Beacon Bound: a journey toward excellence.

“In Our Unit” highlights unique practices, innovations, research, or resourceful solutions to commonly encountered problems in critical care areas and settings where critically ill patients are cared for. If you have an idea for an upcoming “In Our Unit, ” send it to CRITICAL CARE NURSE, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; fax, (949) 3622049; e-mail, [email protected]. The process of being “Beacon Bound” has been a tremendous learning experience. When we learned about the AACN Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence, we were struck by how it seemed to define what we believed our level 1, surgical-trauma intensive care unit (ICU) at Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, Fla, was about. As we reviewed the award criteria online (www.aacn.org), our pride and excitement began to build. This award would accomplish exactly what we wanted: to celebrate our greatness and acknowledge the incredible nurses in our unit who go above and beyond. With a little fine-tuning, we believed our unit was definitely Beacon qualified. Rallying around a theme of “Beacon Bound ICU 1&2,” we began our journey. We developed a brief handout describing the Beacon Award, and staff nurses who were not only active in the unit but also involved with the hospital’s clinical ladder were invited to lead each of the 6 award criteria categories—recruitment and retention; education/training and mentoring; evidence-based practice and research; patient outcomes; healing environment; and leadership/organizational ethics. The main Beacon Award committee was made up of 14 individuals, with leaders for each category from both the day and night shifts. Each leader was given a binder with general information and specifics about the category. We then developed a plan designed to get the entire staff “on board.” Following weekly meetings, we had kick-off parties for both shifts. Unit coverage was arranged so that working staff members could attend. Wearing specially designed tshirts, each category leader was at individual stations with posters and handouts explaining his or her category. Power point presentations were compiled to show examples of how we had already met many of the criteria. Staff members were also asked to sign up to assist with development of one of the categories. In addition, each staff member received a calendar with a lighthouse and “Beacon Bound ICU 1&2.” On the back was the “Act Boldly” pledge (www.aacn.org >Act Boldly) to commit to making a difference in creating a healthy work environment. Each staff member was encouraged to Continued on page 111