Nursing Professional Advisory Council (NPAC): Your Voice in Action

Written by Angie Feurer,  DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer

I'm excited to share with you the important work happening through our Nursing Professional Advisory Council, or NPAC. This forum represents one of the most valuable ways we stay connected as a nursing team and drive meaningful improvements across our hospital.

Who is NPAC?
NPAC brings together one nurse representative from every single clinical area in our hospital, ensuring that every corner of our nursing practice has a voice at the table. These representatives include both primary members and backups (see QR code for the full list). Our talented co-chair is Emily Iseman, a nurse from Unit 58, who helps guide our discussions and keeps us focused on what matters most to you. We're also fortunate to have dedicated leadership sponsors: Savannah Dunivant, Nurse Manager for Unit 42, and Rachel Ridgely, Nurse Director for the ED, ICU, and Respiratory Therapy.

How NPAC Works
Every other month, this group gathers for a two-hour meeting that serves as a listening session for me as your CNO. When issues or concerns are brought forward by your representatives, we take one of several thoughtful approaches. Often, the group collaborates to deeply understand the issue together, with nurses from different units and specialties offering shared insights that illuminate solutions we might not have seen alone. Sometimes a concern extends beyond our sphere of influence in nursing, and in those cases, we collect enthusiastic volunteers who embark on the journey to collaborate with other departments and find solutions together. And occasionally, we recognize that a concern needs more time and reflection, so we table it for future conversation and problem-solving.

Real Impact, Real Change
Over time, NPAC has matured beautifully, building deep trust among members and fostering remarkable openness. This growth has led to several high-impact actions that are making your work life better. Our most recent discussions have resulted in tangible improvements: we've enhanced communication with pharmacy regarding real-time medication challenges by utilizing QR codes in every med room to communicate with Perry Shafner (Pharmacy Safety Officer),  deployed the critical lab value closed-loop Epic workflow, installed locked door capabilities for all patient units, and partnered with phlebotomy to improve communication around coverage and patient refusals. We've continued our important workplace violence-themed discussions to improve overall workplace safety and your satisfaction with the support you receive. We've also tackled seemingly smaller but meaningful quality-of-life issues like replacing damaged badge swipes with badge taps, addressing broken thermostat covers, and scheduling a pop-up scrub shopping day in March.
These improvements range in scope and impact, but each one shares a common thread: they're driven by those who know best—the content experts who provide care every single day and who can influence positive change in ways that truly matter.

NPAC exists because your insights, concerns, and expertise deserve to be heard and acted upon. Thank you to all our NPAC representatives for their service, and thank you to each of you for the incredible work you do every day.