Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Improving Initial Lactic Acid Compliance Of Suspected Septic Adults In A Rural Emergency Department, Nataleigh Jones

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Sepsis remains one of the leading causes of death in hospital settings. The doctor of nursing practice (DNP) project demonstrated areas that the hospital is doing satisfactorily with compliance and many areas for improvement within the organization regarding sepsis compliance. The DNP project demonstrated the effectiveness of the sepsis best practice advisory (BPA) tool in increasing sepsis bundle compliance in the emergency department (ED).

Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project is to help aid in the early recognition of sepsis and improve initial lactic acid compliance in a local emergency department. Many tools help with the early recognition …

Improving Intravenous Fluid Resuscitation Compliance Of Severe Septic And Septic Shock Adults In A Rural Emergency Room, Alison Douglas

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project focused on the delay in intravenous fluid (IVF) resuscitation of sepsis and septic shock patients in the emergency room (ER) before inpatient admission.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to improve the time-sensitive administration of IVF resuscitation of adult patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock by enhancing ER nurses’ end-user knowledge of and adherence to evidence-based sepsis treatment recommendations over approximately six weeks (42 days).

Methods: Retrospective chart reviews were performed in December 2021 and focused on IVF resuscitation times. Pre-intervention questionnaires were completed, assessing baseline nursing knowledge. Nurse education …

Sepsis Initiative: Champion Series, Ashlie Barnes

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction syndrome caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Septic shock is defined as a subset of sepsis in which particularly profound circulatory, cellular, and metabolic abnormalities are associated with a higher risk of mortality than with sepsis alone. Each year, more than 1.7 million people are diagnosed with sepsis in the United States, and at least 270,000 Americans die. There is no confirmatory diagnostic test to diagnose sepsis. Therefore, clinical judgment based on evidence of infection and organ dysfunction is key.

Despite thousands of articles and hundreds of trials, sepsis plays …

Early Detection Of Sepsis In Direct Admit Hospitalized Patients: Implementing A New Sepsis Screening Checklist, Connie Lasley

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Early detection of sepsis in hospitalized patients in small rural hospitals can save lives. Subtle changes in patients can go undetected by nurses and doctors, leading to septic shock, increasing the length of stay in the hospital or death. In a small Alabama hospital, nurses were missing the early signs and symptoms of developing sepsis due to a lack of a monitoring system and proper education regarding sepsis.

Objective: The development of a sepsis screening checklist to place on each direct admitted patient’s chart to collect vital signs every four-hours each 12-hour shift to alert nurses of early signs …

Using Infographics To Improve Completion Rates Of The Sepsis Protocol Bundle, Stephen Newbern

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hospitals have sepsis protocols that must be implemented when a patient shows positive signs and symptoms of a septic infection. Nurses learn about sepsis in nursing school and rarely further their education beyond this basic understanding of the disease. So, when nurses fail to comply with organizational instructions outlined within a defined sepsis protocol bundle, this often leads to a progression of severe sepsis in a patient and, most likely, increased cost for the healthcare facility. Multiple sepsis protocol bundle failures negatively impact organizational ratings established by The Joint Commission for patient care and are highly associated with increased sepsis …

Early Antibiotic Administration For Sepsis, Joseph Hooks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by the body's response to an infection causing systemic inflammation. Timely intervention with broad-spectrum antibiotics is linked to improved outcomes, reversal of organ failure, and decreased hospital length of stay. Studies show that the incidence of sepsis is increasing, while mortality related to sepsis has declined over the past several decades. Effective treatment of the source of infection is key to improving sepsis recovery and preventing septic shock. Epidemiologic studies are showing startling increases in sepsis cases with falling mortality rates. Sepsis awareness is a primary focus of quality improvement initiatives in hospitals …