Observance helps spread word on education projects
Observance helps spread word on education projects
Staff members learn more about educational services
Each year, the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle launches a patient education awareness campaign the third week in October to coincide with National Health Education Week, sponsored by the Washington, DC-based Society for Public Health Education.
The weeklong celebration highlights an important systemwide initiative as well as educational services.
"Our weeklong celebration includes an outstanding patient educator award program. Based on the theme, we develop an application for people to bring forward projects, initiatives, and materials they have developed that match up with the core concepts of that theme," says Cezanne Garcia, MPH, CHES, associate director of patient & family-centered care and education services at the University of Washington Medical Center.
This year, the theme focuses on health literacy. In 2004, it focused on patient safety; and in 2003, cultural competency.
In addition to medical center staff, patient and family members who act as advisors and help develop peer-to-peer type programs or sit on the advisory council also are eligible for the awards.
The staff development committee, which is a subcommittee of the interdisciplinary patient and family education committee, oversees the celebration and chooses the theme. Garcia says health literacy is a core piece of patient- and family-centered care and achieving successful outcomes. The theme is timely as well for it coincides with a housewide continuing education initiative on health literacy that is being launched at the medical center.
The process for nominations begins eight weeks before the national observance with a call for nominees as outstanding educators. The work of those who are nominated must clearly match the theme and reflect excellence in patient education. If the nominee fits the criteria, he or she receives an award, which consists of a certificate and small gift handed out at the awards ceremony that is attended by the medical director and nurse executive. Also, a letter is sent to the recipient’s manager about the award that staff member is receiving. Teams as well as individuals can be recognized.
The awards ceremony has become an important event with the medical director and nurse executive providing the opening and closing comments and input on the importance of the current theme to the work at the medical center.
"The first year, we gave the awards out in the hallways and now we reserve all the conference rooms in our cafeteria and have flowers and balloons. It is a much more festive event," says Garcia.
Celebrate at unit level
Other elements of the weeklong celebration have been changed as well. For example, exhibits pertaining to the theme and patient education services within the medical center once were placed in conference rooms. However, it was an inconvenient location, and many staff members never had the opportunity to see them because their shifts did not coincide with the hours the exhibits were open for view. So three years ago, the members of the patient and family education committee began to take bags to each unit filled with information on key tools available at the medical center related to the theme and other educational services.
The bags have helium balloons attached to draw attention; and if there is an outstanding educator on the unit, a balloon in the shape of a star is attached with the person’s name on it.
A popular item in the bag is a calendar sticker that can be affixed to a computer screen. The conference promotes the medical center’s web site for patient education materials, called "Health Online."
A booklet profiling the projects that received awards also is printed, and several are placed in each bag. The booklet is designed so that the project profile is on one page, while the opposite page features patient education tips pertaining to the theme or services available. For example, staff might be informed that they can access translated materials for their foreign-language patients on-line.
"It is a little bit of a marketing piece for some of our core and newer services, but it also gives us a way to really recognize and give visibility to the various projects," says Garcia.
The booklets also are given to each recipient of the award and all administrators.
In addition to the booklet that introduces the winning projects, the education department prints six to eight 22x30-inch self-standing posters listing the outstanding patient educators. An 11x17-inch version of the poster is included in all the bags. Managers usually put the poster up on the floor, especially if someone from the unit is a recipient.
Another way information on the winning projects is distributed is via a bulletin board display. Each year, educational services reserves a key bulletin board in the area on which to profile the projects.
The weeklong celebration for National Health Education Week not only helps get the word out on key educational issues at the medical center and spread the word on innovative education projects, it provides the patient education committee with the names of staff members who might serve on committees and workgroups.
The award recipients are people who have demonstrated an interest in patient education by the projects they have completed and, having done so, gained experience and even expertise, explains Garcia.
Honoring people who have contributed to patient education also helps to introduce innovative educational ideas. One year, an award was given to a physical therapist who used a digital camera to capture exercise regimens tailored to patient’s specific needs to provide him or her with detailed examples to follow.
Sometimes, awards are given out to reinforce the importance of providing essential core services, says Garcia. For example, one year the radiology department produced 80 patient education pieces and began handing out information on their procedures for the first time. However, the awards mostly go to those who have gone above and beyond regular patient education expectations.
| Sources For more information about creating a systemwide observance celebrating patient education efforts, contact:
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The cost of the weeklong patient education celebration is covered by what Garcia calls a "the crazy quilt patchwork of resources." Money for such items as gifts and bags is covered by the medical center’s recognition funds, and the departments absorb hours for staff members. Staff within educational services spend from 80-120 hours on the preparations.
Overall, observing National Health Education Week has been a good way for a big institution to exchange information about innovative patient education projects and learn more about the educational services available.
Staff members learn more about educational services Each year, the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle launches a patient education awareness campaign the third week in October to coincide with National Health Education Week, sponsored by the Washington, DC-based Society for Public Health Education.Subscribe Now for Access
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