ICU Strong - April Winners
With only a couple more months of the ICU Strong Campaign left, the competition is heating up, and so is everyone's efforts! The winners for April are:
Overall ICU Strong Trophy/Banner Winner - 8 MTN ICU
Overall ICU Strong 2nd Place - PICU
Overall ICU Strong 3rd Place - 9 MTN ICU
Most ICU Strong Story Submissions - 8 MTN ICU
Most Great Catch/Near Miss Report Submissions - 10 MTN ICU
Top Quality Points Earned - 9 CST ICU
Increased ICU Strong Stories - 8 MTN ICU, 9 MTN ICU, 10 MTN ICU, 9 CST ICU, 9 SICU, and PICU
We have also highlighted a few random ICU Strong Stories of the Month from each ICU unit that submitted stories - please read and enjoy!
10MICU - We have a patient on 10M who has been there almost 3 months who is very sick and doesn’t get many visitors. Madeline, Michelle, Alyson C, Allyson D, and Dani all went out of their way to decorate the patients room to be more cheerful. They always make sure to open the patients blinds and try to make a cheerful and inviting environment. I know I’m missing others as I’m sure everyone has cared for her. I’m truly honored to work with such dedicated and compassionate nurses.
8 CST ICU - Shout out to the 8 CST ICU team for caring for a very complex and critically injured trauma patient. He required a lot of care, some of which cardiac nurses are not exposed to in their daily job, and they provided excellent care. I know how nerve racking it can be caring for a patient from a population that is not your specialty, so great job 8 CST ICU!
8 MTN ICU - When a bariatric bed on the unit malfunctioned, one nurse refused to accept the risk it posed and immediately took action to advocate for patient safety. Recognizing the potential for skin breakdown and immobility complications, she coordinated a rapid bed exchange, ensuring the patient was not left on compromised equipment. Despite staffing challenges, the effort became a true team response—both the unit director and senior director stepped in alongside frontline staff to safely move the patient and facilitate the transition. Through this proactive, all-hands-on-deck approach, the team prevented the development of a hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) and reinforced a culture where patient safety is prioritized above all else.
9 CST ICU - I wanted to take a moment to share an event from this past weekend and recognize some outstanding teamwork.
My PACU staff were tied up managing a very high-acuity patient and were unable to transport a STEMI patient they were holding to CCU when the room was available. When asked, Abigail came down without hesitation and safely transported the patient back to CCU. While she was in PACU, she also offered additional help to the staff and asked what else she could do to support them.
I am extremely thankful for Abigail’s willingness to step in and support the PACU team during a very busy and stressful time. Her teamwork, initiative, and positive attitude truly made a difference.
Please pass along my appreciation to her—I’m very grateful for colleagues like Abigail who exemplify collaboration, patient-centered care, and compassion.
9 MTN ICU - I was helping reposition a patient when they complained that they could no longer feel their legs or lift them up. I watched Madi quickly assess the patient. She remained calm but concerned and assured the patient and family that we were going to page the provider. Madi paged the provider and quickly updated the primary RN Rick of the situation. Rick advocated so hard for his patient, making sure that they got scanned and everything was ruled out. Thanks to his diligence this patient's issue was discovered for which they went class 1 to the OR. Way to be such a great advocate for your patient Rick and great job escalating Madi!
9 SICU - We have a new clinical associate, Aysha, who had a great catch on her first day on the unit! Her preceptor, Bre, shared that they came back from lunch and Aysha noticed that a patient was attempting to get out of bed without assistance and asked Bre if he was okay to be doing that. We are excited to have Aysha on the team!
PICU - Our CA Rebecca noticed that our crash cart Zoll monitor was not operating properly. She promptly requested a new crash cart, and the new monitor also wasn't working. Together, her and Cierra figured out that there was an issue with the defib pads and got it worked out. At the same time this was happening, we had a patient who was unstable and she worked quickly to get the issue fixed in case we needed the cart. Great catch Rebecca!!
