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Nursing Professional Governance: Council Highlights 2024
Tech & Informatics Council
The goal in 2024 was to help staff be more knowledgeable when using Epic’s features such as Brain, Rover and Macros to reduce documentation burden. After meeting with numerous stakeholders who provided information and presentations on available resources to our group, we learned that there was not existing technology or resources for educating staff to decrease documentation burden. This was piloted on one unit, and the work concluded that raising awareness around these topics had a positive influence on usage.
Nurse Practice Council
Inpatient nurses have voiced a strong interest in gaining and maintaining peripheral IV (PIV) placement skills, which falls within their scope of practice. Currently, most PIVs are placed by the VAT team, leading to inconsistent training and limited autonomy for staff. The Nurse Practice Council proposed expanding PIV training, with two units volunteering to pilot the program. However, rollout was delayed due to limited VAT education capacity, inconsistent current practices and past unsuccessful attempts that affected staff buy-in.
Ambulatory Council
At the end of 2024, the Ambulatory Council and the Ambulatory Quarterly Meeting Committee hosted the first annual Ambulatory Nurse Showcase. The purpose was to share projects being worked on to colleagues and leadership. 80 people attended the two sessions, including 11 leaders and representatives from 26 clinical areas.
The Council also helped form three unit-based councils, including the resource pool, outpatient urology and outpatient neurology. The outpatient neurology council showed early progress, identifying a need for their 17 exam rooms to have appropriate seating for patients and their families. The project was presented at the Ambulatory Nurse Showcase, and a leader in attendance subsequently secured the necessary funding.
Patient Family & Experience Council
In 2024, the Council worked to share positive Press Ganey survey comments directly in staff Workday profiles to highlight patient appreciation and recognize exceptional care. Since the data was already collected and paid for, the missing step was simply identifying individuals mentioned and sharing the feedback. Staff responded very positively – one nurse said a comment helped reignite her passion during a time of burnout.
LNA Council
The LNA Council provided four professional development workshops for the hospital’s LNAs, including hair equity (learning how to take care of all kinds of hair), LNA advanced (how to apply for your LNA advanced), LNA Education Day and Constant Observation training. The council also created a newsletter showcasing different projects and educational opportunities for LNAs.
Professional Development & Scholarship Council
The 6-day Skills Fair and NPG Forum was held in January, with more than 530 nurses and 50 nurse educators and staff in attendance. The event featured five education stations facilitated by our nurse educators and staff as well 12 self-directed competency stations and various presentations on professional development opportunities for our nurses.
The Forum highlighted the impact of direct care nurses in shared decision-making, quality and professional development – three of our Pathway Pillars – showcasing unit-led initiatives through posters, inspiring peers and offering resources to support lifelong learning and career growth.
Meanwhile, the event helped to advance our safety pillar through workplace violence prevention initiatives, self-directed learning on safety protocols and a focus on protecting staff and patients. The leadership pillar also shone through cross-organizational collaboration, educator-led teaching at the skills fair and active engagement from nursing leadership alongside front-line staff.
Experience & Wellness Council
Throughout 2024, the Experience & Wellness Council worked to create a new wellness space – dedicated area for staff to relax, recharge and host wellness programming and screenings. The Experience & Wellness team led the effort, touring locations, selecting the East Pavilion and securing funding to transform a temporary space into a permanent one. Now that the space is live, the council will evaluate its impact on employee wellbeing and present their findings at a nursing conference.
Communications Council
In 2024, the Communications Council partnered with the Language Access Team to assess nurses’ awareness of translated clinical references in Healthwise. After a survey showed 84% of nurses were unaware of how to access them, the council launched a multi-modal education effort – sharing tip sheets, how-to videos and offering in-person sessions at 10 clinical sites. We also encouraged peer sharing and left reference materials to support ongoing learning. Future Epic upgrades will expand translation capabilities to further support equitable care.
Night Shift Council
Working overnight in the hospital can be physically and emotionally challenging, especially during the early morning hours when fatigue peaks. Recognizing this, the Night Shift Council created the Night Shift Olympic Games, a series of engaging, educational and light-hearted activities held around 4am during the summer months.
