The decline of rural hospitals in Tennessee and throughout the country has resulted in growing numbers of patients seeking treatment for severe illnesses and injuries at outpatient clinics.
Unlike hospitals, however, ambulatory clinics typically do not have critical care specialists on-site. They may not have crash carts stocked with medication and resuscitation equipment, and it may take 20 minutes after calling 911 for an ambulance to arrive.
In response to this challenge, the Adult Ambulatory Mock Code Team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has developed an innovative mock code training program to ensure that members of clinic nursing staff are well prepared for every emergency that may come their way.
In 2023, more than 1,150 licensed and nonlicensed nursing staff at 140 ambulatory care locations throughout the Vanderbilt Health System completed Ambulatory Mock Code Competency Training.
For their efforts, the Adult Ambulatory Mock Code Team received the Elevate Team Award during the May VUMC Leadership Assembly. The award recognizes combined efforts that “made a change, improved a process, solved a problem or advanced our (VUMC) culture.”
“Engaging in the ambulatory mock code guides the clinics to better patient outcomes, increased confidence of staff, and an overall safer clinic environment for patients, families and staff,” wrote Suzanne Duckworth, DNP, RN, in her nomination letter.
Duckworth, a previous Credo Award winner, is director of Nursing Education and Professional Development in the Adult Ambulatory Clinics. She co-leads the Adult Ambulatory Mock Code Team with Sydney Bush-Foster, RN, MSN, nursing education specialist in the Adult Ambulatory Division.
Other team members are Kathleen Smith, RN, MS, Emily Neely, and Autumn Visnovske, RN, MSN.
To encourage a high completion rate in the program, which included in-person and virtual training, during the 2023 competency season the team developed a “March Madness” theme.
“In 2024, after networking with local educators, we came up with the idea of naming our mannequin and creating an engaging and fun campaign, titled ‘Saving Frank,’ with a movie poster-like flyer and movie trailer promoting the Ambulatory Mock Code,” Duckworth wrote.
“By being innovative with Adult Ambulatory mock code education and marketing, staff is ready and eager on an annual basis to take their mock code training,” she added.
View the Adult Ambulatory Mock Code Team video from Leadership Assembly.
If you are a VUMC employee, you can nominate a colleague for an Elevate Credo Award, Five Pillar Leader Award, or Team Award. Visit the Elevate website to fill out a nomination form. Employees demonstrate credo behaviors when: they make those they serve the highest priority; respect privacy and confidentiality; communicate effectively; conduct themselves professionally; have a sense of ownership; and are committed to their colleagues. Elevate award nominations are accepted year-round. If a nomination is received after the cutoff for an award selection period, the nomination will be considered for the next period. VUMC VOICE will post stories on each of the award winners in the weeks following their announcement.
