Melissa Fitzpatrick - Blessed by Incredible Role Models

Melissa Fitzpatrick has been a registered nurse since 1977, after she received an Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Gwynedd-Mercy College. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1979, also from Gwynedd-Mercy and then her Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

The top priority of any nurse, she says, is to meet the needs of patients, families, and communities. She decided on a career in nursing after discussing her options with her parents, and initially decided to become a pediatric nurse. “I did not last long in pediatrics,” she recalls, because we lost several children to leukemia in my first clinical rotation.  I did however, fall in love with the adult critical care environment.” By the age of nineteen she was a staff nurse in an Intensive Care unit in Philadelphia, where she was taught by those who became her professional mentors and role models.

One such mentor, Melissa Fitzpatrick says, was her Chief Nurse Executive, Carol Hutelmyer, who took a chance on her and let her establish a critical care course. Fitzpatrick loved the teaching experience, and her ability caught the attention of a University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing faculty member who heard her present on sudden cardiac death. Melissa took her suggestion that she submit her presentation to a national critical care conference. It was accepted, and “launched my speaking career and gained my access to an incredible network of colleagues and role models.”

Today, Melissa Fitzpatrick is a nationally recognized consultant, speaker and author of dozens of publications and several book chapters. She is the President and CEO of Fitzpatrick & Associates in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she also makes her home.

Can Technology Assist You in Meeting Your Patient Safety Goals?

Today’s healthcare delivery system is complex and multi-dimensional with many competing demands, regulatory requirements and caregiver challenges. Every day, healthcare leaders strive to achieve positive patient outcomes, to enhance the patient and family experience and to do so while controlling costs and optimizing caregiver efficiency and satisfaction. In doing so, healthcare leaders and their teams are held to clinical and financial standards of practice and must publicly report their performance against those standards. All efforts are to assure that care is safe and effective and that true value is derived from the services delivered.

Value Based Healthcare

The demand for value based healthcare has never been greater. Delivering evidence based care that is based on quality and not quantity and on value not volume is a necessity in order to meet the escalating needs of patients and populations as well as to avoid the financial penalties incurred when value is not achieved. In order to demonstrate and document value, healthcare teams must measure what matters and share their results with transparency.

Measure, Measure, Measure

It is not enough for healthcare teams to measure results. More than that, the measures must be meaningful and tracked over time. Continuous quality improvement can only be achieved when benchmarks are defined and when performance is monitored and managed in a sustainable way. Many of the measures that matter are defined by leading national organizations and accrediting bodies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and The Joint Commission. Healthcare teams are monitoring performance around specific far-reaching diseases such as

● Diabetes Mellitus
● Hypertension
● Heart Failure
● Coronary Artery Disease

as well as around prevention and screening goals such as influenza and pneumonia vaccination and breast and colorectal screening. Measuring performance using these and other measures informs most population health efforts underway across the country in efforts to implement the Affordable Care Act and to realize the financial incentives achieved when the focus is on health and value and not on illness and volume.

The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals

To assist in all of the efforts mentioned above and to provide guidance to healthcare teams as they strive to deliver evidence based and cost effective care, The Joint Commission has set forth national patient safety goals to address high risk, high volume and preventable adverse events. The 2016 National Patient Safety Goals are to

• Identify patients correctly
• Improve staff communication
• Use medicines safely
• Use alarms safely
• Prevent infection
• Identify patient safety risks
• Prevent mistakes in surgery

Using Technology to Achieve the National Patient Safety Goals

Despite individual providers’ and teams’ best and most sincere efforts to do no harm, unfortunately, errors and mistakes in healthcare delivery still occur at alarming rates. This is not a new revelation to those at the frontlines of patient care. New measures, new monitoring techniques, new quality improvement frameworks, new team accountabilities and new technologies have all been brought forward to address the patient safety needs of those that we serve. In particular, new technology is introduced every day in order to enable best practices around each of the national patient safety goals mentioned above. Hand hygiene solutions help to prevent infection. Phone and texting technology help to improve communication among team members. Medication dispensing technology and medication reconciliation tools help to assure that medicines are used safely.

In the operating room, efforts focus on team communication and pausing before beginning, assuring and marking the correct site of surgery and adherence to surgical checklists and defined evidence based pathways for all surgical patients. 3si is a technology that facilitates safe care in the OR and that addresses these surgical safety mandates in an easy to use and intuitive manner. Adoption of the 3si Hub system’s multi-user voice command technology has yielded standardized workflow, enhanced teamwork and communication and improved documentation in the OR. Surgical teams and patients benefit from the results.

For more information about the 3si Hub to assist you in improving surgical safety,

please contact Tim.caver@cliniflowtech.com

Melissa Fitzpatrick - Qualities of a Great Nurse, Part Two

If you read “Melissa Fitzpatrick: Qualities of a Great Nurse, Part One,” you know that succeeding as a nurse isn’t easy. You need strong communication skills, emotional strength and empathy, as well as a passion to make a difference. There’s more to it, though.
Respected nursing professionals and industry leaders like Melissa Fitzpatrick possess traits such as those outlined below in addition to the aforementioned qualities:

• A Commitment to Lifelong Learning: Nursing and healthcare delivery are in a constant state of flux with new medications, therapies and technologies coming in to play every day. Nurses are dedicated to staying on top of these changes, reading professional journals, attending conferences and Webinars and assuring their ongoing competence to deliver high quality, evidence-based care. Nurses are research based and committed to continuous improvement. They are always seeking better ways to care for others and to improve healthcare delivery.

• Advocacy: Effective nurses and healthcare leaders fulfill the role of advocate with pride and vigor. They are the voice of those they serve, who in many cases, cannot speak for themselves. Nurses are the first line of defense for patients and their safety and are often the only ones who know what the patient truly wants or needs. Advocating for patients and families is the hallmark of nursing and an essential role for nurses in all roles….at the bedside, in the Boardroom or in Congress. Nursing advocacy is at the heart of the best future for patient care delivery.
• Resilience – Nursing is a demanding profession…physically, emotionally and spiritually. It requires a high level of endurance and resilience to keep coming back to do this work day after day, year after year. The ability to bounce back from loss, to support others through tragedy and to recover from the heavy lifting of the work are essential to provide nursing care for the long haul. Long shifts, miles per shift on our aging legs and having to juggle multiple demands moment to moment require resilience of the highest order.

Aspiring to succeed in nursing and in the healthcare industry, as Melissa Fitzpatrick has, is a lofty goal. Melissa Fitzpatrick has served in the healthcare industry for nearly four decades and is an exemplar of each of these qualities and many more.
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Melissa Fitzpatrick - Rewards of a Nursing Career

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Melissa Fitzpatrick is a seasoned healthcare and nursing professional with decades of experience. She became an RN (Registered Nurse) in 1977 and, since then, she has built a strong reputation as a leader. Her roles have included Senior Associate Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse Executive at Duke University Medical Center, Vice President of Critical Care and Cardiac Services for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Editor-in-Chief for the Nursing Management Journal in addition to key leadership roles in national nursing associations and industry.

Those who follow in the footsteps of nursing leaders such as Melissa Fitzpatrick will be rewarded for their dedication to their career with many intangible but meaningful elements such as:

• Flexibility – Nursing offers myriad scheduling options, workplace environments and teams to join. Nursing allows one to work in a way that balances work and life demands and that at the same time provides unending opportunities to make a difference. The flexibility of nursing spans the entire continuum of care and enables nurses to serve at all levels of the profession.
• Meaningful Work – Nursing benefits extend beyond personal schedule and preferences into the opportunity to make a difference for patients and families at all points in their lives. Nurses are privileged to help people in times of emotional, physical and spiritual distress. These moments can be among the most intimate and vulnerable in life and nurses are there every step of the way.
• Compassionate Competence – Nurses remain the only members of the healthcare team who are with patients and families 24/7/365. Nurses provide competent compassion and care in the middle of the night, on weekends and holidays and at great personal sacrifice to those that they serve. Nursing is a calling and a privilege and we’ve never needed nurses more than we do today. Nurses understand how precious life is, and how much each moment of it should be valued. Nursing creates grateful people that learn love, peace and compassion through their daily duties.

Nursing has many intangible rewards, with none being greater than knowing that you made a difference in the life of someone else. If you are considering nursing as a profession, speak with a professional such as Melissa Fitzpatrick for a real-life look at what the profession offers. This will help you judge whether or not nursing is right for you.

Melissa Fitzpatrick - Motivational Speaking Blunders to Avoid

Melissa Fitzpatrick is a respected healthcare and nursing professional who has earned worldwide recognition for her work as an author and motivational speaker. Though delivering a speech might sound easy, arousing your audience through words and presentation is anything but. 

                                            

When you listen to an effective speech delivered by someone like Melissa Fitzpatrick, it’s easy to forget how many blunders they are actively avoiding. For example, mistakes like those below are easy to commit, but essential to eliminate:

• Complicated Points – New motivational speakers often assemble a variety of points and too much information and data in an attempt to make a lasting impression and to appear ‘expert.’ This can make a speech convoluted and obscure the primary focus. Find a balance between offering valuable insights and staying focused to prevent a ‘data dump’ that loses your audience.  

• Irrelevant Stories -- Relating to your audience through personal experiences can engage them, but it can also bore them. Ask yourself why you are telling a story and what you want people to think as a result before cementing it into your speech. If it is irrelevant or too obscure, eliminate it. 

• Bragging – If you’re a successful name in your industry, be proud, but avoid bragging. You are delivering your speech to motivate people, not to make them disinterested or demotivated. 

• Unclear Endings – Once you have delivered your message, close it. Leaving your audience wondering if the speech is over can leave a negative impression on an otherwise positive experience. Having a clear beginning, middle and end provides a coherent and concise address to your audience.

If you find your speeches rife with blunders like those above, consider how a pro like Melissa Fitzpatrick might compose a presentation. If possible, seek a mentorship discussion with such a speaker for further advice and a review of your assessment on their process.

Melissa Fitzpatrick - Delivering a Strong Motivational Speech

Melissa Fitzpatrick is respected as a nursing professional, an author and a motivational speaker in the healthcare industry. When she delivers a speech, she engages her audience and makes them feel inspired by what she has to say. 

                                        
Inspiring an audience as Melissa Fitzpatrick does isn’t easy, and it isn’t by chance.  It is a skill that she has honed over many decades and many addresses to a variety of audiences. Qualities such as those below will help you deliver passionate motivational speeches that can move your audience and make them remember you and your message:

• Specialization – To deliver an effective motivational speech, you must know your subject. Speaking on topics that you specialize in allows you to offer fresh perspectives and to engage your target audience. Do your homework and know the facts of your topic.  Use real-life examples to bring home your message. 

• Honesty – If your speech lacks personal honesty about your abilities and experience, the audience will notice. Saturate your writing with honesty and then dress it up with style and delivery. 

• Flexibility – Respected motivational speakers are able to adjust to last minute changes or the needs of a particular audience. Make every plan for your speeches comprehensive enough that you can switch approaches if needed at the last minute.  Be an expert on your topic so that you will have confidence even in the face of change. 

• Preparation – At least fifty percent of every great motivational speech is preparation. Know your equipment, your routines and, most importantly, your speech. Be prepared for equipment failures, dead batteries or other unforeseen circumstances.  

• Skill Development – Refining general public speaking skills will develop your motivational speaking by building confidence and diversity in your repertoire. Take time to read books, study your own speeches and learn from others whenever possible.  Be sure that your delivery is authentic to your style and comfort zone or else it will not resonate with your audience.

Speeches by professionals like Melissa Fitzpatrick are often available online. If you’re preparing to deliver a motivational speech of your own, watch a few from respected speakers to learn what they do and don’t do and then make those lessons your own.

Melissa Fitzpatrick - Tips for Staying Healthy and Out of the Hospital

Melissa Fitzpatrick is a dedicated nurse leader who has always tried to enhance patient care delivery and nursing satisfaction and excellence in all of her roles. She received her Associate’s degree in Nursing from Gwynedd Mercy College in 1977 and her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the same institution two years later. Melissa graduated Cum Laude with her Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984 and immediately assumed roles of increasing complexity and responsibility from Nurse Manager to Clinical Nurse Specialist in Philadelphia. Her career took her to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and then to Duke University Medical Center before leading industry initiatives at SAS Institute and at Hill-Rom. She is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Fitzpatrick and Associates, a healthcare consulting firm based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

In all of her roles, Melissa has used her knowledge and resources to educate patients, families and communities so that they can enhance their health and prevent illness and injury.  Keeping patients out of the hospital has become an important goal for our healthcare delivery systems and is essential to managing chronicity and decreasing the cost of healthcare delivery which has skyrocketed over the years.

Here are some tips that will keep you healthy.

Preventive health care and wellness are becoming more of a focus as we try to avert illness and injury. Assuring that our neighbors have vaccinations, screening mammography and colonoscopy and regular dental and physical check-ups is essential to elevating the health of our nation.   Managing chronic illness, medications, nutrition and exercise are not new thoughts but certainly more important than ever.  The epidemic of morbid obesity in the US is having an alarming negative impact across all age groups and increasing the risk of such diseases as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.  It is essential that we start education at the earliest moment…prenatally….so that we give everyone the chance at the healthiest start to life.  Then, our schools and communities need to do their part to assure adequate and healthy nutrition throughout the school day with exercise and physical activity to go with it.

Helping families to make the time for activity together is fun and effective!  Getting everyone involved in walking, biking, swimming and managing food portions is a key to healthful living.  Nurses are at the center of this essential community education and are the key to role modeling healthful living.