The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently presented the Palliative Medicine Unit at Covenant Medical Center(CMC) a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence.
The Beacon Award for Excellence — a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and healthy work environments — recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that achieve this three-year, three-level award with a gold, silver or bronze designation meet national criteria consistent with the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the National Quality Healthcare Award.
The Palliative Medicine Unit at CMC earned its silver award by meeting the following evidence-based Beacon Award for Excellence criteria:
- Leadership Structures and Systems
- Appropriate Staffing and Staff Engagement
- Effective Communication, Knowledge Management and Learning and Development
- Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
- Outcome Measurement
