Page 10 - 2017 Nursing Annual Report | Summa Health

Structural
Empowerment

Witnessing Outstanding
Work (WOW):
Hospital-wide all-inclusive
recognition program

In 2017, Renne O’Dell, BSN, RN-BC, and Nicole Hunt, BSN, RN, of Summa Health Barberton
Campus initiated efforts to revamp the campus’s employee recognition program. WOW, an
acronym for “Witnessing Outstanding Work,” honors day-to-day employee actions through a
simple yet effective nomination process: one that makes it easy for staff, physicians, patients
and family of patients to recognize any Summa employee – from nurses, nursing assistants
and physicians to pharmacists and housekeeping.

Prior to WOW, many Barberton Campus peer recognition Each unit’s winner of the month then completes a
programs were limited to recognizing only one employee biography card with information — such as credentials,
per month, often shared with the Wadsworth Campus. years worked, why he or she likes working for Summa and
Nomination processes were typically time and work interesting personal facts – which is posted on the WOW
intensive and, as a result, not well utilized by the staff. board to help the unit staff get to know the employee
better. The monthly unit winner also is placed in a second
The WOW program, in contrast, consists of a simple random drawing to win hospital-wide recognition. The
staff-driven process designed to be quick and easy, as monthly winner of the second WOW drawing is featured
well as allow for more than one hospital employee to be within the Barberton Campus first-floor display cabinet,
recognized each month. It features a standardized bulletin alongside the monthly DAISY Award® winner.
board centrally located on each participating nursing unit,
with easily accessible, preprinted WOW cards located O’Dell and Hunt initially proposed the WOW concept to
nearby. When someone recognizes a Summa employee hospital leadership in January 2017. After several meetings
going above and beyond his or her duties, that person can with the Summa Nursing Recruitment and Retention
fill out a WOW card on the spot and pin it to the bulletin Council, a WOW pilot program was initiated within the
board for all to view. 2 East unit of the Barberton Campus in May of 2017. As a
result of the pilot’s success, the program spread hospital-
Every month, one winner is randomly drawn from all wide in the fall, and eventually expanded to both the Akron
collected WOW cards per participating nursing unit. The and Wadsworth Campuses.
winner receives a Summa-branded prize, such as an
umbrella, drinking cup or fleece blanket. While there’s only In the first month of the pilot program, more than 75 cards
one designated unit winner per month, all unit nominees were collected from a single unit. From May to October
are rewarded with a fun-size candy bar and a copy of their 2017, more than 400 cards were pulled from eight units
heartfelt WOW card nomination. across the Barberton Campus. TJ De Angelis, MBA, BSN,
RN, NE-BC, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer, Summa
“Nursing is proud to be part of change at Summa Health System Barberton and Wadsworth Campuses, credits
Barberton. We’re helping to improve processes that provide the program for an increase in morale, teamwork and
a better experience for patients and staff.” says O’Dell. strength in collaboration between disciplines. Appreciation
also is apparent through the winner’s emotional verbal
10 Summa Health responses and on the WOW biography cards.