Becker's Hospital Review

23 CMO / CARE DELIVERY explore ways to expand the nursing program. is includes increasing enrollment and potentially introducing new degree pathways to meet the evolving needs of both our healthcare system and the broader community. Factors influencing the program's evolution include the need for additional faculty, classroom and facility space, and clinical rotations. e first two to three years of expansion will focus on achieving incremental growth, ensuring a strong foundation for expansion, and deepening the understanding of the best ways forward. Q: For hospitals and health systems looking to establish similar partnerships with local universities, what are the key first steps and potential roadblocks they should be aware of? VT: e key first steps involve alignment, relationships and planning. Engage your main stakeholders on both the hospital and university sides early so you can define shared goals, identify workforce gaps, decide on academic priorities and determine your focus: education, residencies, specialty training or workforce pipeline. Collaborate with faculty to align your hospital's requirements, competencies and expectations with their curriculum and accreditation. You will want a sustainable pipeline for students to transition from education to employment. is can include nurse extern programs. residencies or direct-hire agreements. is should all be included in a structured agreement. Potential roadblocks could include clinical rotations and hospital capacity, faculty hiring and regulatory barriers, and of course funding. Q: With nursing workforce shortages persisting nationwide, what role do you see employer-sponsored education pathways playing in shaping the next generation of nurses, and how can hospitals balance the investment with immediate staffing needs? VT: e persistent nursing workforce shortage requires a strategic, long-term approach and employer-sponsored education pathways are crucial for shaping the next generation of nurses and creating a workforce pipeline. Hospitals can balance their investment in these education pathways with immediate staffing needs through creative staffing solutions, flexible schedules, financial support in the form of tuition assistance and loan forgiveness, and educational partnerships with local community colleges and universities. While growing future talent, hospitals can also leverage short-term staffing strategies, including flexible scheduling, cross-training and the use of technology to optimize workflows and reduce the burden on existing staff. Ultimately, employer-sponsored education pathways are an investment in both the present and future workforce. A well- structured program ensures that hospitals not only address long- term workforce shortages but also support current staff in a way that sustains patient care excellence.n WellSpan's unique approach to safety huddles By Erica Carbajal S afety huddles are a standard practice in healthcare, helping teams identify potential risks before harm occurs. But York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health has taken the model further with a daily tiered huddle structure that extends beyond clinical teams to ensure every team member plays an active part in patient safety. "One of the things we've done with our cleaning staff is to ensure they understand their role is not about cleaning rooms, or the elevator or stairs — it's about decreasing infections," Carlos Roberts, MD, vice president and chief medical officer of the women and children service line at WellSpan, said on a recent episode of the AHA's Advancing Health podcast. "When we change the perspective of the job they're carrying out, it allows us all to be aligned with reducing harm in the hospital and trying to achieve our goal of zero harm." WellSpan adopted safety huddles more than three years ago, using a tiered structure with six escalating levels to ensure rapid communication and resolution of safety concerns. Huddles begin at the front line where care is delivered (tier 1). Issues are then escalated through managers and directors as needed until they reach executive leadership (tier 6). This structure ensures that an issue reported at 4 a.m., for instance, can be addressed by senior leaders by mid-morning, Dr. Roberts said. Non- clinical teams, such as security and cleaning staff, also routinely hold safety huddles to ensure a systemwide commitment to patient and staff safety. While identifying and mitigating risks is a core focus, WellSpan also uses the huddle structure to recognize achievements. Each meeting begins with a reaffirmation of the collective goal of zero, followed by discussions on safety events, operational challenges and wins that deserve celebration. A critical component of this approach is closing the loop, Dr. Roberts said. Just as concerns are escalated, resolutions and follow-ups are communicated back down through the tiers to ensure frontline staff see tangible outcomes from their reports. This two-way communication builds confidence in the process and keeps staff engaged in the health system's safety mission. "We always start with sharing our common goal," Dr. Roberts said. "Our common goal is working towards zero harm for 23,000 team members and our patients. And it's an opportunity for us to work towards that zero harm and also to share things in an open way without concern about retaliation." "Once we set that as our bar for operating, then everyone comes to the table sharing things. Then we kind of bucket things into: Do we have any safety events? Do we have any operational challenges, call outs or providers that are ill?" n

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