Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Standardizing Patient Handoffs In The Icu – Implementing The “I Put Patients First” Tool., Wislande Joseph

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Background. Ineffective patient handoff can result in poor nurse communication, increasing the likelihood of adverse events including medication and documentation errors.

Context/Problem. In one 20-bed ICU unit in a northern California community hospital, 48 patient handoffs were observed over 2 weeks. Only 29% occurred at the patient’s bedside; 39.5% used a standardized handoff tool; and 54% included the patient and/or family. These findings indicate significant quality gaps in the unit’s ICU patient handoff processes.

Intervention. The educational intervention consisted of one introductory and two follow-up teaching sessions related to best practices for handoff processes followed by implementation …

A Systems Approach To Increase The Icu Nursing Workforce During A Pandemic, Jennifer Mendenhall

Master's Projects and Capstones

A Systems Approach to Increase the ICU Nursing Workforce During a Pandemic

Abstract

In early March 2020 an intensive care unit (ICU) patient died of COVID-19 in an integrated healthcare system hospital in Northern California. Data from China and the CDC indicated that more healthcare members would require intensive care and could overwhelm the 21 acute care hospital macrosystem. A microsystem pilot program to upskill peri-anesthesia care unit (PACU) RNs to care for ICU patients was initiated. Concurrently the upskill pilot program was reviewed by macrosystem nursing leadership. Over a three-week period, the program was standardized, disseminated and implemented across …

Decreasing The Fall Rate On A Medical Surgical Unit With An Enhanced Fall Algorithm In The Electronic Medical Record, Natali Sokolovski

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper summarizes the quality improvement falls prevention project on a Medical-Surgical unit with an Enhanced Fall Algorithm incorporated in the Electronic Medical Record conducted by two Clinical Nurse Leader students of the University of San Francisco.

This project addresses the patient falls events in a San Francisco-Bay Area Hospital on a Medical-Surgical unit. The aim is to decrease the rate of falls on a Medical-Surgical microsystem unit by 50% with an Enhanced Fall Algorithm incorporated into the Electronic Medical Record by June 2021. The patient population consists of general medical surgical patients where many of the patients have an …

A Preoperative Hand Hygiene Campaign: " No One Left Behand.", Keri Mccoy

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Surgical site infections (SSIs) account for 20% of all hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Performance of consistent, accurate hand hygiene practices by healthcare workers is the most effective means of preventing infection, yet the average compliance rates remain low. The preoperative (PREOP) unit carries tremendous responsibility for decreasing each patient's risk for SSI by adequately following the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for hand hygiene. The PREOP remains at a low average hand hygiene compliance rate of 69%, with decreased consistency, frequency, and knowledge deficit of hygiene practices. The aim of the quality improvement (QI) hand hygiene campaign is to …

Implemented Nurse Education To Improve The Effective Use Of The Sapphire Pca Pump: Achievement Of Quality Pain Control, Fanta Keita Zable

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Sapphire ™ Infusion System Patient-Controlled-Analgesia (PCA) pump is a device that is used to administer high pain medication to manage a patient’s pain level after an invasive procedure such as surgery. In order to achieve this goal, nurses must be able to use the sapphire equipment efficiently to prevent medication overdose and underdose, as well as to preserve safety for both the patients and the nurses themselves. In addition, nurses must be able to document accurately on EPIC. The purpose of this project, led by the team of Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) students from the University of San Francisco, …