Idea Awards

The IDEA Awards were created to strengthen our spirit of innovation by encouraging the sharing of ideas among all disciplines within Nursing and Patient Care Services. To seek innovative ideas that are aligned with the four pillars of the MGH mission and would advance, enhance, or improve patient care.

Eligibility is open to all employees in Nursing and Patient Care Services. Proposals are submitted online and include a description of the proposed innovation, a plan for implementation, an impact statement, and estimated budget.

 

Blood Transfer Shield

Kimberly Whalen, RN, and Ryan Carroll, MD of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) wanted to address the high-risk transfer of blood from a syringe to a small test tube, called a ‘microtainer’, which are often used in pediatric patients, as well as adults. Their proposed solution, the blood transfer shield, is a closed system device to transfer blood into pediatric microtainer tubes. Blood transfer shield prevents anxiety of accidental exposure to blood for MGH staff while reducing needle and splash injuries.
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BeHear

Speech-language pathologist, Lara Hirner, SLP wanted to improve medical stability, language outcomes and parent-infant bonding among neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The ICU sound environment is a stark auditory contrast to the comforting sounds an infant is exposed to in the womb, and can have negative effects on infant brain development, including language delays. Her solution, BeHear (Healing Early Audio Recorder), records parents’ and family members’ voices so the recordings can be played for infants in the NICU when family members aren’t able to be present.
Inspired?
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