Proposal to Reduce Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia through a Standardized Nursing Interventions and Education Program
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
M'Lyn Spinks
Department
Wellstar School of Nursing
Abstract
Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a costly issue that is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections in the Intensive Care Unit. It is costly in many ways include monetary, resource wise, and patient outcome wise. The purpose of this project is to determine if a standardized prevention bundle and education program will prove more effective at decreasing ventilator-acquired pneumonia than current practice. Brief Literature Review: Evidence shows that interventions are in place, but an understanding of those interventions and why they are necessary is needed to increase use. This means an education program along with a standardized method of intervening is key to reinforce the decrease of VAP. The Veteran’s Association hospitals partnered with clinical informatics nurses to create a pneumonia prevention program for all units. It could be adapted specifically for VAP and implemented across a hospital system. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on Open Athens using the terms ventilator-acquired pneumonia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, nursing, nursing interventions. Only peer-reviewed journals in the last five years were considered for use in gathering information necessary for this project. Evaluation: Current prevalence of VAP, reporting practices, and prevention practices on the unit this project is launched on will be reviewed before it is implemented. A quiz about VAP and prevention methods will also be given. After the implementation of the project, these statistics will be reviewed again along with a post-test to compare with the data gathered before implementation.
Disciplines
Critical Care Nursing | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nursing
Proposal to Reduce Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia through a Standardized Nursing Interventions and Education Program
Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a costly issue that is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections in the Intensive Care Unit. It is costly in many ways include monetary, resource wise, and patient outcome wise. The purpose of this project is to determine if a standardized prevention bundle and education program will prove more effective at decreasing ventilator-acquired pneumonia than current practice. Brief Literature Review: Evidence shows that interventions are in place, but an understanding of those interventions and why they are necessary is needed to increase use. This means an education program along with a standardized method of intervening is key to reinforce the decrease of VAP. The Veteran’s Association hospitals partnered with clinical informatics nurses to create a pneumonia prevention program for all units. It could be adapted specifically for VAP and implemented across a hospital system. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on Open Athens using the terms ventilator-acquired pneumonia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, nursing, nursing interventions. Only peer-reviewed journals in the last five years were considered for use in gathering information necessary for this project. Evaluation: Current prevalence of VAP, reporting practices, and prevention practices on the unit this project is launched on will be reviewed before it is implemented. A quiz about VAP and prevention methods will also be given. After the implementation of the project, these statistics will be reviewed again along with a post-test to compare with the data gathered before implementation.