UCF Lake Nona Hospital recognized for excellence in emergency nursing

UCF Lake Nona Hospital’s emergency department has been selected as a recipient of the Emergency Nurses Association’s 2024 Lantern Award for demonstrating excellence in leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research performance.

The Lantern Award recognizes the emergency department’s accomplishments in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation into emergency care. The award serves as a visible symbol of the hospital’s commitment to quality, safety and a healthy work environment.

“As Lake Nona’s only full-service hospital open to everyone, we are humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award,” said Wendy Brandon, chief executive officer of UCF Lake Nona Hospital, part of HCA Florida Healthcare. “This is a testimony to the strength of our exceptional team of caregivers and the groundbreaking work taking place with the integration of technology into patient care – it’s what makes the work being done here stand out.”

UCF Lake Nona Hospital has been serving the community since 2021 and after opening, was quickly selected as the first Innovation Hub in the 186-hospital HCA Healthcare enterprise. The hospital is creating healthcare solutions in Central Florida that will improve the delivery of healthcare both nationally and internationally.

“We are redesigning the way care is delivered,” Brandon added, “Letting clinicians focus on patient care, and using technology where it can best support our team. Our colleagues are becoming part of a solution legacy.”

UCF Lake Nona Hospital emergency physicians are documenting medical information faster than ever, using the latest medical technology to deliver automated clinical documentation. The real value-added benefit for the UCF Lake Nona Hospital emergency department nursing teams’ experience is the ability to access the most current information from the provider for chart review with limited delay related to medical notes. UCF Lake Nona Hospital is the first in any health system to use this type of technology.

These advancements reduce burden of documentation for physicians and allow for increased time for patient care by using artificial intelligence to create quick and comprehensive medical notes after each patient interaction. Notes are received and uploaded to the electronic health record quickly. This innovative technology facilitates more coordinated care and further supports the symbiotic partnership of nurse and physician.

In its first year, the UCF Lake Nona Hospital emergency department was also recognized as an HCA Healthcare Unit of Distinction for extraordinary patient care, finishing third out of the extensive 186-hospital HCA Healthcare network for patient experience.

UCF Lake Nona Hospital’s Lantern Award will be on display in the emergency department. As a recipient, UCF Lake Nona Hospital will be recognized in upcoming Emergency Nurses Association publications, on the Emergency Nurses Association website and during Emergency Nursing 2024, the association’s annual conference in Las Vegas September 4-7.