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When asked what she’s most proud of about Nursing at UVA Health over the past year, one word comes to mind for Jennifer T. “JT” Hall, RN, Director, Nursing Professional Practice: “Grit.” The entire healthcare community has endured through a pandemic, and even though the hospital census numbers have dropped and the COVID headlines are no longer front-page news, nurses and their teams persevere and have learned to thrive in a post-pandemic world.

“Despite persistent daily challenges, UVA nurses have continued to deliver amazing care in every practice setting,” Hall says. “The level of engagement in our Nursing Professional Governance committees is very high. I intentionally use the word engagement because nurses are not only participating, they are sharing ideas between committees, problem solving, moving work forward, and being involved in actively improving our structures.”

Nursing initiatives are bustling with “full agendas, full rosters, and full Webex screens and conference rooms,” as Hall puts it, and they have lots to be proud of. The past year has been full of accomplishments — a short sampling of which are below.  

In the coming months, UVA Health will launch its employee engagement survey. Take a moment to reflect on the past year. What are YOU most proud of?

September 2022 | New Trauma Response Nurse Role Aims to Improve Outcomes for Critically Ill Patients

How do we get specialized care to our patients instead of our patients to the specialized care? The new trauma response nurse role follows patients from the Emergency Department all the way to the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit.

July 2022 | Continuing Education, QI, and Hugs: Spotlight on UVA’s CRNA Team

Certified registered nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs are advanced practice nurses who work in hospital operating rooms — administering anesthesia, comforting patients before and after surgery, and helping manage their pain. Lindsey Sites is a certified registered nurse anesthetist who says the nature of her work helps retain her and her colleagues.

July 2022 | Meet the Team Members Who Were Honored at This Year’s Nursing Excellence Awards: Speed-Watcher’s Guide and Photos

Each year, the Nursing Excellence Awards recognize nurses and their interprofessional colleagues for compassion, expertise, exemplary patient care, and teamwork. This year, Kathy Baker, Chief Nursing Officer says, “The nominations that have been written are just absolutely out of this world.”

July 2022 | Data Says: ‘Room to Reflect’ Yields Resilience Results

First reported on in March 2021, the Room to Reflect project created a traveling escape for nurses to address the challenges of stress and burnout. The team of nurses produced a toolbox to support resiliency with various mobile, relaxing activities, such as sound-deafening headphones and virtual reality goggles. Studies were done to calculate the effectiveness of the toolbox, and the results show increased resiliency levels, especially for experienced nurses and nurse managers. 

June 2022 | Trading His Tux for Scrubs

RN-to-BSN student and cardiac nurse Sean Selby is a former celebrity bodyguard who feels more at home with the mental muscle nursing requires.

May 2022 | For UVA Nurses, Caring Isn’t Only Reserved for Patients

UVA’s nursing mentorship program has been beneficial for those who have participated. This articles details how two pairs of mentors and mentees found a match in each other.

May 2022 | Nursing Externship Program Promises Immediate and Long-Term Benefits

In May, 35 nursing students began their eight-week externship at UVA Health to provide nursing students with valuable experience and create a pipeline of capable patient care technicians and registered nurses at UVA.

May 2022 | From Funky to Festive, Nursing Teams Went All Out for Spirit Week 2022

During Nursing’s biggest celebration of the year, National Nurses Week, the Professional Nursing Staff Organization invited team members to dress in themed spirit gear — Superhero Sunday, Totally 80s Tuesday, and more — and the results were amazing!

January 2022 | The Night That Changed Safety at UVA Health

A violent event at University Hospital sent Susan Jackiewicz, Administrator, Neuroscience Service Line, and Ava Speciale, RN, Nurse Manager, 5 West and Wound Ostomy Care team, on a mission to improve safety practices at UVA Health.