ULH MICU earns AACN's top status

Although the summer Olympics are still weeks away, the nurses of the University of Louisville Hospital Medical Intensive Care Unit have already captured the gold.

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently conferred a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence on the ULH MICU, signifying excellent and sustained unit performance and patient outcomes.

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 gold, silver and bronze designations meet national criteria consistent with Magnet Recognition, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.

"The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in stellar units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes," AACN President Mary Stahl, RN, MSN, ACNS-BC, CCNS-CMC, CCRN said. "Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care."

According to the AACN, the U of L unit earned the gold award by meeting the following evidence-based Beacon Award for Excellence criteria:

•    Leadership Structures and Systems
•    Appropriate Staffing and Staff Engagement
•    Effective Communication, Knowledge Management, Learning and Development, Best Practices
•    Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
•    Patient Outcomes

The AACN honors Beacon Award for Excellence recipients with announcements in AACN Bold Voices, the monthly award-winning member magazine distributed to more than 90,000 acute and critical care nurses nationwide.

In addition, the AACN also honors award winners at the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, the world's largest educational conference and trade show for nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients and their families.

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. or Canadian units where patients receive their principal nursing care after hospital admission qualify for this excellence award.