Newswise — DALLAS – Nov. 1, 2017 – UT Southwestern Medical Center Surgical Specialty Nurse Dawn Brown has been named Nurse of the Year for her innovative solutions and effective management of patients.
The national award by Press Ganey recognizes one outstanding direct care nurse who has gone above and beyond in their role and demonstrated innovation, transformation, and collaboration that supports an exceptional patient experience.
“I honestly have no idea how you give daily to each patient without anything in return. I have never been treated more kindly by such an incredibly diverse group of people in my life. You have changed me, you have inspired me, and more important, you have made a difference,” wrote one of her patients.
Ms. Brown, Clinical Manager of the Surgical Specialty Unit at UT Southwestern’s flagship William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, received the award Nov. 1 at Press Ganey’s National Client Conference in Orlando, Florida. Press Ganey is a national consulting firm specializing in health care performance.
“It absolutely couldn’t have been done without the team I’m with,” said Ms. Brown, M.S.-M.A.S., B.S.N., RN, NE-BC. “That’s the truth. What won the award is the sustained patient satisfaction results in the area of pain management. We’ve had really good pain management results for eight quarters now. That’s very hard to sustain without teamwork – from nurses, PCTs, our secretaries – everyone.”
The recognition involved crafting successful pain management strategies for patients, said Service Coordination Director Renee Bailey, MS-MAS, MS, B.S.N., RN, CNOR, who nominated her. “She took the crucial first step of listening to feedback from patients.”
UT Southwestern Chief Nursing Executive Susan Hernandez, M.B.A., B.S.N., RN, said the improvements were important contributors to delivering patient-centric care at the hospital, which is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth, second in Texas, and included among the top 50 programs nationally in six clinical specialty areas, according to U.S. News & World Report. UT Southwestern University Hospitals also recently ranked among the nation’s safest hospitals based on composite safety scores including risk of infection, risk of falls, and patient satisfaction with hospital staff with an A grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national hospital safety consulting firm.
“Dawn is a voice for the patients and fiercely advocates for their needs. She has a proven record of inspiring staff and driving culture to improve the experience of our patients,” said Ms. Hernandez. “As a Magnet organization, it is our commitment to improve lives through excellent patient care, and Dawn Brown exemplifies this commitment.”
UT Southwestern nursing holds the Magnet designation, the highest honor awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The designation means nurses are nationally recognized for providing excellent, evidence-based patient care, are advancing their practice through research and professional development, and are respected by their colleagues for the important role they play on the patient care team.
“Dawn’s thoughtful attention to her patients, her proven leadership skills, and her ability to successfully collaborate with other care team members resulted in this success. We are very proud of Dawn, and her commitment to the consistent delivery of exceptional, patient-focused care sets a great example for us all,” said Dr. John Warner, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer for University Hospitals.
About UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 22 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, 600,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year.
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