Nurses can’t do it alone, so we provide teams of experts, ongoing education and wellness support to help Bridgeport Hospital nurses care for their patients and themselves.
Nursing Education Department
This department supports new hires, existing nursing staff and assistive personnel. Onboarding starts the first day of employment and includes a comprehensive nursing orientation, year-long residency program for new graduate nurses, and additional education tailored for specialty areas. Patient care technicians may partake in a residency program to bolster professional development. The department also provides continuous education and mentorship through skills days, patient scenario simulations, journal clubs and professional development support. Educators assist with clinical skills, SPIRE and patient care technician clinical ladder applications and evidence-based practice projects.
Clinical outcomes coordinators
Coordinators provide project management, clinical coaching, patient safety advocacy and prompt resolution of safety concerns. They collaborate with various stakeholders to create the support network necessary for implementing safety initiatives. Coordinators bridge the gap between policy and practice to ensure patient safety is not just a conceptual framework but a lived reality within the hospital.
Caritas Cart
The cart serves as a tribute to Dr. Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and the 10 Caritas Processes. It visits different units, offering opportunities for meditation, calming music, herbal teas, nutritious snacks and essential oils. The cart also has affirmation and gratitude cards and information on Bridgeport Hospital’s self-care resources available through Employee and Family Resources and the BH Peer Support Group.
Magnet ambassadors
Magnet ambassadors participate in national conferences and other activities to share insights, challenges and innovative solutions to elevate nursing standards and enhance care quality. By engaging with like-minded professionals, the ambassadors gain valuable perspectives on improving nursing and shaping the future of healthcare delivery.
Behavioral Health Response Team
This team of staff from Psychiatry and Security is trained in the assessment of potential violence, de-escalation techniques, limit-setting and safe physical holds. The team supports a zero tolerance for workplace violence in the hospital environment by giving staff the tools to safely and effectively manage challenging behaviors and reduce the risk of harm to patients, visitors and employees.
Rapid Response Team (RRT)
This highly specialized medical team is available to work with nurses and physicians to provide additional care and treatment. The RRT comes to a patient’s bedside at the request of the nurse or patient to help improve the timeliness of assessments and interventions, stabilize a patient’s condition or escalate to an appropriate care venue when necessary.
IV Team
This team helps primary nurses with difficult IV access and phlebotomy, easing primary nurses’ workloads and preventing or reducing care delays. The team is responsible for daily central line maintenance and auditing, which have helped significantly reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections. The team’s expertise in drawing blood cultures has reduced blood culture contamination rates.
