A beacon of excellence

Congratulations to VCU Medical CICU for earning its second Beacon Award for Excellence (silver level) from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Congratulations to VCU Medical Center’s Coronary Intensive Care Unit for earning its second Beacon Award for Excellence (silver level) from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Beacon award hospital units show exemplary practice in providing the best care for patients and families every day.

“Beacon awardees set the standard for excellence in patient care environments by collecting and using evidence-based information to improve patient outcomes, patient and staff satisfaction, and credibility with consumers,” explained Jennifer Graham Powers, M.S.N., RN, CCRN, nurse manager of Pauley Heart Center’s Coronary Intensive Care Unit. “We are so proud of the exceptional work that the Coronary Intensive Care Unit (CICU) staff does on a daily basis and the incredible support and relationships with our interprofessional team.”

VCU Medical Center is tied for the second most Beacon awards in the nation. Of the 661 Beacon units in the U.S., 14 are in Richmond, 12 of which are at VCU Medical Center.

A unit of Pauley Heart Center, the 14-bed coronary intensive care unit is a regional referral center for patients with chest pain. The unit has a post-cardiac arrest hypothermia program and provides extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to individuals in the direst conditions. On average, patients stay in the CICU for three and a half days, though individuals awaiting heart transplants may be in the unit for weeks or months. “The Beacon award is a national recognition of the care that is provided by the unit,” Powers noted.

“If someone were evaluating where they wanted care for their loved one or for themselves, this award tells them our CICU would provide them the best evidence-based care that they can find.”

The Beacon award also indicates a positive and supportive work environment with greater collaboration, higher morale and lower turnover — traits that help recruitment. The recognition would not have been possible without the CICU’s exceptional nursing staff, Powers said. “I tell the nurses that we could not have gotten the Beacon award without you, because you are the ones making the outcomes what they are.” The CICU received the Beacon award in 2020 and may reapply in three years.