A Return to Purpose: The Journey from Bedside Nurses to Clinical Innovation Leaders
On May 1st, the American Nurses Association kicked off National Nurses Month, and we are celebrating with a series of blogs focused on empowering nurses by exploring how technology can help restore joy and meaning to the profession of nursing.
It is no secret that nurses are experiencing record levels of burnout and fatigue, but rediscovering motivations for pursuing a nursing career helps reconnect to a feeling of purpose.
Which is why we are thrilled to kick off the series by recognizing our own nursing team for the passion, leadership, and commitment they bring to their work every day.
We sat down with three members of our nursing team to ask them why they chose to be a part of the most trusted profession in the country and the journey that brought them here to eVideon. To no one’s surprise, they all chose to be a nurse because they have a passion for helping others. Today, these former front-line nurses are on the leading edge of digital transformation as they work hand in hand with our hospital clients to design, implement, and optimize smart room technology to make a difference in the lives of patients and their nursing colleagues.
Meet the nurses
Lori Basilone, BSN, RN, Clinical Solutions Director, 12+ years as a Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) nurse.
Lori: During my time in the SICU, I was able to be there both physically and emotionally for patients and their loved ones during some of the most traumatic moments in their lives. Some days I simply sat with them and held their hand, some days I wiped their tears, and yes, there were days when I cried along with them. Yet, with all the ups and downs, I made it a priority to listen to them so that I could help bring them comfort in whatever way I could. For over 12 years, I learned what it meant to be a nurse, and I also learned all the pain points that nurses endure. Each day nurses are distracted from providing the personalized and high-quality care they know their patients truly deserve.
Today, I leverage my experience on the floor to create solutions that can change the lives of nurses for the better. Frontline nurses need less distraction, and they need technology that is designed to support the realities of their daily schedules.
In my work, I strive to reduce non-clinical tasks from the daily routines of nurses and give them back the time they need to provide personalized, safe, high-quality care to the patients under their watch. Let’s face it, there is only so much time that we have to give our patients and we need to maximize that precious time as much as we can and put the caring touch back into our profession.
Erin Pangallo, MS, BSN, RN, Clinical Implementation Director, 26 years of experience as a bedside nurse, nurse leader, and clinical operations executive.
Erin: I have been blessed to be in this noble profession of nursing for the last 26 years. I started in cardiovascular care as a bedside nurse, and I thought my entire career would be spent serving patients at the bedside because I loved helping them and their families navigate what may have been one of the most difficult times in their lives. In my early nursing career, we utilized paper as our means of documentation and, over the years, the technological changes have been truly astounding and our profession has been adapting with grace.
When I became a nursing leader, the potential to leverage technology to improve safety, quality, and the patient experience was evident, but the voice of the nurse was severely underrepresented in the design, development, and deployment of these solutions. I am and always will be a nurse first. Thus, I made it my calling to amplify the nurse's voice in the technology of healthcare.
I made the leap about 7 years ago and have been actively working to integrate our nursing knowledge and expertise in the design and implementation of hospital technology. What’s so special about Vibe Health is that we are providing more autonomy to patients – allowing them to make requests to support services, relax to the sights and sounds of relaxation content, and view their patient education at their own pace with their families present – this gives time back to nurses and allows them to deliver care at the top of their license. Nurses are the most valuable asset in healthcare and when we design solutions with nurses in mind, we have the potential to shift the paradigm of care.
Dawn Strawser, BSN, RN, CPHQ, Clinical Optimization Director, 20+ years of experience in healthcare quality improvement
Dawn: In my years working in healthcare quality improvement, the primary focus has always been to improve the quality of care delivered to patients. There are a wealth of studies demonstrating that high-quality care yields better health outcomes, including faster recovery times, lower risk of complications and mortality, and improved long-term health and overall wellbeing.
As a nurse, I’ve always been passionate about using quality care standards and performance improvement methodologies to drive systemic improvement across our delivery system.
In my current role as a Clinical Optimization Director, I help healthcare leaders identify areas where technology can positively impact the lives of both patients and staff. This can also correlate with improving the quality of care for patients and improving outcomes. Clinical optimization touches many aspects of the healthcare experience, including patient education and activation, care team communication, clinical workflow efficiency, cleanliness of the care environment, and overall care coordination. When we can use technology to help nurses be more efficient in their day to day, and remove any unnecessary burden placed on their shoulders, I consider it a job well done!
Summary
Nurses continue to be the backbone of our healthcare ecosystem. Their unwavering commitment and bravery are something to be celebrated 365 days a year. We are proud to partner with nursing leaders across the country who are using our Vibe Health platform to accelerate healthcare’s digital transformation journey. To learn more about our solutions that improve the patient experience, visit https://www.evideon.com/vibe-health
Interested in connecting with one of our nursing leaders? Contact us to get in touch with any member of our team!
