USA Health NICU nurse manager publishes case study in nursing journal
NICU nurse manager Cathy McCurley took part in the 2024 American Organization for Nursing Leadership Nurse Manager Fellowship program and wrote the article for her capstone project.
By Casandra Andrews
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Cathy McCurley, BSN, RN, RNC-ELBW, nurse manager for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s & Women’s Hospital, published an article in the July issue of Voice of Nursing Leadership about the innovative way donor human milk is handled in the region’s only level III NICU.
The president of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), Deborah Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, praised McCurley’s work, highlighting the article in a letter that leads off the magazine for nurse leadership in the United States.
“The alignment of clinical quality and financial stewardship is also evident in innovative projects like the neonatal intensive care unit initiative led by Cathy McCurley at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital,” Zimmermann wrote. “Confronted with rising costs for pasteurized donor human milk and fortifiers — over $1.1 million in 2023 — the NICU team revised feeding protocols, increased monitoring of weaning practices, identified more cost-effective vendor partnerships and enhanced efforts to support mothers in providing their own milk.”
Despite significant barriers, Zimmermann noted, including changes in federal guidance on probiotics and provider hesitancy around feeding risks, the team achieved more than 12% in cost savings while maintaining an exclusive human milk diet for their most vulnerable patients. “The savings of over $136,000 in one year demonstrate how clinical excellence and financial stewardship can go hand in hand without compromising the standard of care.”
McCurley participated in the 2024 AONL Nurse Manager Fellowship program and wrote the published work for her capstone project.
“The AONL Nurse Manager Fellowship was an incredible opportunity to meet and connect with other nurse managers from across the country,” she said, “and to continue developing my knowledge and ability to lead change in the complex system of healthcare.”
The Voice of Nursing Leadership magazine is published bi-monthly by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association. The magazine informs members about the best practices in nursing leadership across the continuum of care. Its themed issues delve into topics vital to nurse leaders at every level, helping them to understand the dynamics in public policy and care delivery shaping professional nursing practice.
