The creation of a consistent culture of safety and quality in an intensive care unit can be a major challenge. Many healthcare organizations are embracing the Six Sigma strategy to reduce variability and decrease risk for central line-associated bloodstream infections. This process is known as the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) process. The five steps required are as follows: 1) define the project goal and identify issues to address; 2) measure the current trends to obtain baseline data; 3) Analyze root cause(s) of problem; 4) improve the process, while removing barriers; and 5) control the process through monitoring (Loftus, Tilley, Hoffman, Bradburn, & Harvey, 2015). The DMAIC framework, performance improvement model …show more content…
Process customers included frontline nurses, pharmacists, trauma clinical nurse specialists, and infection prevention staff that underwent training through web-based activities, educational sessions, and consultation with Six Sigma engineers. The NTICU patients and families were designated as end customers who would benefit through reduced risk of infection, and ultimately mortality and morbidity (Loftus et al., 2015). Defined quality improvement objectives were established: 1) utilize a multidisciplinary systematic and evidence-based approach to control rate of CLABSI in NTICU through maintenance of central line device utilization ratio below the national benchmark for like units (National Hospital Safety Network [NHSN] 0.56); 2) improve system assessment documentation in the electronic medical record for compliance with central line bundle; and 3) share the lessons learned and outcomes with health care clinicians regionally and nationally (Loftus et al., …show more content…
The cart allows the nurse to be present with and assist with placement, if necessary. Use of the insertion checklist ensures adherence to sterile technique and execution of line insertion per policy. The insertion checklist assists to empower nurses to stop the insertion, if proper procedure is not being followed. Evidence-based practice bundle was implemented including chlorhexidine gluconate bath every 24 hours, set schedule for dressing changes, mandatory use of biopatch, intravenous tubing changes every 96 hours, removal of femoral lines within 24 hours of admission, and daily evaluation of line necessity (Loftus et al.,
Nurses lacked knowledge in the use and was unaware of the importance of the underlying evidence- base recommended criteria’s indicated on the nurse driven protocol to remove inappropriate UC’s. A nurse driven indwelling catheter removal protocol is an evidence base tool recommended by infection control organization and experts for the early removal of unnecessary or inappropriately placed urinary catheters (UC). Evidence shows that urinary catheters are the source of catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). CAUTI, is the leading cause of hospital acquired infections in the United States. The purpose of this evidence-based quality project is to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on the importance and use of the nurse driven protocol on nurses ' knowledge and CAUTI rates.
It can also occur during blood transfusion or during dressing change. The insertion of central catheters can occur in the Interventional Radiology or sometimes at the bedside. Regardless of the where the insertion process occur, a sterile field must always be maintained and sterile techniques must always be employed to prevent any organisms from being introduced to the central line into the patient. According to The Joint Commission (2013), many organizations such as Michigan Keystone Intensive Care Unit Project and Institute for Healthcare Improvement are actually adhering to insertion bundles to reduce the CLABSI rates. The bundles include hand hygiene, maximal barrier precautions, chlorhexidine skin preparation, avoidance of femoral vein, and prompt removal of central catheter. Furuya et al. (2011) studied the effectiveness of the insertion bundle and how it impacts the bloodstream infections for patients in the Intensive Care Unit. As a result, lesser infection have occurred when the compliance is high. As mentioned, the site of the catheter also needs to be considered in the insertion process. Avoiding areas such as the groin to access the femoral artery is recommended because this area can be easily contaminated with urine or feces. In addition, after the insertion of a new central line, all the used IV tubing
Only when it is absolutely necessary should a catheter be inserted into a patient. Every patient is assessed for the need for a Foley catheter. If the Foley is inserted, assessments are also then done daily to see if the need is still valid. If the reason is not justifiable the catheter must be removed from the patient (Joint Commission releases new NPSG for CAUTI, 2011). Nurses must follow guidelines while inserting indwelling catheters as well. Aseptic technique is critical to maintain during this process. The use of sterile equipment and a sterile procedure helps to reduce the risk of CAUTI. If in any way the catheter becomes contaminated during the process of insertion, the nurse should discard of the entire catheter and start with a new, sterile kit. Proper hand hygiene is very important before and after contact with indwelling catheters to decrease risk of infection. Maintenance of a close drainage is system is also important that way bacteria are not able to get in and cause infection (Revello & Gallo, 2013). Decreasing the number of times Foleys are inserted and how long they stay in for can help reduce the risk of CAUTI since the longer a Foley stays in, the higher the risk of infection becomes. Nurses must keep the catheter line patent, with no kinks to allow urine to flow freely through into the collection bag. When a urine sample must be obtained it must be done in a sterile
The nurse driven protocol was tested in 4 intensive care units. It included evidence-based orders for discontinuing, handling, and properly managing the catheters. One of the most important factors was the removal of the catheters in a timely manner. The data pre
A nurse-driven protocol is the recommended tool to be used by the nurse to remove catheters without orders following set CDC guidelines and prevent CAUTI
National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs), established in 2002 by the Joint Commission, is to help accredited organizations address specific areas of concern in regard to patient safety ("Catheter-Associated," 2015). NPSG.07.06.01 Implement evidence-based practices to prevent indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) is a 2015 NPSG ("The Joint Commission," 2015). Our facility has 1.32 CAUTIs per 1000 device days (Carson, 2015). Decreasing CAUTIs can be achieved with a strict goal, addressing the financial implications, interdisciplinary collaboration, nursing leadership, a measurement tool, and discussing the future healthcare delivery methods.
Getting an infection from improper care during or after insertion of a central line is the last thing you want to get while in the hospital. This paper will discuss Kaiser Permanente’s policy on central venous catheter, also known as a central line, care and dressing change, and whether it follows the current evidence-based practice on preventing bloodstream infection in patients who have them inserted. I will explain about what a central line is, why evidence-based practice is important in the clinical setting, what Kaiser Permanente’s policy about central line care and dressing change is, if Kaiser is currently following evidence-based practice based on current articles about preventing central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), and what my role in using evidence-based practice is as a future registered nurse.
Article by Clancy (2009) explained central lines were a result of an estimated 250,000 blood stream infections and accounted for 30,000 to 62,000 patient deaths, then adding that each infection cost upwards of $36,000 and cumulatively add up to at least $9 billion in preventable costs annually. The article also explains how the mindset has changed from the cost of having a central line in place and expecting complications to lowering infection rates by an intentional interventional process/s. The article speaks of 5 basic steps to reduce CLABSI, hand washing, insertion techniques, skin cleansing, avoidance of certain sites and earlier removal of the CVC. Studies showed that these guidelines were only followed 62% of the time. The system was changed to ascertain that all the clinicians were in compliance. This prompted 5 interventions, education, a CVC insertion cart with all necessary equipment, physicians having to validate central line necessity, a concise checklist for bedside clinicians and the empower of nurses to stop procedures if guidelines were not followed. These low cost interventions from 11.3/1000 in catheter days in 1998 to zero in the fourth quarter of 2002.
Locate and select an article which discusses performance-based trends in patient safety, risk management, or quality management in health care organizations. Provide a summary of your findings and explain how and why the trend(s) would or would not be effective or successful in your workplace or in an allied health organization in your chosen field.
healthcare organization accrediting bodies, and to maintain credibility with patients and peers alike, must adhere to the National Patient Safety Goals. As stated by Ulrich and Kear (2014), "Not only are nurses responsible for providing safe patient care, we are also responsible for creating an environment in which others can provide safe patient care, and for being the last line of defense when needed between the patient and potential harm. Having a deep understanding of patient safety and patient safety culture allows nurses to be the leaders we need to be in ensuring that our patients are always
The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Institute developed six core competencies: patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics (Quality and Safety Education for Nurses Institute, 2017). At my facility, it is clearly evident that they have adopted these six core competencies to improve patient quality and safety. My facility created the Office of Patient Experience which supports care that is safe, of high quality and high value. Patient satisfaction is a top priority which is why our guiding principle is known as “Patients First”. Through teamwork and collaboration, we deliver care that is patient-centered by working together in multidisciplinary rounds on the inpatient units. Also, the nursing education department supports quality, safety and consistent nursing care through a database of policies and procedures developed using evidence-based research. Lastly, the nursing informatics department is working towards making our EPIC system more patient-centered. They are doing this by decreasing the redundancy in charting for the nursing staff and finding ways to improve processes which automate tasks. This in turn will reduce the time that the nursing staff spends with their computer and increase the time that the nursing staff can spend with their patients.
Timing is everything when it comes to patient health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the critical value reporting process critical results to the appropriate staff members according to the guidelines described in the National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) of the Joint Commission Accreditation on Healthcare Organizations (JACHO). The Joint Commission has listed the following NPSG for 2015: identify patients correctly, improve staff communication, use alarm safely, prevent infection, identify patient safety risks, and prevent mistakes in surgery (The Joint Commission, 2015). A pathologist first introduced critical values by the name of Lundberg over 30 years ago. A critical value was viewed as an indication that the patient was in graved danger unless interventions were done to address the decline in health status (Plebani, M. and Piva E. (2010). The national patient safety goal that reflects the benchmark on our medical-surgical/Telemetry unit was staffing communication in reporting critical values. Our facility as a whole was at 73% compliance for staffing communication. Our hospital 's compliance goal for staffing communication is 90%. However, our unit is currently at 75% compliance. Various factors contribute to the timeliness and compliance of reporting critical values including work force, material and methods, and equipment.
Central line bundle is a group of evidence-based practice strategy for patient with central catheters, when implemented together, produce better outcomes than implemented individually (Institute of health care improvement, 2010.). The main elements of central line bundle are hand hygiene, maximal barrier precaution upon insertion, Chlorhexidine skin antisepsis, optimal catheter selection, and daily review of line necessity with prompt removal of unnecessary lines Aseptic technique when using and caring for a central line catheter can decrease the chance of contamination in this critically ill infants. Staff education on adherence to aseptic technique and strict central line care guidelines are essential to decreasing bloodstream infections.
University of California Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) is known for it’s high-performance in the Sacramento region (UC Davis health, 2017) and has received “A” rating on from the Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Score in 2013 (UC Davis Medical, 2014). UCDMC had a total of 33,002 admissions and 627 licensed beds in 2016 (UC Davis Facts, 2017) and remained an “A” rating despite of the high number of patients. However, the rating has dropped to a “B” since the Fall of 2016. UCDMC updates the Nursing Sensitive Indicators (NSI) quarterly and every unit has its own data to compare within its organization. The safety performance is accomplished by enforcing the Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Improvement (QI), and Quality Control (QC). Cheryl
Central lines are a common device used world wide in acute care settings for eligible patient populations such as those receiving chemotherapy, patients with poor venous access, or for those that require prolonged treatment of intravenous medications. Although central lines provide many advantages, they place patients at high risk for acquiring central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI). CLABSI's are a serious complication associated with central lines and in some cases can be life threatening. There are many evidence based approaches that are used in acute care settings to reduce the incidence of CLABSI's such as meticulous skin care, daily bathing with chlorehexadine surgical scrub, and strict sterile technique when changing central line dressings. These prevention measures are a standard of care nationwide for patients with central lines since they are cost effective and evidence based. Unfortunately, even with proper implementation and compliance with these interventions, CLABSI's are still prevalent amongst vulnerable patient populations.