The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently honored the Pediatric Critical Care Unit at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) with its “2009-2010 Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.” The award recognizes the nation’s top pediatric, progressive and adult critical-care units across a multitude of hospitals.

“As a nursing department dedicated to research, education, leadership and clinical care, the Beacon Award validates our intense commitment in the PICU to provide the best care possible to our most fragile young patients and their families,” said Mary Dee Hacker, R.N., MBA, CHLA vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer.

Beacon Awards recognize critical care units that meet evidence-based standards of excellence and patient safety. Beacon Award units realize many benefits of having met rigid criteria for excellence, high-quality standards and exceptional care of patients and their families:

•  Influence and Recognition —Units that participate in the Beacon Award process help set the standards for what constitutes an excellent acute or critical care environment through the collection of evidence-based information. Patient safety and quality programs such as The Leapfrog Group Hospital Quality and Safety Survey, consider Beacon achievement in their evaluation process.

• Credibility—Consumers who are paying closer attention today to quality-of-care factors with respect to their own health care will take this level of recognition into consideration when choosing a hospital for care or treatment.

• Recruitment and Retention —Prospective employees will recognize a Beacon Award unit as a healthy work environment, a place where quality of care is tied directly to quality of staff.  Nurses who work in these units will recognize that their skills are appreciated and valued.