Each month we highlight the incredible work that our partners’ frontline healthcare professionals are doing to strengthen patient connections, engage in team collaboration, and develop skills to make a meaningful impact.
We’re delighted to share the experiences of two exceptional nurses from our partner organization, El Camino Health, a healthcare system serving residents in the Bay Area with two not-for-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View, Calif. Jeremy and Mason have participated in the Nursing Experience Project, a skill-building solution within the Practicing Excellence platform created specifically by and for nurses.
Jeremy Sarmiento, RN
Clinical Nurse II, MSO + Tele Los Gatos
How long have you been in nursing, and what are your favorite parts of the role?
I have been a nurse for almost three years and my favorite parts include compassionate communication and being part of a team to provide the best patient-centered care.
Can you share one of your favorite patient stories from your work?
One of my favorite patient stories is how our unit functions like a family and treat patients the same way.
How has the Nursing Experience Project (NEP) helped you as a nurse?
The NEP has helped me find a framework to use and navigate in multiple situations that are inclusive to nurses, staff, and patients.
Can you describe a time when a tip you learned came in handy?
First impressions had an excellent video example that I thoroughly use during bedside handoff; leaving a strong positive first impression on your patient as the assigned staff member.
What new skills are you looking forward to developing?
I’m looking forward to developing more skills to consistently be able to apply to both inside and outside the work environment.
What do you look forward to most after each week’s new tip?
I look forward to applying what I’ve learned and hearing how other people’s experiences have been.
Mason McNulty, RN, BSN, PCCN
How long have you been in nursing, and what are your favorite parts of the role?
I have been a nurse for a total of five years now and have worked my whole career at ECH. My favorite part of work is talking with my patients and connecting with them. Everyone always has such interesting lives and stories to tell.
Can you share one of your favorite patient stories from your work?
One of my most recent stories was about one of my patients telling me about his childhood summers. Him and his friends would go camping in the foothills and fish for their meals and would climb the fruit trees so the farmers wouldn’t catch them stealing cherries. His mother would be worried after about two weeks and would have someone bring him home but after three days home she would be fed up with him moping around the house and would send him back out into the wilderness.
How has the Nursing Experience Project (NEP) helped you as a nurse?
I feel that NEP works most as a reminder to always try to connect with patients even when days are hectic and busy.
Can you describe a time when a tip you learned came in handy?
Tips about body language are always helpful to me because I am always moving and fidgeting.
What new skills are you looking forward to developing?
I’m not looking forward to anything specific, but know that the skills we are learning are helpful to our patients’ experience being optimized.
What do you look forward to most after each week’s new tip?
I look forward to challenging myself each week to rise to the challenge that each video puts forward.
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Now, more than ever, skill-building in healthcare is crucial. If you’re seeking support to kickstart your organization’s continuous improvement journey, get in touch with us now.
Practicing Excellence builds skills to drive outcomes in well-being, patient experience, and leadership effectiveness. Built for busy clinicians, our micro-learning solution delivers short, evidence-derived, video-based coaching to clinicians, leaders, and teams through our mobile app. We partner with some of the nations’ most prominent health systems and medical groups to deliver coordinated skill-building programs that provide measurable results. Learn more at practicingexcellence.com.
