About the continuation of the collaboration between AZ Sint-Maarten (Belgium) and its two US partners.

By
Cheryl Reinking, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, DipACLM, CNO at El Camino Health, California
Allison Benziger, MSN, RN-BC, MPD at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, New Jersey
Patrick Nieulandt, MSN, RN, CNO at AZ Sint-Maarten, Mechelen/Belgium

After a period of close collaboration in the Magnet4Europe project, AZ Sint-Maarten (Mechelen, Belgium), Penn Medicine Princeton Health (NJ) and El Camino Health (CA) decided to continue their collaboration. Unique to the other partnerships in M4E, this team calls themselves triplets (as a “variation on twinning”).
 
Continuing the collaboration, even with the completion of the ME4 project in June, did not require much thought from the triplets.
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During their presentation at the closing conference in Leuven on April 25, 2024, the US and Belgian colleagues had the opportunity to elaborate on the why and the how of a future cooperation.
 
Allison Benziger first outlined the journey so far, emphasizing how enriching it was to get to know each other in “real life” through site visits in Belgium and the US. Through these site visits, the triplets were able to experience how the different hospitals organize themselves and to feel the culture. “Only then could we really make progress.”
 
Cheryl Reinking then drew a picture of the various achievements, of which we as a group can be very proud. “Belgians seem to be humble people“ she said, but looking back, we see that a lot of work has been done and that much more than “baby steps” have been taken in AZ Sint-Maarten.
 
Patrick Nieulandt expressed his gratitude to his US colleagues for their coaching. He also indicated that the collaboration with the US partners evolved very quickly from a formal relationship to an informal bond.
 
So it is not surprising that the collaboration will now be continued as the bond that has been built up will not be let go.

When asked why the partners are so eager to continue working together, Patrick replied “Actually, we are all OSKAR”. With the acronym OSKAR he refers to the DNA or core values ​​of AZ Sint-Maarten to describe their cooperation:

• Openheid ( Openness): always ready to share information, good practices, … among all partners…
• Samenwerking (Cooperation): a real cooperation based on mutual trust and selflessness…
• Kwaliteit (Quality): always with excellent patient care in mind…
• Ambitie (Ambition): always wanting to improve and above all: learning from each other in developing our nursing profession
• Respect (Respect): based on many similarities between our hospitals, but also embracing our differences.

The future goals defined by the partners are actually quite simple:

• To use the Magnet principles as a lasting source for improvement, with an annual adjustment of the nursing strategic plan with input from the councils and further development of shared governance at unit level.
• To incorporate a stronger multidisciplinary approach.

 
A number of concrete actions have already been agreed on:

• A second site visit US to AZ Sint-Maarten (April 22 and 23) was already completed just before the celebration conference, with inspiration sessions on various themes (Tiered Huddle concept, Master class: “How to Lead a Council”, and initiatives for onboarding and retention)
• Further developing shared governance with a focus on data and EBP through coaching of the Belgian council leads by the US partners and by shadowing the US councils by the Belgian chairs
• Continuing our meetings (CNO one-on-one and with the new work group)
• Attending the Magnet conference 2024 in New Orleans  by AZSTM

 
So the journey surely continues…