Nursing Commons^™

Improving The Utilization Of Lunch Breaks For Nursing Staff, Norma Dawson, Kelsey Robinson, Bridget Miller, Deborah Monck, Beth Kessler

Operations Transformation

The Med-Surg Unit at LincolnHealth has a high number of nursing staff missing lunch breaks, despite encouragement and existing efforts to promote taking breaks. In addition, there are many instances where staff are not accounting for the breaks they have taken on their time sheets.

Approach To Pivie In Pediatrics: Standardization For Early Detection, Jamie Green, Jill Gregory, Elizabeth Murphy, Jessica Miller, Nicole Manchester, Frank Harris, Meaghan Wildes, Cecilia Inman, Jenn Paradis, Faye Weir

Operations Transformation

PIVIE (Peripheral Intravenous Infiltration & Extravasation) can have devastating effects, especially in the pediatric population. The condition may disrupt vasculature severe enough for permanent skin and tissue loss that can lead to impaired limb function due to severe scarring. Problem: No standardized process existed either to prevent or review these events at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center prior to the study. PIVIEs were measured through the event reporting platform and only severe PIVIEs were being documented in this report. All infiltrations (1-4 on the infiltration scale) should be measured for accurate benchmarking. Occurrences in the electronic medical …

Improving Access To Mainehealth Care At Home, Amanda Kunkel, Mhcah Intake Department, Mhcah Scheduling Department, Mhcah Clinical Leadership Team

Operations Transformation

It is known that there are capacity limitations at MaineHealth Care at Home caused by a decrease in staffing. This leads to limited availability of home health services to patients in the community and can also contribute to increased length of stay for patients in acute care hospitals. MaineHealth Care at Home needs a way to measure current capacity to accept referrals and improved systems for communicating with referral sources.

The Therapeutic Use Of Intraoperative Music To Reduce Postoperative Pain In Patients Receiving General Anesthesia, Caroline Ford

Nurse Residency

Background: The recovery from surgery can be very painful for some patients and require opioid management and longer hospital stays for unmanaged pain. Music has been a non-analgesic way of helping patients with chronic pain and recent studies have shown that music intraoperatively can greatly improve the patients' pain after surgery requiring general anesthesia.

The Challenge: No Harm Index Relay Race, Hannah Taylor, Kate Campbell

Nursing

The Challenge: No Harm Index Relay Race is an evidence-based learning program developed to provide a group of learners the opportunity to solve a series of skill-related puzzles and complete tasks related to the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators

Environmentally Friendly Disposal Of Pharmaceuticals In The Hospital Setting, Kate Sobanik

Nurse Residency

Background: The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Drug Enforcement have regulations on the safe handling of narcotics as well as guidelines for environmental sustainability with the disposal of all pharmaceuticals. Federal, state and local regulations can vary but hospitals are required to dispose of pharmaceuticals in specific ways to prevent injury to the environment and living organisms.

Implementation Of Frequent Skin Assessments, Tiffany Gagnon

Nurse Residency

Background:

The current skin assessment policy at the Behavioral Health Unit at Southern Maine Health Care requires more frequent skin checks for patients who are immobile in a mental health department.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports “hospital-acquired pressure injury rates continue to rise across the United States” (Pittman et al., 2022).

Initiating Chlorhexidine Wipes For Infection Prevention In The Icu, Samantha Carey

Nurse Residency

Background

• Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) result in approximately 28,000 deaths and approximately $2.3 billion in added costs to the U.S. healthcare system each year, and yet, many of these infections are preventable (Reynolds, 2021).

• Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is an antiseptic that can be used for skin cleaning and has been shown to be effective against a wide range of organisms, including some antimicrobial-resistant organisms.

• The primary objective of this study was to assess the incidents of CLABSI’s when CHG wipes were implemented compared to traditional bathing soap and water for patients with a central line in …

The Registered Nurse, Fall Prevention, And Mobilization Alarms, Anna Williams

Nurse Residency

Background:

Current Maine Health policy requires response to a mobilization alarm within 5 minutes by a RN, CNA or other clinician. Fall risk assessments are required upon arrival and admission, at the beginning of each shift, transfer between units, changes in patient condition and after a fall.

Current practice involves the TIPS tool.

How Important Are Regular Breaks For Bedside Nursing Staff?, Gabriel Wohl

Nurse Residency

Background: A career in nursing can be a challenging one and a rewarding one. Nurses work directly with patients in need, in a way that their efforts have an immediate and tangible impact. Due to the nature of the work itself, nursing is also a physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding career that often leads to exhaustion, burnout, and in many cases, a departure from the profession altogether. It is well known that nurses work long hours and often receive little to no breaks. Is this lack of proper breaks a chief accessory to the overall dissatisfaction and burnout that nurses …

Effect Of Preoperative Skin Cleansing On Instances Of Surgical Site Infections, Katie Armington, Jessica Blank, Madison Waterhouse, Cynthia Gavett, Hailey Tofflemoyer, Rachelle Cassidy, Lindsay Bushnell, Jennifer Barriere, Anastasia Colbath

Nurse Residency

Background

• On a single square centimeter of skin, there can be as many as 10 million aerobic bacteria

• Bacteria on a patient’s skin is the leading cause of infection related to surgery

• 17% of all hospital acquired infections come from surgical site infections

• Surgical site infections cost about $3,000 $29,000 per patient

Is Sepsis Hiding In Plain Sight? Implementation Of An Interprofessional (Ip) Sepsis Simulation To Detect Early Sepsis, Sarah Chang, Amanda Bennett, Anne Dean, Meaghan Anderson, Micheline Chipman

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2023

Early detection of hospital-acquired sepsis can be challenging. With highly effective IP teams and efficient healthcare systems, sepsis treated quickly can influence morbidity and mortality. This project is aimed at training IP teams in early recognition of sepsis using simulation. Nurses and providers rarely have opportunities to learn together. Simulation followed by an IP debrief is an excellent tool to collaborate for safe patient care.

Code Blue: Back To Basics, Melissa N. Allen Msn, Rn, Hannah Taylor Msn, Rnc-Mnn, Jennifer Smith Bsn, Rn

Southern Maine Health Care

Introduction: High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) improves a patient’s chance of survival. High-quality CPR started immediately after cardiac arrest combined with early defibrillation can double or triple the chances of survival.

In 2021 Joint Commission (JC) provided new and revised in-hospital resuscitation standards due to suboptimal patient outcomes related to poor resuscitation performance.

Resilience Of Regional Hospital Nursing Staff Working During The Covid-19 Pandemic Measured By The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Jill Petzel Baer

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2021

Low resilience is widespread in nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

Spiritual/Religious Orientation And Moral Distress In Pulmonary Care Nurses: An Exploration Of Ethical Norms, Moral Agency And Moral Resilience, Kristiina Hyrkas, Myrna Koonce

Costas T. Lambrew Research Retreat 2021

Introduction

• Nurses who provide care which they perceive as increasing suffering often experience moral distress (MD).

• Response to MD is a key factor in nurse wellbeing and retention, and is widely studied in nurses.

• Less research exists on foundations of moral belief and practice among nurses.

The Center For Nursing Research And Quality Outcomes, Jennifer Laflamme, Kristiina Hyrkas

Annual Reports

10 Year Anniversary Book of Research, Magnet Conference and Quality Improvement Project Abstracts, 2010-2020: Cover and Table of Contents. Index published separately.

The Center For Nursing Research And Quality Outcomes, Jennifer Laflamme, Kristiina Hyrkas

Annual Reports

10 Year Anniversary Book of Research, Magnet Conference and Quality Improvement Project Abstracts, 2010-2020: Index. Cover and Table of Contents published separately.

Improving Communication Between Child Life Services And Nursing On An Inpatient Pediatric Unit, Sherryann St. Pierre, Elizabeth Shaughnessy, Bethany Kay, Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, Mark Parker, Suneela Nayak, Ruth Hanselman, Stephen Tyzik, Amy Sparks

Operations Transformation

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CHILD LIFE SERVICES AND NURSING ON AN INPATIENT HOSPITAL UNIT

Effective communication between patient caregivers has been shown to reduce stress and trauma related to hospitalization and subsequent improved outcomes. An HCAHP score for a 30 bed acute inpatient pediatric unit illustrated the confusion faced by children as a result of nursing and care life specialists not working together as a team.

A root cause analysis identified a number of issues as to why patients were not benefitting fully from child life services. Several counter measures were instituted with the goals of improving the HCAHP score and …

Or Rn Onboarding. A Quality Improvement Project, Victoria Burkhart, Eroica Hunter

Interprofessional Research and Innovations Council

OR RN Onboarding. A Quality Improvement Project.

Victoria Burkhart, BSN, RN

Eroica Hunter, BSN, RN, CNOR

Background: National Data¹ shows that about 18% (1 in 5) new RNs leave their 1^st job within 1 year; 1 in 3 leave within 2 years. National Data² also shows that OR nursing turnover was in 2014 17.2% and in 2015 this had increased to 19.2%. At MMC OR turnover compares to national data, but has been slightly lower over the past years (e.g. 2014 - 10.9%; 2015 - 10.8% and 2016 - 9.5%). However, today in MMC OR, 28 …

Partnership, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

Biennial Report on Nursing, 2015-2016

Partnership, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

Biennial Report on Nursing, 2013-2014

Spirit And Practice Excellence, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

Biennial Report on Nursing, 2011-2012

Spirit & Practice, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

Annual Report on Nursing, 2009-2010

Mmc Nursing...Caring Through Leadership, Knowledge & Compassion, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

Report on Nursing Research and Quality Outcomes, vol. 2, 2007 & 2008

Mmc Nursing...Caring Through Leadership, Knowledge & Compassion, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

Report on Nursing, vol. 1, 2007-2008

We Have Arrived!: Magnet Status 2006, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

Report on Nursing Research and Outcomes, vol. 2, 2005 & 2006

We Have Arrived!: Magnet Status 2006, Maine Medical Center

Annual Reports

Report on Nursing, vol. 1, 2005 & 2006

Memories Of Maine General Hospital, Althea Poland Woodward, George O. Cummings, Catharine Beatley, Marion L. Dunn, Isaac M. Webber

Histories

Publication of poems, photos, and stories about the Maine General Hospital/Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME