The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, KS, had some work to do in 1998—its patient satisfaction was down and turnover high. To turn things around, the hospital looked in part to the nursing department, writes Rebecca Hendren for HealthLeaders Media. What they did was change a culture.

To encourage professionalism, the hospital compensated certification and provided bonuses each year for maintaining them. Nurses were also heavily involved in changing the hospital’s vision and mission statements. Nurses voted on the best ideas they came up with to improve quality, and then began working on implementing them. And, last but not least, the nurses founded a center dedicated solely to nurses that includes computers, comfortable chairs, and professional journals.

The hospital’s plan helped the organization achieve patient satisfaction rates in the 91st percentile and a low turnover rate of 10%, according to the HealthLeaders article.

I enjoyed this story of collaborative work with nurses. Has your hospital engaged nurses in quality improvement efforts? How so? Post a comment below.