Attached is education regarding LVAD awareness provided by Chippenham and Johston-Wills Hopsitals in Capital Division.  Please ensure you have reviewed the education and are aware CJW implants LVAD's and able to address the following:

What an LVAD is...

What to do in an emergency...

Whom to contact if an LVAD patient needs assistance...

LVAD

Comment below with questions.

Thank you for all you do!

Proper use of bed equipment and alarms is required for optimized patient outcomes and fall prevention strategies.

How do you know the bed alarm is armed on your patient's bed?

Solid Green Light Indicates Bed Exit is On

If Hillrom nurse call is in place, status board displays green solid icon when the bed exit is armed on either bed.  If the patient is at risk for falls, bed exit alarm needs to be armed. 

Please review the attached education on Versa Care Beds, Centrella Beds, and Accessing status board in HillRom Nurse Call. 

Bed Exit Alarm Guidance

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Please comment below with questions.

The Medication Safety Committee and Education Team in West Florida are recommending and rolling out the entering of the Patient ID into the Alaris pump. The standardized ID is the last 6 digits of the patient account number. I have attached an educational document for review. The education will also be included in the shift huddles at the West Florida facilities.

Please comment below with questions.

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Alaris ID

Our partners is the East Florida Division have shared the following education to distribute to all Critical Care Nurses working in the East Florida market:

1.  Under no circumstances, does a Nurse pull Propofol doses from an existing IV drip to bolus a patient.

2.  ALL Propofol boluses require a Physician Order via CPOE.

3.  No facility should administer Propofol above 50mcg/min. Other agents should be considered when reaching higher Propofol doses.

4.  The administration of Ketamine should be on hold at this time for additional development of polices, guidelines, medication library, education.

Please review and understand this as an expectation at all East Florida Facilities in Critical Care Units. This information will also be reviewed during huddles at the facilities. 

Comment below with questions or concerns.

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Please review attached educational handout on The Cactus Smart Sink from our partners in North Florida.

Key Points:

· The sink is for raw pharmaceutical waste only – tablets/capsules, liquid, and fentanyl patches

· Only Controlled Substance pharmaceutical waste is to be placed into the Cactus Sink

· Placing unapproved items in the collection slots of Cactus sink prevents proper disposal of controlled substances and presents opportunities for diversion

Cactus Smart Sink

Please comment below with questions. 

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

• NEVER hand your sharps to anyone else.
• NEVER let others hand their sharps to you including physicians.
• ALWAYS engage safety device after an injection.
• DO NOT use your body parts to engage the safety device after an injection! ALWAYS use a surface that is AWAY from you and the patient instead (e.g., instead of using your other hand to engage the safety, use the tabletop instead).
• Place sharps into the sharp container IMMEDIATELY after an injection instead of leaving the sharp on the patient’s bed or the bedside table.
• NEVER take your eyes OFF of the sharp.
• Make sure the sharp ACTUALLY goes INSIDE of the sharp container.
• NEVER attempt to recap a contaminated needle after an injection. Instead, toss the sharp into the sharp container IMMEDIATELY after use.

Please comment below with questions.

Thank you!

Please ensure you are utilizing the parameters per MD orders when administering pain medication.

Example: Patient stated pain score 6.

MD Order:

Percocet 1 Tab PO Q6H PRN for pain score 1-3

Percocet 2 Tabs PO Q6H for pain score 4-7

Pain score greater then 7, call MD for additional orders.

Pain Medication Administration:

Percocet 2 Tabs PO Q6H

Please comment with questions. 

Thank you for your dedication to patient care!

Please review attached education regarding Dilaudid Ordering and Pain Re-Assessment. The Goal is to ensure safe and appropriate ordering of Dilaudid IV by creating layers of safety across the entire medication process.

Please comment below with questions. 

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Dilaudid Dose Assesment

Please review education provided by our partners at Clear Lake Regional in the Gulf Coast Division.

Nimodipine is considered a critical medication and must be administered within 30 minutes of the scheduled administration time. If unable to administer within this time frame, please document a reason for delay or early administration in the comments section of the eMAR or in a nurse's note.

Please review the information below regarding protecting patient protected health information (PHI). We have a responsibility as health care providers to protect our patient's protected health information.

• We must ask for permission to discuss any health information with individuals present in the room other than the patient.

• When entering a room to discuss health information with a patient, first ask the patient for their permission to discuss health information in the presence of other family members or visitors.

• Don’t assume that the patient authorizes discussing their health information with the person just because they are in the room.

Please comment below with questions or concerns.

Thank you for your dedication to patient care!