St. Louis-based Mercy has opened its first innovation unit as a "testing ground" for optimization ideas.
The project began with five beds, eight nurses and eight patient care assistants but expanded to an entire unit over the summer, according to an Oct. 31 news release. In 2024, a second innovation unit is planned to open at Mercy Oklahoma City.
"We recruited from within, seeking full-time nurses who are tech savvy, quick learners and fully embrace change," Sheila Ries, MSN, Mercy St. Louis orthopedic unit nurse manager and one of the founding leaders of the innovation unit, said in the release.
Representatives from key stakeholder groups — including Epic and Mercy Technology Services — meet to provide support and guidance through weekly huddles. They operate on the Plan-Do-Study-Act method, which breaks down tasks into steps, evaluates the outcome, improves on the outcome and tests it again.
Current measures being tested on the unit include digital whiteboards that can be used to facilitate video visits; IV poles in each room to assist workflow; vital sign machines capable of automatically feeding information into Epic flowsheets; and a workload validation tool designed to "capture documentation from bedside nursing to enhance Mercy's acuity tool in Epic."
"We have some of the most brilliant nurses in the nation, and their ideas can — and will — change the game," Betty Jo Rocchio, DNP, RN, CRNA, Mercy senior vice president and chief nurse executive, said in the release. "We must innovate how we provide care so all Mercy nurses, doctors and providers can spend more time doing what they're trained to do — care for patients."