Wilmington Hospital Emergency Department Earns Lantern Award for World-Class Excellence

ChristianaCare’s Wilmington Hospital Emergency Department is one of 53 emergency departments around the world to receive the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Lantern Award for 2023, recognizing the excellence of its caregivers in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation.

The ENA Lantern Award celebrates emergency departments that demonstrate exceptional leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research performance. It honors the late Florence Nightingale, who is credited as the founder of modern nursing and is referred to as the “Lady With the Lamp” for her round-the-clock care given to wounded soldiers during the Crimean War.

“Every day, our caregivers bring to life the ChristianaCare values of love and excellence through the ways they care for our neighbors who come to the Wilmington Hospital Emergency Department,” said Danielle Weber, MSN, MSM, RN-BC, NEA-BC, chief nurse executive and chief nursing officer of Wilmington Hospital.

“By putting the patient first and rethinking outdated models of care, we have created a better experience for patients at a time when they are often most in need. This recognition signifies the transformative effect of our commitment to being exceptional today and even better tomorrow.”

Rooted in history, focused on the future

Wilmington Hospital has served the community for nearly 125 years, meeting diverse medical needs and providing a safety net for people in underrepresented communities.

The Wilmington Hospital Emergency Department is the second-busiest ED in the state, with 58,744 visits in fiscal year 2023. Combined, ChristianaCare’s emergency departments are ranked 12th in the United States and 7th on the East Coast in number of patient visits, according to the American Hospital Association.

A highly engaged staff supports the high volume of work in the department, where nurses serve in collaborative decision-making, shared governance and nurse autonomy, “practicing in an environment of empowerment,” said ED nurse Christina Hoddinott, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, CEN, CPE, who helped work on the Lantern application for Wilmington ED.

“The staff who perform the work participate in decision-making that directly affects their practice,” Hoddinott said.

“When our patients walk through our emergency department doors in their unexpected and stressful moments of need, we do everything we can to see that they receive the highest level of care.”

Doreen Nord, MSN, RN, CEN, NPD-BC, nurse manager for Wilmington Hospital ED, said the Lantern award reflects the greatness seen every day among its nursing caregivers.

“Their commitment and compassion shine, and there is never a doubt about who is most important — our patients,” Nord said. “We are honored by this recognition, the highest available in emergency nursing.”

A collaborative effort

Wilmington Hospital ED and the other Lantern recipients were recognized in the Hall of Honor at Emergency Nursing 2023, ENA’s annual conference, Sept. 21-23, in San Diego, California. See the list of other award recipients here.

“Each and every emergency department on this list has worked extremely hard implementing innovations to better their emergency department for staff and patients alike,” said ENA President Terry Foster, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, TCRN, FAEN. “Hearing the excitement these EDs had when notified that they were a recipient was so heart-warming and reminded me of the commitment that ED nurses have to continuous improvement.”

In Wilmington, the spirit of collaboration and support among caregivers creates an environment that ensures patients receive the highest level of care. Hoddinott likens her fellow caregivers to puzzle pieces — each one is dynamic and unique.

“When the pieces come together, we have one big complete puzzle. We are a team that supports each other during stressful moments, happy occasions and all the in between,” she said. “Our team does not take for granted the ‘specialness’ we have here, and our patients can truly feel that when they come through our doors.”