BETHEL — Nurses from the three hospitals of the Central Maine Medical Family met recently at the Bethel Inn and Conference Center for a Nursing Excellence Regional Conference. The conference showcased nursing practice excellence and promoted networking among colleagues to enhance future clinical projects.

The conference included an educational session that covered discharge planning for patients going home from the hospital on medication for the prevention of the life-threatening condition of deep vein thrombosis.

New medications and patient therapy options become available each year. Nurses must learn about these to remain competent and skilled. In turn, nurses teach patients about medications in order to improve their health. Nurses learn about new medications and therapies from a variety of sources, including sponsored educational sessions such as the one offered at the conference.

In addition to the session, Rumford Hospital, Bridgton Hospital and Central Maine Medical Center nurses shared information about recently implemented nursing patient safety and care initiatives.

Nursing initiatives presented at the conference were aimed at promoting patient safety or improving nursing care to improve patient outcomes. Programs were designed by nurses to meet the specific needs of patients at each hospital. Some nursing initiatives were regional, involving nurses from all three hospitals working together to improve patient health outcomes.

At Rumford Hospital, the nurses check each of their patients frequently as a matter of nursing practice. However, over the last year, nurses formalized that process by implementing a policy that included nurses making scheduled hourly rounds on each of their patients. Diane York, RN, said, “Hourly rounding has reduced the number of falls, which we monitor each month.”

In-room nursing report has improved the transfer of information between nurses at Rumford Hospital. The on-coming and off-going nurses go into each patient’s room to exchange information during shift changes. Nurse-to-nurse report happening in the patient’s room promotes patient safety and high quality nursing care. Amanda Tozier, RN, said, “During in-room report, patients meet the nurse for the next shift. Nurses can discuss the needs of the patient with each other and with the patient. In-room report promotes patients being involved in making decisions about their health care.”

Reducing the number of hospitalized patients who suffer urinary infections related to having a urinary catheter in place has been a high priority in hospitals on a national level. From December 2009 to April 2010, Rumford Hospital nurses cut the use of urinary catheters from 428 catheter days to 159 catheter days. According to Dale Gaudreau, RN, the hospital has not had any patients with a urinary tract infection related to a catheter in the past nine months.

“The fourth annual CMMF Nursing Excellence Regional Conference was a great opportunity to network with other nursing professionals from our three hospitals but also offered an excellent update in nursing practice that can help us care for our patients better,” said Mary Philbrick, RN, educator, Central Maine Medical Center ICU.