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Most things are just better with teamwork. That's the case in a joint
effort between Food and Nutrition and the nursing units at Saint Joseph
Health Center. Adopt-a-floor was launched last month and it's getting
great reviews. The main objectives of the program are to increase patient
satisfaction and improve communication through a team approach.
"The managers and dietitians within Food and Nutrition have adopted a
unit," explains Jill Alexander, RD LD, assistant director. "We visit the
nurses, visit patients and do test trays every week. We put ourselves
in the place of the patient and check the taste, temperature and presentation
of the tray."
Alexander says having a designated Food & Nutrition liaison responsible
for each unit streamlines things and makes dealing with complaints easier.
"We're up there, they know who to talk to about problems, who is the representative
for their floor. We've been able to identify so many improvement opportunities
and change processes to make things better."
Alexander says the program has been a win-win situation. "The communication
has been great. We work with nursing to target specific patients-those
with food questions or concerns. It also allows us to deal with patient
satisfaction issues right away. We don't have to wait a month or more
for survey results. Patients like having someone involved with the food
to talk with directly, rather than have a nurse pass on a message."
"This is a great example of how working together pays off," says Anna
Terrell, RN, MSN. "This really frees up nurses, because when patients
complain, it interrupts their care while we address the complaint. Besides,
the patients are just happier. If someone is unhappy about one thing,
they are usually upset about everything. A lot of little improvements
have made a big difference in patient satisfaction."
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