Charting the course: BWH and MVH ED nursing collaboration strengthens trauma education
With few virtual options to take the “gold standard” course in trauma nursing certification, the Emergency Department (ED) nursing team at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital only had to look within Mass General Brigham (MGB) to find a group of expert nurses who were certified to teach the course — and more than willing to make a weekend trip to the island.
“We invited four ED nurses from Brigham and Women’s Hospital to hold a class on the Vineyard for nurses and paramedics,” said Ryn Gluckman, BSN, RN, ED nursing director at MVH. “The course is two full days, followed by a test that covers initial trauma assessment and stabilization within nursing scope of practice. An in-person class is preferable, since the certification requires familiarity with equipment and hands-on skills.”
BWH Emergency Department Professional Development Manager Andrew Dundin, MSN, RN, CEN, said the BWH team was “thrilled” to help bring the Trauma Nursing Core Curriculum (TNCC) course to the island. “This four-year certification provided by the Emergency Nurses Association demonstrates that a nursing team has the knowledge and skills to provide safe, effective care to trauma patients,” he said.
Dundin was joined by his colleagues and fellow TNCC course instructors Gary Bednarz, MSN, RN, CEN, clinical educator, Lia Carroll, MSN, RN, CEN, clinical educator, and Mike Spiro, MSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, CFRN, TCRN, an ED staff nurse.
At the end of the weekend, which involved didactic and hands-on skills development, eight MVH nurses and two island paramedics were certified or recertified.
In addition, both the BWH and MVH teams gained a deeper understanding of how collaboration across the system can strengthen trauma care.
“Because there are limited resources on the island to support nursing, collaborations with our sister hospitals in Boston are integral to our practice and ability to provide the highest level of care to our community,” Gluckman said. “When nurses visit MVH from larger medical centers, they are often impressed with the high acuity we see at MVH and the clinical acumen we have.”
That was one of the takeaways for the BWH team.
“Not only was this a weekend team-building exercise for the BWH ED education team in a beautiful destination, but it was also an opportunity for our team to better understand how we leverage our enterprise to facilitate care from remote parts of Massachusetts into Boston,” said Dundin. “By sharing experiences, both teams were able to appreciate the importance of the relationship between our community hospitals and trauma centers. The weekend was informative and collaborative, and we hope to have the opportunity to partner together again in the future.”