In October 2022, the RUSH University Medical Center post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) received the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).
The PACU cares for post-surgical inpatients with a wide range of conditions who have received anesthesia, including newborns and older adults. The Beacon Award honors excellence in intensive care nursing and is regarded as the top honor in the field.
“This was the pinnacle for us because we worked together as a team for many years to ensure that quality, positive patient outcomes and patient satisfaction are at the forefront of all we do,” says Michelle Smith, MSN, RN, CAPA, unit director of the PACU. “Receiving the Beacon Award means patients can know everything we do is evidence-based practice, ensuring they’re getting the highest quality of care, and we’re going to continue to build on that.”
Camille Brownlee, MSN, RN, CNL, education and quality coordinator, perioperative services, and endoscopy, led the team that prepared the PACU’s Beacon Award application. She stated, “belonging to a team that’s setting the standards of PACU care is a tremendous achievement. We know we do things really well here but seeing us be set apart from the state and the nation is great.”
The award further extends the Beacon Award recognition across RUSH, observes Katrina Blade, DNP, RN, CPPS, NE-BC, CPAN, assistant unit director for pre-operative surgery and pre-operative evaluation units. “The Beacon designation showcases and highlights what we do in perioperative services. We are proud to contribute to the outstanding standards of RUSH and to make our own mark as a team.”
“Across RUSH, we are committed to the highest standards of care for our patients and excellence in nursing practice, which is why our nursing team made it a goal for all our intensive care units to earn Beacon designation. With the PACU’s Beacon Award, we have taken this tradition of excellence in nursing practice and patient care even further, setting a standard for Illinois and the country,” says Angelique Richard, PhD, RN, senior vice president of hospital operations for RUSH University Medical Center and chief nursing officer.
Beacon Awards recognize unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with the AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year award meet national criteria consistent with Magnet recognition. “The Beacon Award for Excellence is a testament to a team’s commitment to providing safe, patient-centered, and evidence-based care to patients and families. Creating healthy and supportive work environments empowers nurses and other team members to make their optimal contribution,” says AACN President Beth Wathen, MSN, APRN, CCRN-K.
The members of the PACU’s Beacon Committee are pictured above. From left to right: Mallarie Domke, RN, CPAN ; Michelle Smith, MSN, RN, CAPA; Katrina Blade, DNP, RN, CPPS, NE-BC, CPAN; Anna Bresnahan, RN; Camille Brownlee, MSN, RN, CNL; Robbin Neville, RN, CPAN, CAPA; Maira Roman, MSN, RN. (Not pictured: Denina McCullum-Smith MSN, RN, CMSRN; Carmen Avila, RN, CPAN; and Heather Darnell, RN.)