has a background as a Nurse Practitioner and recently achieved her Nursing Professional Development Certification. “I believe in the importance of lifelong learning and always being the best that I can be. I learn a lot from studying for certification exams. I also think it shows the patients that you are caring for and people that you work with that you are dedicated to the profession,” said Callie.
Jenny Weir, double-certified clinical nurse coordinator at HCA Healthcare’s Los Robles Health System in Thousand Oaks, California
“I love to learn, and our field is ever changing,” says double-certified clinical nurse coordinator Jenny Weir of HCA Healthcare’s Los Robles Health System in Thousand Oaks, California. “I’ve been a labor and delivery nurse for more than 30 years and got certified shortly after in inpatient obstetrics. About two years ago, I achieved certification in electronic fetal monitoring. I wanted to show my peers, doctors and patients my specialized experience and that I meet a national standard of excellence. You can always sharpen your skills and be a resource to others.”
Holly Toscano, certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing, serves HCA Healthcare patients at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
“With evidence-based practice, nursing is constantly evolving to create better patient outcomes,” said HCA Healthcare colleague Holly Toscano, who is certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing. “As a charge nurse, my certification helps me stay current so I can be a better mentor and resource for our care team and our patients.”
Newly certified nurse Jennifer Gonzales, celebrates with her peers at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake in Texas. (left to right) Beatriz Zamora Leon, Jennifer Gonzales, Donna Baptiste, Barbara Gonzalez
In an effort to prevent safety fallouts the North Texas Division, Medical City Fort Worth has created a handoff checklist. Please ensure you are familiar with the checklist and utilize the Hand Off "Time Out" to review the important safety elements.
Lakeview Regional Medical Center nurse Leslie Goertz knows first hand what patients are going through in the COVID-19 unit, after battling the virus herself last April. Once she recovered and returned to work, she wanted to extend her care to the Louisiana community by donating convalescent plasma. Leslie has been donating convalescent plasma every few weeks for the past eight months.
Learn more about how Leslie is giving back to help patients battling COVID-19 on Facebook.
Please ensure IV Stop Times are documented in the ED. A yellow information box alert will display in eMAR to ensure proper documentation of the IV stop time. This is a required field if there are IV medications on the patient's eMAR in the ED.
Our partners in the Capital Division at CJW have shared some education regarding the current safety standards for PPE usage and Infection Prevention.
REMINDERs:
Ensure we are following appropriate PPE measures at all times.
Universal masking is still in full swing- please ensure you are masking up as you enter the facility each day and continue with the appropriate mask per your patient population throughout your shift.
All direct patient care requires both a mask and face shield/goggles
All non-COVID patient interactions require at least a mask, eye covering/face shield, and appropriate hand hygiene.
Goggles are to be worn in all patient care areas, including the halls
As nurse leaders within HealthTrust Workforce Solutions, we partner with our colleagues to promote clinical excellence throughout the communities we serve. HealthTrust advocates on behalf of our ultimate client, the patient, ensuring that they receive the highest quality, cost-effective care in a professional, compassionate, and ethical environment.
Lakeview Regional Medical Center nurse Leslie Goertz knows first hand what patients are going through in the COVID-19 unit, after battling the virus herself last April. Once she recovered and returned to work, she wanted to extend her care to the Louisiana community by donating convalescent plasma. Leslie has been donating convalescent plasma every few weeks for the past eight months. 