Cardiovascular ICU at St. Peter’s Hospital Wins Silver Beacon Award for Excellence

The cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) at St. Peter’s Hospital, an affiliate of St. Peter’s Health Partners, has received a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).

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.

The eight-bed CVICU at St. Peter’s Hospital provides interventions to cardiac and vascular surgery patients. The unit uses a focused-care model and serves patients immediately after surgery as well as patients who require continuous critical care.

“The CVICU staff members at St. Peter’s Hospital provide sophisticated and compassionate care to patients who are at their most vulnerable,” said Jane O’Rourke, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, vice president of operations and chief nursing officer at St. Peter’s Hospital. “We congratulate the CVICU team for winning a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence. This recognition from the AACN reinforces what we hear from our patients every day: the nurses at St. Peter’s Hospital provide exceptional care.”

AACN President Karen McQuillan, RN, MS, CNS-BC, CCRN, CNRN, FAAN, applauded the commitment of the caregivers at the St. Peter’s Hospital CVICU for working together to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by the Beacon Award for Excellence.

“The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes caregivers in stellar units whose consistent and systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes,” McQuillan said. “Units that receive this national recognition serve as role models to others on their journey to excellent patient and family care.”

The silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence earned by the CVICU at St. Peter’s Hospital signifies continuous learning and effective systems to achieve optimal patient care. The St. Peter’s Hospital CVICU earned its silver 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
• Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
• Outcome Measurement

AACN will honor the CVIVU at St. Peter’s Hospital and other Beacon Award for Excellence recipients with announcements in AACN Bold Voices, the monthly award-winning member magazine distributed to more than 100,000 acute and critical care nurses nationwide. AACN also honors awardees 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.

For more information about the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and Beacon Award for Excellence, visit www.aacn.org/beacon.