On behalf of the Patient Safety Awareness Week planning team, in partnership with Family Advisory Council, we would like to recognize the Emergency Department (ED) team with the 2022 Excellence in Patient Safety Award. This award recognizes team members who show an exceptional commitment to safety aligned with our Nicklaus Children's Health System strategic priorities.
The ED team identified a risk in the Code Blue response process. Due to the size and weight of the crash cart, maneuvering the equipment presented challenges. Staff reported: Difficulty making close corner turns; unsecured items falling during movement; safety hazards such as tripping over loose cables; finger injuries; foot injuries; wheels and handles becoming loose during movement of the cart over uneven terrain; and exhaustion after maneuvering the cart.
The team evaluated the equipment necessary, and utilized the “plan, do, study, act” (PDSA) structured problem-solving approach to test changes. They tested and ultimately implemented a new process using a resuscitation bag and a more agile transport stretcher. The results demonstrated a 50% decrease in response time in our Code Blue process, which allows the team to reach care for patients more efficiently while reducing the risk for employee injuries.
Congratulations to the ED team! Thank you for your efforts in promoting a culture of Patient Safety.
About Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Where Your Child Matters Most ™ (2025)
For 75 years, Nicklaus Children's has stood as a beacon of hope for children and families across the state of Florida and beyond. Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children serving close to 70 percent of children in the Miami metropolitan community. In addition, Nicklaus Children's offers care within NCH North Hospital in Naples, Jupiter Medical Center's De George Pediatric Unit and select Baptist Health Hospital pediatric emergency units. The hospital and its network of more of nearly 35 outpatient care locations offer lifesaving care in in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin, and Palm Beach counties. These outpatient locations include an array of urgent care, pediatric primary care, and subspecialty care centers and are either hospital-based or outpatient locations under Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS). Providing a pipeline of future physicians and groundbreaking research, Nicklaus Children's is an academic and clinical affiliate of Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Nicklaus Children's is home to centers of excellence including the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children's Orthopedics, Sports Health and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children's Neuroscience Institute and Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute. The 325-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation's best by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children's also includes a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary with over 40 specialties, and an ambulatory surgery center. For more information visit, https://www.nicklauschildrens.org.