• Minimize movement of the direct care RN, increase time with patient
• Anticipate and meet patient needs
• Improve patient outcomes, safety and satisfaction
• Improve workflow and productivity of RNs and Patient Care Technicians

Even before the Institute of Medicine reported an urgent need for greater patient safety in the U.S. health-care system, Virginia Mason was taking the issue seriously and working to improve safety.  That push, combined with calls to make health care less wasteful and more efficient, convinced Virginia Mason Medical Center to adopt its Virginia Mason Production System (VMPS) in 2001.  VMPS is based on the Toyota Production System and is designed to create an environment where people feel safe and free to actively engage in improvement.  The overarching goal of VMPS is to produce perfect care by delivering defect-free service and to establish “Patient First” as the focus for all change.

The main VMPS tool used in the transforming nursing model is the interdisciplinary Rapid Process Improvement Workshop (RPIW) in which teams design, test, and implement changes based on the Medical Center’s strategic goals.  Measurement of the impact of change has been critical to sustaining results.  Designated staff teams identified nursing unit care processes where multiple improvements could improve patient outcomes and staff productivity.  The process began by sorting the work of the nurse at the front line, evaluating skill levels required, and aligning tasks.  This helped reduce the burden of work for the frontline nurse so that they can spend time caring for patients.