Care team gets in tune at huddle
Nurse lead “orchestrates” patient support
Fast-paced doesn’t even begin to describe some days on the floor of a hospital.
It’s why "huddle times" are so critical. Huddles are a set time for the care team to get together and compare notes—check in and see what needs to be done, who’s doing it and what’s next.
Andrea Zikakis, a chaplain at PeaceHealth, noticed a particularly inspiring huddle one day on the third floor surgical unit in PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center.
The nurse team lead that day—Jessie Griffin, RN—looked “more like a symphony conductor,” Zikakis said. “I watched as she orchestrated the meeting with confidence,
Prior to the huddle, Griffin knew some areas had special needs and arranged for additional staff. This was her first announcement to the group.
She went on to let the team know a number of patients would need beds ASAP, which meant: safe discharges, clear communication as the discharges happened and a plan to arrange prompt housekeeping services.
Griffin knew which nurse on her team would be the first to receive a post-operative patient. She also made sure that nurse would have time for a lunch break beforehand.
Near the end of the huddle, Griffin checked in with every nurse and certified nurse assistant as to how they were doing, personally, and what they needed.
Zikakis said “I could see the team settle into a place of their own safety and care. Jessie clearly heard what her team needed” to successfully play their parts.
