Safety Score Improvement Plan For Mitigating Concerns ✓ Solved

Safety Score Improvement Plan For Mitigating Concerns

Develop a 3 page safety score improvement plan addressing a specific patient-safety goal relevant to quality patient care. Determine what a best evidence-based practice is and design a plan for resolving issues resulting from not maintaining patient safety. Quality improvement and patient safety are health care industry imperatives. Effective quality improvement results in system and organizational change, contributing to a patient safety culture.

Introduction

The significance of patient safety cannot be overstated in health care delivery. Patient safety encompasses fall prevention, the control of hospital-acquired infections, and medication management, among other issues. This safety score improvement plan targets the reduction of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in the medical-surgical unit of Anytown General Hospital. CAUTIs have been recognized as a prevalent concern affecting patient outcomes and hospital costs.

Study of Factors

Identifying the Patient Safety Issue

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and contribute to significant morbidity and health care costs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CAUTIs account for over 30% of healthcare-associated infections (CDC, 2021). These infections can result in increased patient length of stay, the need for additional interventions, and even mortality. The knowledge among health care providers about the risks of CAUTIs and the proper use of urinary catheters is critical to prevention.

The Influence of Nursing Leadership in Driving Change

Nursing leadership plays a pivotal role in fostering an environment that prioritizes patient safety. Strong leaders can advocate for evidence-based guidelines, facilitate staff training, and encourage a culture where quality improvement is pursued vigorously. In our unit, nurse managers and clinical nurse leaders will collaborate to implement new protocols and ensure adherence to evidence-based practices regarding catheter use.

Applying Systems Thinking to Current Policies

Current policies related to catheter use may inadvertently contribute to the incidence of CAUTIs. For instance, lack of standardization in catheter placement and maintenance protocols can vary between shifts and staff members. By utilizing systems thinking, we will identify the gaps in current policies and reinforce adherence to evidence-based guidelines, which advocate for timely catheter removal, sterile insertion techniques, and proper maintenance.

Recommendations

Evidence-Based Strategy to Improve Safety

To address CAUTIs, we propose implementing a "Bladder Bundle" approach, which includes:

  • Education on proper catheter insertion and maintenance.

  • Implementing protocols for timely catheter removal.

  • Regular audits of catheter necessity, leveraging clinical decision support tools.

This approach has shown a reduction in CAUTI rates in multiple health care settings (Hooton et al., 2019).

Collecting Information About the Safety Concern

To determine the sources of the CAUTI issue, we will analyze infection data through surveillance systems and gather feedback from nursing staff regarding catheter utilization practices. The team will conduct root cause analysis to identify the patterns associated with increased infection rates.

Implementation Plan and Monitoring Outcomes

The plan will be implemented collaboratively with stakeholders, ensuring staff buy-in through education sessions and feedback mechanisms. Quality indicators such as CAUTI rates, compliance with catheter removal protocols, and staff adherence to education on maintenance will be monitored through a monthly reporting system. Regular meetings will be held to discuss outcomes and areas for improvement.

Nursing staff will receive ongoing training, and policies regarding catheter use will be updated based on evidence-based practices. Tools such as checklists for catheter insertion and maintenance will facilitate adherence to protocols.

Conclusion

A comprehensive safety score improvement plan is paramount to mitigating CAUTIs and enhancing patient safety in the health care setting. By fostering a culture of safety through evidence-based practices, monitoring outcomes, and engaging nursing leadership, Anytown General Hospital can expect to see a measurable decrease in infection rates and an overall improvement in patient care quality. Establishing a focus on patient safety will support the institution's goals of achieving better clinical outcomes and financial sustainability.

References

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/index.html

  • Hooton, T. M., Bradley, S. F., Cormican, M., et al. (2019). A Randomized Trial of a Bundle Approach to Reduce Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections. New England Journal of Medicine, 380(6), 508-516. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1801328

  • Institute of Medicine's Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. (2001). Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. The National Academies Press.

  • Weinstein, M. M. (2020). The Financial Impact of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 41(5), 556-562. doi:10.1017/ice.2020.024

  • Saint, S., Hooton, T. M., & Williams, L. C. (2016). Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections: Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment. Current Urology Reports, 17(12), 82. doi:10.1007/s11934-016-0639-0

  • Saklad, M. & Natasha, J. (2018). Improving Outcomes with Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Prevention: Adhering to Evidence-Based Guidelines. Hospital Infection Control, 52(2), 101-108. doi:10.1016/j.hic.2018.03.007

  • Rundall, T. G., & Auerbach, J. D. (2018). Leadership for Quality Improvement: A Roadmap for Healthcare Organizations. Health Services Research, 53(S2), 4303-4319. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.12979

  • Ulrich, B., & Kear, T. (2014). Patient Safety: A Nursing Perspective on Improving Patient Safety Culture. Quality Management in Health Care, 23(1), 69-73. doi:10.1097/QMH.0000000000000016

  • Nicolle, L. E. (2016). Urinary Tract Infections in Older Adults. Clinical Geriatrics, 24(9), 36-42. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5054482/