Using Evidence to Prevent Risk Associated With Perioperative Pressure Injuries.

Pressure injuries (PI) are a significant concern for surgical patients due to prolonged immobility and potential exposure to other risk factors associated with procedures. PI prevention strategies should begin early in the patient's surgical encounter starting with preoperative assessment. Much literature has been published to discuss PI risk factors, assessment tools, and evidence-based prevention measures. The purpose of this article is to critically review current best evidence to holistically assess patient risk for Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPI) and review current tools used for risk assessment, interventions to combat skin injuries, and discuss implications for practice in perioperative nursing.

The lived experiences of graduate nurses transitioning to professional practice during a pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Graduate nurses face challenges during their transition to professional practice. Understanding these experiences during a pandemic has not been explored. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the lived experiences of graduate nurses transitioning to practice during a pandemic. METHODS: Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, focus groups were conducted with fifteen nurses who were at three different stages of transition and participating in a 12-month Graduate Nurse Residency Program. FINDINGS: Seven themes emerged: 1) being new is overwhelming, even more so during COVID-19, 2) need to be flexible, 3) pandemic knowledge and practice disconnect, 4) communication barriers worsened with masks, 5) being a "COVID nurse," 6) no self-care, and 7) gratitude: still glad to be a nurse. DISCUSSION: Findings emphasize the important focus on graduate nurse support and educational foundation for role transition into professional practice, especially during a pandemic. Participants expressed lack of preparedness for practice but remain excited about being a nurse.

Design and Evaluation of Low-Fidelity Visual Display Prototypes for Multiple Hospital-Acquired Conditions.

Hospital-acquired conditions such as catheter-associated urinary tract infection, stage 3 or 4 hospital-acquired pressure injury, and falls with injury are common, costly, and largely preventable. This study used participatory design methods to design and evaluate low-fidelity prototypes of clinical dashboards to inform high-fidelity prototype designs to visualize integrated risks based on patient profiles. Five low-fidelity prototypes were developed through literature review and by engaging nurses, nurse managers, and providers as participants (N = 23) from two hospitals in different healthcare systems using focus groups and interviews. Five themes were identified from participatory design sessions: Need for Integrated Hospital-Acquired Condition Risk Tool, Information Needs, Sources of Information, Trustworthiness of Information, and Performance Tracking Perspectives. Participants preferred visual displays that represented patient comparative risks for hospital-acquired conditions using the familiar design metaphor of a gauge and green, yellow, and red "traffic light" colors scheme. Findings from this study were used to design a high-fidelity prototype to be tested in the next phase of the project. Visual displays of hospital-acquired conditions that are familiar in display and simplify complex information such as the green, yellow, and red dashboard are needed to assist clinicians in fast-paced clinical environments and be designed to prevent alert fatigue.

Caring for inpatient boarders in the emergency department: improving safety and patient and staff satisfaction.

Hospital capacity constraints lead to large numbers of inpatients being held for extended periods in the emergency department. This creates concerns with safety, quality of care, and dissatisfaction of patients and staff. The aim of this quality-improvement project was to improve satisfaction and processes in which nurses provided care to inpatient boarders held in the emergency department. A quality-improvement project framework that included the use of a questionnaire was used to ascertain employee and patient dissatisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement. A task force was created to develop action plans related to holding and caring for inpatients in the emergency department. A questionnaire was sent to nursing staff in spring 2012, and responses from the questionnaire identified improvements that could be implemented to improve care for inpatient boarders. Situation-background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR) communications and direct observations were also used to identify specific improvements. Post-questionnaire results indicated improved satisfaction for both staff and patients. It was recognized early that the ED inpatient area would benefit from the supervision of an inpatient director, managers, and staff. Outcomes showed that creating an inpatient unit within the emergency department had a positive effect on staff and patient satisfaction.

Improving the assessment and treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease among adolescents in an urban children's hospital emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Proper pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) assessment and treatment is essential in preventing ectopic pregnancies, repeated PID infections, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and fetal death. This project measured the effectiveness of interventions directed toward the providers in the emergency department to facilitate a change in the assessment and treatment of PID. Two aims identified for the project included increasing the number of providers who recorded a correct diagnosis of PID in the chart and included a sexual history for female adolescents who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain. An additional aim was to increase the percentage of adolescents who received the correct treatment for PID. METHODS: A quality improvement study using pre-post design and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles over an 18-month period was conducted in the emergency department of an urban children's hospital. Assessment of adolescent female patients' history of recent sexual activity and correct diagnosis and treatment of PID were evaluated. Process improvement interventions consisted of PowerPoint presentations, educational materials, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) treatment guidelines posted in provider areas (Table 1), along with ongoing positive and corrective feedback to providers. RESULTS: A total of 602 patient records were reviewed (119 in the PID diagnosis and treatment arm and 483 in the obtaining sexual history arm). After process improvement interventions, correct PID diagnosis increased from 72% to 95% (z = 3.064, P = .00109, odds ratio [OR] = 7.08). Correct PID treatment increased from 39.3% to 79.3% (z = 4.190, P = .0000139, OR = 5.90). The percentage of providers who obtained a sexual history increased from 65% to 74.2% (z = 1.892, P = .02929, OR = 1.55). DISCUSSION: The study demonstrated a significant improvement in all 3 aims related to improved care of adolescents with PID. PowerPoint presentations and the physical presence of the CDC treatment guidelines in the provider treatment areas were instrumental for success. Nurses play a pivotal role in the implementation and success of quality improvement projects for improving patient outcomes.

Reducing indwelling urinary catheter use in the emergency department: a successful quality-improvement initiative.

INTRODUCTION: This quality-improvement project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing multidisciplinary education and deploying utilization tools aimed at reducing the inappropriate insertion of indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs) in the emergency department. Literature supports the use of decision support tools and education as proven techniques to reduce IUC use. Few studies have implemented a multidisciplinary approach involving the use of focus groups to understand the thought processes behind deciding to place an IUC. METHODS: Focus groups were used to understand the current practice for inserting an IUC in the emergency department. These data were then used to create a nursing-based IUC decision support tool and educational presentation regarding appropriate uses for IUCs. Live, in-person education sessions were given to emergency nurses, emergency medical technicians, physicians, and residents; in addition, electronic education was assigned to all emergency nurses and technicians. Seventy-eight percent of ED staff received some form of education regarding appropriate IUC insertion criteria. Physicians and residents also received an in-person presentation on the topic. A survey was sent to all emergency nurses and emergency medical technicians to assess actual practice changes. In addition, an IUC utilization and appropriateness audit was completed before and immediately after the interventions. RESULTS: The project resulted in a 25% decrease in the proportion of patients admitted to inpatient status with IUCs placed in the emergency department and a 9% decrease in the inappropriate use of IUCs. Staff surveys after education showed that staff members were more likely to document the reason for placing an IUC and to use alternatives to IUCs. CONCLUSIONS: The potential risks associated with IUCs often go overlooked by direct-care staff members. Educating staff and creating new standards and utilization tools have often been used to decrease the initial insertion of IUCs and to improve recognition of appropriate removal of IUCs. Using direct feedback from staff to develop the interventions led to a reduction in IUC insertions in the emergency department in the short-term, but long-term changes were not seen. The project results suggest that incorporating staff into the decision making and implementation will lead to long-term acquisition of knowledge and longer-term results. Ongoing regularly scheduled education refreshers need to be assessed for their potential to affect long-term change.

Intradermal lidocaine or bacteriostatic normal saline to decrease pain before intravenous catheter insertion: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Anesthetics used to decrease pain during peripheral intravenous catheter insertion have been studied with equivocal results. This meta-analysis determined if lidocaine or bacteriostatic normal saline (BaNS) is more effective in reducing pain associated with peripheral intravenous catheter cannulation in adults. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses, and Web of Science databases were queried. Thirteen randomized controlled trials were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean sample was 119.9 (±82.0); combined N was 1,559. Mean effect size was z = 0.46 (confidence interval = 0.24-0.68) indicating lidocaine was more effective than BaNS in providing pain relief (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Cost-benefit issues and lidocaine drug shortages must be considered when making definitive practice recommendations.

Nurse-driven quality improvement interventions to reduce hospital-acquired infection in the NICU.

Hospital-acquired infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units. Central line-associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) are costly, preventable infections targeted for eradication by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After evaluation of current practice and areas for improvement, neonatal-specific CLABSI and VAP bundles were developed and implemented on the basis of available best evidence. The overall goal was to reduce infection rates at or below benchmarks set by National Healthcare Safety Network. All neonates with central lines (umbilical or percutaneous) and/or patients who were endotracheally intubated were included. All patients were risk stratified on the basis of weight per National Healthcare Safety Network reporting requirements: less than 750 g, 751-1000 g, 1001-1500 g, 1501-2500 g, and greater than 2500 g. The research was conducted as a quality improvement study. Neonatal-specific educational modules were developed by neonatal nurse leaders for CLABSI and VAP. Bundle development entailed combining select interventions, mainly from the adult literature, that the nurse leaders believed would reduce infection rates. Nursing practice guidelines and supply carts were updated to ensure understanding, compliance, and convenience. A CLABSI checklist was initiated and used at the time of line insertion by the nurse to ensure standardized infection control practices. Compliance audits were performed by nurse leaders weekly on intubated patients to validate VAP bundle implementation. CLABSI and VAP bundle compliance was audited and infection rates were measured before and after both bundle implementations following strict National Healthcare Safety Network inclusion criteria for CLABSI and VAP determination. The reduction in CLABSI elicited 84 fewer hospital days, estimated cost savings of $348,000, a 92% reduction in CLABSI (preintervention to postintervention), and a reduction in central line days by 27%. The reduction in VAP resulted in 72 fewer hospital days, estimated cost savings of $300,000, 71% reduction in VAP (preintervention to postintervention), and a reduction in vent days by 31%. Nurses are central in hospital efforts to improve quality care. The bundled interventions provided the nurses with a structure to successfully implement a systematic process for improvement. Nursing leaders ensured that bundles were implemented strategically and provided consistent and specific feedback on intervention compliance with quarterly CLABSI and VAP rates. Real-time feedback assisted the registered nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners, and physicians appreciation of the effectiveness of the change in practice. Finally, empowering the bedside nurse to lead the bundle implementation increased personal ownership and compliance and ultimately improved practice and patient outcomes.

Rounding and Quick Access Education to Reduce Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The acute care division of a tertiary medical center experienced a 167% increase in catheter-associated urinary tract infections, with 2 inpatient surgical units accounting for 67% of infections. A quality improvement project was implemented to address the infection rates on the 2 inpatient surgical units. The aim was to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates by 75% in the acute care inpatient surgical units. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT/PROGRAM: A survey identified educational needs of staff, with response data informing the development of a quick response code containing resources for prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Champions rounded on patients and audited maintenance bundle adherence. Educational handouts were disseminated to increase compliance with bundle interventions. Outcome and process measures were tracked on a monthly basis. OUTCOME: Infection rates decreased from 1.29 to 0.64 per 1000 indwelling urinary catheter days, catheter utilization increased 14%, and maintenance bundle compliance was 67%. CONCLUSION: The project enhanced quality care through the standardization of preventive practices and education. The data reflect a positive effect on catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates from increased awareness of the nurse's role in the prevention process.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice: Impact on Improving Sedation Practice in Critical Care.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Prolonged mechanical ventilation results from deeper levels of sedation. This may lead to impaired respiratory muscle functioning that develops into pneumonia, increases antibiotic use, increases delirium risk, and increases length of hospitalization. A trauma and surgical intensive care unit interdisciplinary team conducted a quality improvement project to lighten sedation levels and shorten mechanical ventilation time. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT: The project included multimodal elements to improve sedation practice. Standardizing the spontaneous awakening trial algorithm, creation of electronic health record tools, integration of sedation practices into daily rounds, and focused education for nursing were implemented in April 2021 through October 2021. OUTCOME: A reduction of median hours spent on mechanical ventilation was achieved. Mechanical ventilation hours decreased from 77 to 70. Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale levels improved from a median of -2 to -1, and daily spontaneous awakening trials increased from 10% to 27% completed. CONCLUSION: The quality improvement project demonstrated that, with increased daily spontaneous awakening trials and lighter sedation levels, the time patients spent on mechanical ventilation was shortened. There was no increase to self-extubation with lighter sedations levels. Shorter time on mechanical ventilation can reduce patient harm risks.