WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THE FOCUSED SELECTION OF SUPPLIES COMPARED WITH THE USE OF PRE-SET KITS ON NURSE EFFICIENCY AND SATISFACTION
Disciplines
Other Nursing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
United States hospitals collectively produce over 5 million tons of waste annually, or roughly 33 pounds per bed daily. Inefficient use of resources, including collection tubes, syringes, needles, tubing, and medication, leads to increased operating costs, decreased profit margins, and increases the threat posed by global supply chain shortages on safe medical intervention. Supply shortages reduce nurse efficiency in completing tasks due to lost time spent searching for necessary supplies. Hospital operation costs increase as staff efficiency decreases resulting in poor fiscal performance. Additionally, nurses may devise unapproved workarounds placing themselves and patients at increased risk. Reducing waste may help alleviate the strain felt by nurses due to supply constraints. While a literature review found studies which focused on reducing waste after use through sorting and recycling, research on reducing waste before interventions are performed is limited. This assessment aims to determine if education on “grab only what you need” material use affects nurse efficiency and satisfaction versus the use of pre-made kits. We will focus on IV start kits only as a pilot study. These kits are widely available in hospitals, yet rarely are all contents used, resulting in near guaranteed wasted with every use. Education will be provided to ER nurses at a single hospital on awareness of grabbing only what is needed and replacing unused items after task completion. The trial period will run over the course of two months. Nurses will be provided with a pre-trial survey to assess current use of IV start kits and willingness to adopt “grab only what you need” education and practice. After two months, a post-trial survey will be administered to assess nurse satisfaction and perceived effect on efficiency of task completion.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Christie Emerson
Additional Faculty
Sena Able, Nursing, sable@kennesaw.edu
WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THE FOCUSED SELECTION OF SUPPLIES COMPARED WITH THE USE OF PRE-SET KITS ON NURSE EFFICIENCY AND SATISFACTION
United States hospitals collectively produce over 5 million tons of waste annually, or roughly 33 pounds per bed daily. Inefficient use of resources, including collection tubes, syringes, needles, tubing, and medication, leads to increased operating costs, decreased profit margins, and increases the threat posed by global supply chain shortages on safe medical intervention. Supply shortages reduce nurse efficiency in completing tasks due to lost time spent searching for necessary supplies. Hospital operation costs increase as staff efficiency decreases resulting in poor fiscal performance. Additionally, nurses may devise unapproved workarounds placing themselves and patients at increased risk. Reducing waste may help alleviate the strain felt by nurses due to supply constraints. While a literature review found studies which focused on reducing waste after use through sorting and recycling, research on reducing waste before interventions are performed is limited. This assessment aims to determine if education on “grab only what you need” material use affects nurse efficiency and satisfaction versus the use of pre-made kits. We will focus on IV start kits only as a pilot study. These kits are widely available in hospitals, yet rarely are all contents used, resulting in near guaranteed wasted with every use. Education will be provided to ER nurses at a single hospital on awareness of grabbing only what is needed and replacing unused items after task completion. The trial period will run over the course of two months. Nurses will be provided with a pre-trial survey to assess current use of IV start kits and willingness to adopt “grab only what you need” education and practice. After two months, a post-trial survey will be administered to assess nurse satisfaction and perceived effect on efficiency of task completion.