The pediatric hematology/oncology and critical care units at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children have each been honored by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) with a Gold-Level Beacon Award for Excellence. This award, which is 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 standards.
With three levels of designation (gold, silver and bronze), Orlando Health Arnold Palmer is the only children’s hospital in Central Florida, and one of only two in the state, to carry the highest honor of gold. The gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence signifies an effective and systematic approach to policies, procedures and processes that include engagement of staff and key stakeholders; fact-based evaluation strategies for continuous process improvement; and performance measures that meet or exceed relevant benchmarks.
The teams at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer earned their gold awards by meeting the following evidence-based criteria:
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Leadership Structures and Systems
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Appropriate Staffing and Staff Engagement
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Effective Communication, Knowledge Management and Learning and Development
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Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
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Outcome Measurement
“We are so thrilled to receive these two awards from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Our nurses are worthy of recognition for the hard work they do every day, but it’s especially warranted after the last two years,” said Mary Rogers, chief nursing officer at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer. “The dedicated teams in pediatric hematology/oncology and PICU provide care for extremely complex and severely ill patients. Their teamwork, expertise and compassion highly deserve this prestigious recognition.”
The Beacon Award for Excellence has been around since 2003 and is a three-year honor. Orlando Health Arnold Palmer’s units will be recognized with this designation until April 2025.
ORLANDO HEALTH ARNOLD PALMER HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN
Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is a 156-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children. Orlando Health Arnold Palmer provides expertise in pediatric specialties such as cardiac care, craniomaxillofacial surgery, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, pulmonology and sports medicine. The Bert Martin’s Champions for Children Emergency Department & Trauma Center at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer is part of the only Level One Trauma Center in the area, and is the first facility in Central Florida to provide emergency care exclusively for pediatric patients. Visit www.arnoldpalmerhospital.com to learn more about all of our specialties.
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CRITICAL-CARE NURSES
Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of more than half a million acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 200 chapters in the United States. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. To learn more about AACN, visit www.aacn.org, connect with the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aacnface or follow AACN on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aacnme.
