Florida Hospital RN Job Fair September 16!

Florida Hospital is hosting an RN Job Fair Sept. 16 in Orlando, FL!

Join us on Thursday, September 16 from 9am - 2pm for our Experienced Registered Nurse Job Fair at the following hospital locations: Altamonte, Celebration, East, Orlando, and Winter Park.

• Nurse Managers will be on-site to conduct interviews and make job offers to selected candidates!
• Remember to bring copies of your resume.
• You can attend one or multiple events at our five facilities. Please register for each facility you would like to attend.

• All RN jobs require 1 + years of hospital RN experience.
• At this time, we do not have any New Graduate Nurse positions available.

To pre-register and find more information, including directions, visit: http://www.nursingcareerfair.net./

Florida Hospital Updates

Some great things have happened at Florida Hospital since my last blog post.

1. We kicked off our employee engagement survey and already have over 62% participation in a short week and a half. Campuses have kicked off employee events with the theme, “I Make a Difference”.

2. Florida Hospital was ranked number 12 in the Orlando Sentinel's Top 100 Companies for Working Families!

3. Florida Hospital employees donated over 2,500 backpacks for underprivileged children in the annual BackPacks for Kids campaign.

4. Kevin Metzing, RN, BS, CNOR was announced as a Nursing Excellence winner from Nurse.com in the category “Advancing and Leading the Profession”. Metzing is the OR Supervisor at the Orlando campus. His write-up from Nurse.com is below.

Metzing was working in the for-profit business world when he realized he wanted more out of his professional life. He chose to become a nurse, and, in the last 18 years, has been an award-winning nurse leader at Florida Hospital. He is committed to strengthening the perioperative nursing specialty. As a member of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, Metzing has held 21 national AORN volunteer positions. He has held many posts with the Florida Council of periOperative Registered Nurses, including vice chairman and his current position as treasurer. He has volunteered as a delegate to the Florida State Convention and was a three-year member of the Florida Nurses Association Bylaws Committee. A key issue he spearheaded was to convince legislators to pass a law ensuring that a one-to-one, nurse-to-surgical patient ratio was a state standard of care. Metzing also finds time to volunteer on medical mission trips to Mexico.

To sign-up for our quarterly nursing newsletter, The Pulse, which gives potential nursing candidates updates on Florida Hospital, please email FHRecruitment@flhosp.org or follow us on Facebook.

Florida Hospital Celebrates

The last few weeks have been very exciting at Florida Hospital! In addition to recently celebrating USA's birthday during the 4th of July weekend, Florida Hospital has celebrated on our own by winning awards and breaking new records.

Transplant Update
During the June 25th weekend, four surgeons from the Florida Hospital Transplant Center performed five kidney transplants, three liver transplants, and four organ recoveries! This marked a new local record for number of surgeons and surgeries performed in 37 hours. The transplant ‘marathon’ utilized two operating rooms to accommodate the influx of organs and recipients.

Since the program began 35 years ago, more than 2000 patients have received organ transplants at Florida Hospital. The surgeons cite the dedicated staff for being able to accomplish the life-saving surgeries. They also, of course, credit the organ donors who gave the gift of life.

Emergency Medicine Update
Florida Hospital’s Emergency Medicine recently ranked among the Top 5% in the nation! This is quite an accomplishment, especially considering Florida Hospital sees more than 380,000 emergency cases each year! This information was based upon a risk-adjustment methodology applied to patients admitted to the hospital through the emergency department for 11 diagnoses. Of the 4,907 short-term, acute-care hospitals Florida Hospital was ranked in the top 5% and awarded the HealthGrades Emergency Medicine Excellence Award.

Congratulations to the ED team and all departments that work with them.

Florida Hospital is an exciting place to work - if you are interested in learning about employment opportunities, please email FHRecruitment@flhosp.org.

Employees Have a Chance to win a Vacation!

Florida Hospital understands the importance of working with friends and family who share values and work ethic. That is why Florida Hospital has created an Employee Referral program designed to reward employees who refer friends and family to work for Florida Hospital! I was actually referred to work at Florida Hospital by my husband.

I wanted to give a quick overview of the program:

-A specific website was created to submit referrals for all departments/specialties.

-Points are awarded for each referral, and employees can earn even more points if the referral is hired!

-As the points accrue, employees can shop over 1,300 name brand items without having to worry about taxes or shipping fees.

-The shopping atmosphere is similar to Amazon.com.

“The reason we switched from a monetary to points-based rewards system was value. Cash has no lasting effects. If you were to receive a flat-screen TV for your referrals, every time you look at it, you will remember that Florida Hospital values your friends and family,” says Elizabeth Philcox, Referral Program representative.

This summer, Florida Hospital has a neat challenge for employees: The individual who refers the most RNs who are hired between now and September receive an all-expenses paid vacation of their choice!

Florida Hospital Nursing Award Finalists

I would like to personally congratulate six extraordinary Florida Hospital employees who recently received nominations for Nursing Spectrum’s 2010 Nursing Excellence Awards. These nursing heroes were nominated by their peers for the contributions they make to their patients, each other and the profession. Below are the Florida Hospital finalists and the areas they were recommended:

• ADVANCING AND LEADING THE PROFESSION:

RNs who have made contributions that advanced and strengthened the nursing profession or the delivery of patient care. These nurses have made broad-reaching contributions that affect the entire profession rather than a single organization.

Kevin Metzing, RN, BS, CNOR
OR Supervisor
Florida Hospital, Orlando
Nominated by: Patricia Lewis

Janet Celli, RN, BSN, PCCN
Assistant Nurse Manager
Florida Hospital/CPR Associates of America, Orlando
Nominated by: Susan Jane Whitney

• CLINICAL CARE:

RNs who demonstrate excellence in direct-care delivery in any clinical setting. This category celebrates nurses who work directly with patients and their families.

Lori Hadas, RN, MSN, CCRN-CSC, CCNS
Cardiovascular Clinical Nurse Specialist
Florida Hospital, Orlando
Nominated by: Monica Niece-Dechau

Katie Franklin, RN
Staff Nurse
Florida Hospital Orlando, Orlando
Nominated by: Cathy Downs-Phoenix

• MANAGEMENT:

RNs who have demonstrated exceptional management of nursing or patient care services in any setting. This category honors managers who have a talent for developing successful employees and systems.

Debbie Pusateri, RN, MSN
Vice President, Critical Care Services & Emergency Services
Florida Hospital, Orlando
Nominated by: Monica Niece-Dechau

Jean Turcotte, RN, MA, CCRN, CSC
Administrative Nurse Manager, CVICU
Florida Hospital, Orlando
Nominated by: Monica Niece-Dechau

The winners in each category will be in the running for the 2010 National Nurse of the Year Awards!

To view the finalists’ profiles, visit:
http://news.nurse.com/article/20100614/FL01/106140070
http://news.nurse.com/article/20100614/FL02/100611005

Tips for Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection

This weekend the Ultraviolet (UV) Index in Orlando is 11+ which, according to the CDC is extreme exposure!

If you are planning to be outside during midday hours, be sure to take steps to reduce sun exposure. A shirt, hat and sunscreen are a must, and be sure to seek shade. Also, beachgoers should know that white sand and other bright surfaces reflect UV and can double UV exposure!

The lifetime risk for Americans to develop melanoma is 1 in 74! Dr. Dennis Rousseau, Director of Surgical Oncology at the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute, shared some insight to Florida Hospital employees that are valuable tips for all individuals this summer:

#1 Reduce sunlight exposure – The more sun exposure and the more times you get sunburned, the more likely you will develop skin cancer or melanoma.

#2 Consider your complexion – The fairer your complexion, the higher risk you have for developing skin cancer or melanoma.

#3 Know your family history – A family history of melanoma increases your risk by three to eight times.

#4 Protect yourself from the sun- Normal clothes like T-shirts provide minimal protection. Always use a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.

#5 Beware of tanning beds - Younger people (who start using tanning beds younger than 30) who use them more than 10 times a year are seven times more likely to develop melanoma.

ABCDEs of melanoma and moles – Look out for these signs and consult a healthcare professional if you observe any:

Asymmetry: Any mole that is not perfectly round

Border irregularities: If the edge of the mole isn’t smooth

Color variation: If the mole is more than one color

Diameter: Mole is greater than 6 mm

Enlarging Lesion: Any mole that’s getting larger

And, don't forget, Wear Your Sunscreen!!!

2010 Nursing Excellence Awards

Every year, Florida Hospital hosts the Nursing Excellence Awards for nurses who have gone above and beyond who care for their patients, families, and co-workers. Please enjoy some images from the day.