The little things matter when it comes to improving patient experience. Nurse manager Kristy Gerster sees this firsthand at Health First's Viera Hospital. What started as an idea on the fourth floor has now been utilized in other departments.

"If we can do anything to make it better for our patients, that's always a good feeling," Gerster said.

Gerster is referring to isolation sign holders, a huge solution to a minor problem when it comes to containing illnesses.

"The reason why we have the isolation sign posted is because the patient has something contagious, and we don't want to share it with anyone else," she said.

In December 2018, Gerster, Health Unit Coordinator Tracy Diaz and their team came together to identify the problem and strategically came up with a new way to display sign holders for two reasons - to alert family and nurses that personal protection equipment (PPE) is needed before entering a patient's room and to reduce germs.

"We can now leave the door open, if it's appropriate for the patient, and every caregiver who goes in or out of that room can still visibly see the isolation sign, even when the door is open," Gerster said. "This prompts them to stop and wash their hands, put on the appropriate PPE, whether it be a family member or caregiver."