Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/198051
PPC.2:4 7/22/09 10:31 PM Page 16 Whiners Need Not Apply The professional practice committee at Kaiser South San Francisco is known for its teamwork and results. BY LUCIA HWANG M any years ago, RN Zenei Cortez remembers parts of the hospital. Routine complaints and disputes are handled attending a meeting of her hospital's professional internally by nurse representatives; the chief nurse rep only calls on practice committee—and being the only one who the CNA/NNOC labor rep when the nurses cannot resolve an issue on their own. When the PPC speaks up about a concern or problem, showed up. "Sometimes it would just be me and the management listens carefully because it knows the PPC means busilabor rep, and then the labor rep would forget or ness: It will not let an unaddressed matter go, but instead organizes had to go to another meeting," said Cortez, coworkers to fight for a solution. Cortez started out by teaming up with RNs Diane chuckling at the memory of trying to hold a meeting Koorsones and Marilu Ramirez. Together, they began with herself. Top row from left: RNs Marci deliberately shaping and building the PPC by recruitIt was time to transform her PPC, the Kaiser Perma- Michel, Elizabeth Medina, ing their ideal members: nurses who are first and forenente South San Francisco post-anesthesia care unit Carol King, Marilu Ramirez, most top-notch clinicians who had a track record of RN decided. Cortez began recruiting a core group of and Harvin Robleto. Bottom advocating for patients and colleagues. "A good nurse, dedicated RNs and together, slowly, person by person, row from left: RNs Hazel a good clinical person, has a lot of credibility in pracwith a lot of hard work in the early mornings and late Herrera, Janette Valdez, tice," explained Cortez. "They are automatically leadnights, they turned the Kaiser South San Francisco Zenei Cortez, and Melissa ers who will be respected by their coworkers." In PPC into an example of what this patient advocacy Macasieb-Paat (not all PPC addition to those prerequisites, they looked for nurses group should and could be at each CNA/NNOC facility. members are pictured). who possessed or had the potential to develop leaderToday, the Kaiser South San Francisco PPC runs Opposite: Marilu Ramirez, ship qualities such as not being afraid to handle conlike a well-oiled machine. Everybody understands RN, makes a point of flict, problem solving, thinking of others before and lives up to their roles and responsibilities of rep- constantly updating the themselves, and good communication. resenting the 275 registered nurses who work in all PPC's bulletin board. 16 REGISTERED NURSE W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G JUNE 2009