The care innovation unit (CIU) at Bon Secours Southside Medical Center is a dedicated nursing unit that is serving as a testing site for new and innovative approaches to the way we work.
The goals of this unit include improving and simplifying how we work, continuing to prioritize patient safety and setting industry standards for patient care.
Katie Elliott, MSN, RN, administrative director of the CIU (pictured above, right), and Chase Painter, BSN, RN, nurse manager of the CIU (pictured above, left), are strong advocates of nurses spending more time at the bedside and making meaningful connections with their patients.
Both Katie and Chase feel that when nurses feel more fulfilled by connecting with their patients, patients will experience better outcomes.
“The main goal of the care innovation unit is to reimagine nursing by taking it back to its most basic form,” Chase explains. “We are redistributing tasks to the interdisciplinary team so that nurses can perform at their highest capacity and use the skills and knowledge they worked so hard to gain.”
He continues, “what can we start to test at the lowest level, so we can build, design and scale processes and practices that really work?”
Both Chase and Katie are also deeply proud of the CIU team for embarking on this journey.
“I am most proud of the team we’ve hired,” Chase says. “We were drawn to the energy each person brought to their interview. We hired nurses who have worked in intensive care, emergency room and hospice, to name a few. We’ve created a diverse work environment because we believe each of them brings a different skillset to, and outlook on, nursing care.”
Katie echoed his sentiments.
“After months of recruiting, interviewing and hiring our employees, we have the most amazing team! I am so proud of each and every one of them. To see them come together for this amazing work has been the most rewarding experience so far.”
Chase adds, “patients are receiving high quality care from dedicated professionals who have time to spend getting to know their patients. Employees are working in a collaborative, supportive environment and are able to leave their shift knowing they provided quality care to their patients.”
So, how will patients and employees ultimately benefit from the hard work of this new unit?
Learnings from this unit will be shared across the ministry, so all clinicians and patients may experience improvements in care, thanks to what is learned in this CIU.
“Our employees will have more time at the bedside with patients, which will in turn offer better care and improved patient outcomes,” Katie says.
We are hiring talented nurses who are eager to be a part of this fast-paced and innovative work! Visit our website to learn more.
Also, learn more about the health care services we offer at Bon Secours.
