MIAMI - Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has received three new Beacon Awards for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), bringing to nine the total number of hospital units that have garnered Beacon Award status. Nicklaus Children’s is the only children’s hospital in the nation to be recognized with nine Beacon Awards, demonstrating the hospital’s commitment to excellence in inpatient care through use of evidence-based data to enhance outcomes and satisfaction.
 
The newly awarded patient care areas are 5 Tower (Neurology/Neurosurgery) with a Gold-level award, 6 Tower (Hematology/Oncology) with a Silver-level and 2 North/3 South (step-down unit for patients of the NICU and observation) also with a Silver-level.  Units previously designated with Beacon Awards are the PICU, CICU, NICU, 3 Northeast and 3 East each with a Gold-level and 2 East designated with a Silver-level.
 

“We are honored that are nursing teams have been recognized, once again, for our commitment to the patients and families in our care. Our leadership in Beacon Award standing is a reflection of the steadfast commitment of our entire nursing team to advancing quality and safety in all that we do,” said Jackie Gonzalez, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.

 
The Beacon Award for Excellence — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.
 
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is a designated Magnet nursing facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. Magnet-designated hospitals offer an environment that fosters leadership, nursing research, staff involvement and innovation in practice, as well as an environment that supports teamwork and collegiality. The Magnet Recognition Program is widely accepted as the gold standard of patient care with only six percent of hospitals nationwide having achieved Magnet designation.
 

About the Beacon Award for Excellence

Established in 2003, the Beacon Award for Excellence offers a road map to help guide exceptional care through improved outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction. U.S. and Canadian units where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission qualify for this excellence award. Units that receive the Beacon Award for Excellence meet criteria in six categories: leadership structures and systems; appropriate staffing and staff engagement; effective communication, knowledge management, and learning and development; evidence-based practice and processes; and outcome measurement. To learn more, visit www.aacn.org/beacon or call 800-899-2226.
 

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 200 chapters in the United States. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit www.aacn.org, connect with the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aacnface or follow AACN on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacnme.