Project Proposal on the Prevention of Central line Associated Blood Stream Infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Authors Avatar by amoyweb123gmailcom (student)

Investigating the Prevention of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Brigham and Women's Hospital Central Line Infection Policy and Procedures

Proposed Plan for Patient Safety

Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Competencies

Healthcare Improvement

 

April 23, 2020

 

 

Investigating the Prevention of Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units

        Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) result in thousands of deaths each year and billions of dollars in added costs to the U.S. healthcare system, yet these infections are preventable. An estimated 30,100 central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) still occur in intensive care units and wards of U.S. acute care facilities each year (CDC, 2018). CLABSIs are serious infections typically causing a prolongation of hospital stay and increased cost and risk of mortality. In today’s healthcare sector, nurses are expected more than ever to improve and provide quality care by enhancing aspects such as safety and efficacy of interventions. One of the most critical aspects of delivering quality nursing care is ensuring that nurses have the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude to improve care. The objective of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) program is to provide nurses with these skills, knowledge, and attitudes. The clinical procedures used by the Brigham and Women's Hospital NICUs to minimize central line-associated bloodstream infections are evaluated in this paper, as well as how these procedures promote safety in the QSEN competencies.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital Clinical Policy

        David Eddy, MD, Ph.D., considered by many the “father” of clinical policies, writes that variability in decisions occurs because doctors deal with complex problems and must make decisions under challenging conditions and with little support. Clinical policies, also known as clinical guidelines, clinical practice guidelines, practice parameters, and practice policies, are recommendations for the care of patients with specific conditions or diseases. A clinical policy anticipates a sequence of common clinical decisions that doctors will face and provides an adequately considered, evidence-based approach to making those decisions. In making such decisions, a clinical policy considers various factors, including clinical outcomes, costs, and patient expectations, and distills best practice from the available evidence to help minimize variation. At the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), the following procedures are put in place to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections:

Join now!
  • Choose a vein where the catheter can be safely inserted and where the risk for infection is small.
  • Clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before putting in the catheter.
  • Wear a mask, cap, sterile gown, and sterile gloves when putting in the catheter to keep it sterile
  • Clean the patient’s skin with an antiseptic cleanser before putting in the catheter
  • Clean their hands, wear gloves and clean the catheter opening with an antiseptic solution before using it to draw blood or give medications.
  • Follow company procedures of using a checklist at all times. ...

This is a preview of the whole essay