SE12b
Commitment to Community Involvement SE12
Provide one example, with supporting evidence, of the organization’s support of a clinical nurse(s) who volunteer(s) in a population health outreach initiative, either local or global.
Example b: COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics
Local Population Health Outreach Initiative
Serving the community is a vital role played by Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) St. Vincent Hot Springs (SVHS). The SVHS mission statement, as a CommonSpirit Health (CSH) organization is, “We make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.” SVHS provides service to the community as part of the strategic plan through CSH. The CHI SVHS nursing goals are to engage, contribute to, and use nursing knowledge, skill, compassion, evidence-based practice, and research to improve the health of the communities we serve. (Evidence SE12b-1, Nursing Strategic Plan)
SVHS provided an important service to the Hot Springs community through the local population health initiative of community COVID-19 vaccination clinics in January and February 2021. (Evidence SE12b-2, Vaccination Clinic Flyer) Jessica Wilson, MHA, HACP was one of many who helped orchestrate a large in-hospital COVID-19 vaccination clinic to serve the community. This initiative was first targeted to reach individuals aged 65 and older, and then teachers and staff from area school districts. Community members aged 65 and older signed up on the CHI website and were then called by SVHS staff with an appointment time. The school districts in and around Hot Springs were invited to participate in this initiative, reaching teachers and staff members from close to 10 school districts.
Clinical Nurse Volunteers
SVHS nurses who dedicated their time to administer over 1,400 vaccines during this clinic included nurse managers, retired nurses, and Clinical Nurses Kim Smith, RN, Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Postpartum (LDRP) Unit; Amy Gates, RN, LDRP Unit; Eric Riggan, RN, Inpatient Diabetes/Wound; and Wynette Clark, LPN, CHI SV Clinics. All nurses were educated per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and signed off on a return demonstration by SVHS education nurses before administering vaccines. After the large in-hospital vaccination clinic, surrounding CHI SVHS clinics took on the work of providing vaccination services to those eligible and in need in the community. (Evidence SE12b-3, COVID Vaccination Clinic Schedule)
In addition, the following SVHS clinical nurses volunteered during their time off to participate in an off-campus community vaccination clinic with local organizations: Anna Coble, BSN, RN, CCRN, Surgical Intensive Care Unit; Karen Street, BSN, RN, CEN, Post Anesthesia Care Unit; Ligi Tony, BSN, RN, CMSRN, 4E Medical/Surgical Unit; and Phillip Nahas, RN, CEN, TCRN, Emergency Department. A local pharmacy, Smith Drug and Compounding, partnered with Crossgate Church to provide a large venue to offer community vaccinations to those 65 and older in Hot Springs on February 27, 2021 and March 20, 2021. This initiative served close to 800 people. (Evidence SE12b-4, Nursing Annual Report, page 14)
Organizational Support for Clinical Nurse Volunteers
CHI SVHS supported clinical nurses who volunteered for the COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the following ways:
Clinical Ladder
The Clinical Ladder Program uses a clinical track framework to provide recognition and reward for bedside nurses who demonstrate initiative and progression toward expert clinical skills. A shared governance team collaborated to develop this program based on the American Nurses Association (ANA) Scope and Standards of Professional Practice and Performance. The Clinical Ladder consists of the following levels, which clinical nurses are encouraged to attain to earn higher compensation biannually:
- RN II: Minimum experience 6 months to 2 years, 1 in-service, 8 standards – hourly differential $2.00
- RN III: Minimum experience 2 years, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or certification, taking Charge and Clinical Coach classes, 10 standards – hourly differential $4.00
- RN IV: Minimum experience 3 years, BSN and certification, taking Charge and Clinical Coach classes, 12 standards – hourly differential $6.00
Suggestions for projects and activities are provided for each ANA Standard of Professional Performance. The ANA Standard of Collaboration promotes clinical nurses’ collaboration with healthcare consumers, family members, and others in conducting nursing practice. One activity/project to meet this standard is to volunteer and provide a service for at least six cumulative hours; this can be done at a CHI-sponsored or community-wide health/humanity event, and it does not include paid time. All clinical nurses who participated in the vaccination clinics were considered volunteers and could redeem clinical ladder credit for this initiative. For example, Street participated in the Smith Drug and Compounding vaccination clinic for six hours on February 27, 2021.
Street noted her participation in the vaccination clinic in her clinical ladder application under the Collaboration standard. (Evidence SE12b-5, Clinical Ladder RN Application)
Wellness Dollars
SVHS provides organizational support to clinical nurses who volunteer by enabling them to claim their volunteer hours toward the Wellness Program. Benefits-eligible clinical nurses and their CHI Medical Plan-enrolled spouses may participate in the Wellness Program. Nurses can enter their volunteer hours in their Wellness Program account to claim up to $20 per volunteer activity. Employees may claim up to three volunteer activities in a Wellness Program year. Clinical nurses and their spouses can receive up to $450 in a fiscal year by participating in Wellness Program activities and challenges.
Paid Time Off
SVHS clinical nurses can use Paid Time Off (PTO) hours and receive reimbursement out of their PTO bank for a full day of work hours. The organization rewards employees with PTO hours to add to their bank on each paycheck. Volunteers can use PTO in place of scheduled work hours. SVHS clinical nurses who volunteered at either vaccination clinic were eligible to accrue PTO if they had been scheduled to work.
Advertising
The CHI marketing team for SVHS advertised and promoted the community vaccination clinic event through social media, the CHI website, and local newspapers. SVHS also contacted the school districts surrounding Hot Springs to advertise the clinic to reach vulnerable and at-risk populations. Several community members contacted Smith Drug and Compounding directly for vaccinations, so a waitlist was started to contact interested community members when they were eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. (Evidence SE12b-2, Vaccination Clinic Flyer)
Schedule Adjustments or Accommodations
Clinical nurses who were scheduled to work on their units during the times they had volunteered for the COVID vaccination clinics worked with their nurse managers to accommodate time off the unit schedules.