As a Beacon Award recipient, Miami Children's Hospital succeeded in the following areas, as measured against evidence-based national criteria:
• Recruitment and retention
• Education, training and mentoring
• Research and evidence-based practice
• Patient outcomes
• Leadership and organization ethics
• Healing environment
AACN applauds the efforts and success of Miami Children's Hospital, which will now serve as a beacon for other hospitals and healthcare facilities. Beacon units are a source of inspiration for other aspiring units.
“Miami Children's Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is honored to be the first and only children’s hospital-based unit in Florida to have received the Beacon Award for critical care Nursing excellence,” said Jackie Gonzalez, Senior Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer. “This award is a true reflection of our passion for the children we serve and the phenomenal teamwork demonstrated by this staff, the physicians and the collaborating MCH hospital departments."
Beacon Award units realize many benefits of having met rigid criteria for excellence, high-quality standards and exceptional care of patients and patients’ families:
- Influence and Recognition: Units that participate in the Beacon Award process help set the standards for what constitutes an excellent acute or critical care environment through the collection of evidence-based information. Patient safety and quality programs, such as the Leapfrog Group Hospital Quality and Safety Survey, consider Beacon achievement in their evaluation process.
- Credibility: Consumers, who are paying much closer attention today to quality-of-care factors with respect to their own healthcare, will take this level of recognition into consideration when choosing a hospital for care or treatment.
- Recruitment and Retention: Prospective employees will recognize a Beacon Award unit as a healthy work environment, a place where quality of care is tied directly to quality of staff. Nurses who work in these units will recognize that their skills and expertise are appreciated and valued, boosting employee morale.
For more information on the Beacon Award or AACN, call (800) 899-2226. Applicants are not required to be a member of AACN to apply for the Beacon Award. Application information and requirements are available at www.aacn.org > Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.
Photo Caption: Miami Children's Hospital PICU staff
Photo Caption: Miami Children's Hospital PICU staff in front of the Beacon Wall
ABOUT AACN
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world, representing the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses. Its international headquarters are located in Aliso Viejo, California. Founded in 1969, the Association has more than 240 chapters worldwide and is working toward a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families, where acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.
ABOUT MIAMI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Miami Children's Hospital® is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in 2008 and 2009 by U.S.News & World Report. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor.