Confident Voice Award for Nurses #3 The Third Confident Voice Award goes to Virginia Lupo, RN, CNOR, of Highland Hospital, Rochester, NY! Purpose: To shed more light on the value of positive communication efforts and the healthcare work environments that support them. Her former Nurse Manager, Karen Des Jardin, RN, MS, CNOR, nominated Virginia for her positive role in helping support and implement a new initiative aimed at improving communication in the busy OR. Including staff in all perioperative services, this totals about 200 employees. “The operating room is a high-stress environment with emergent situations and strong personalities: an equation for poor communication,” says Des Jardin. Virginia, like many of her coworkers, had expressed frustration with her ability to communicate with both staff and surgeons. “She took to heart leaning how to have ‘crucial conversations’ and began implementing the techniques on a daily basis,” says Des Jardin. “She used these skills to deal with difficult surgeons, staff in conflict, and emotionally distraught nurses. Soon staff were coming to her for help with communication problems, and she continues to demonstrate positive, confident, communicator skills and assists others in improving communication strategies. She has become a role model for positive communication in the workplace.” Using the book Crucial Conversations , OR nurse leaders learned how to model good communication skills and assist staff in learning how to utilize these skis to solve problems. Congratulations, Virginia, for such an impressive, positive, and essential contribution to your fellow workers and your workplace! Thank you, Virginia, for your important contributions to patient care and our profession! Thank you, Karen for valuing Virginia’s efforts and sharing them with us! Thank you Highland Hospital for supporting staff in practicing these vital skills! Do you know someone we should honor? Help us promote positive communication efforts and the work environments that support them. Please write to us if you know of a nurse or student nurse who has shown an example of positive communication with patients, colleagues, or others. email Beth Some examples might be a nurse who gave constructive feedback in a respectful way, brought a concern up the ladder, spoke up about a horizontal violence issue, or helped solve a conflict between colleagues. If chosen, this individual will receive a signed copy of Confident Voices: The Nurses’ Guide to Improving Communication & Creating Positive Workplaces , a Certificate of Award, and a letter of commendation from Bonnie and I. We will help with any local publications that you would like to notify!

Confident Voice Award for Nurses #3

The Third Confident Voice Award goes to Virginia Lupo, RN, CNOR, of Highland Hospital, Rochester, NY!

Purpose: To shed more light on the value of positive communication efforts and the healthcare work environments that support them.

Her former Nurse Manager, Karen Des Jardin, RN, MS, CNOR, nominated Virginia for her positive role in helping support and implement a new initiative aimed at improving communication in the busy OR. Including staff in all perioperative services, this totals about 200 employees. “The operating room is a high-stress environment with emergent situations and strong personalities: an equation for poor communication,” says Des Jardin.

Virginia, like many of her coworkers, had expressed frustration with her ability to communicate with both staff and surgeons. “She took to heart leaning how to have ‘crucial conversations’ and began implementing the techniques on a daily basis,” says Des Jardin. “She used these skills to deal with difficult surgeons, staff in conflict, and emotionally distraught nurses. Soon staff were coming to her for help with communication problems, and she continues to demonstrate positive, confident, communicator skills and assists others in improving communication strategies. She has become a role model for positive communication in the workplace.”

Using the book Crucial Conversations , OR nurse leaders learned how to model good communication skills and assist staff in learning how to utilize these skis to solve problems.

Congratulations, Virginia, for such an impressive, positive, and essential contribution to your fellow workers and your workplace!

Thank you, Virginia, for your important contributions to patient care and our profession! Thank you, Karen for valuing Virginia’s efforts and sharing them with us! Thank you Highland Hospital for supporting staff in practicing these vital skills!

Do you know someone we should honor? Help us promote positive communication efforts and the work environments that support them.

Please write to us if you know of a nurse or student nurse who has shown an example of positive communication with patients, colleagues, or others. email Beth

Some examples might be a nurse who gave constructive feedback in a respectful way, brought a concern up the ladder, spoke up about a horizontal violence issue, or helped solve a conflict between colleagues.

If chosen, this individual will receive a signed copy of Confident Voices: The Nurses’ Guide to Improving Communication & Creating Positive Workplaces , a Certificate of Award, and a letter of commendation from Bonnie and I. We will help with any local publications that you would like to notify!

Karen DesJardins, (left) presents Confident Voices book and certificate to Virginia Lupo at the Highland Hospital OR morning meeting 4/01/2010 with approximately 50 of her peers in attendance. “You know I will read it and use it to improve my communication skills even more", states Nurse Lupo.