Disciplines
Critical Care Nursing
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Catheter-associated infections related to Foley catheter insertion and maintenance is a current problem in my practicum unit and across the United States. Although we are only in the third month of 2022, my practicum unit has already documented three cases of catheter associated infections occurring this year. Unfortunately, these cases are not outside of the norm, in the United States, catheter-associated infections are the second most common hospital acquired infection (Zurmehly, 2018). The purpose of this project is to propose trial interventions at Kennestone Hospital that have been effective in other hospitals like the Shepherd Center to reduce the occurrence of catheter-associated infections.
According to an article published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the authors found that the implementation of a two-person urinary catheter insertion protocol with a checklist decreased the risk of CAUTIs in their patient population (Fletcher-Gutowski & Cecil, 2019). The authors claim that by utilizing this strategy, nurses will maximize teamwork to maintain sterility (Fletcher-Gutowski & Cecil, 2019). Proposed methods to tackle this important problem at Kennestone Hospital would include the implementation of a two nurse sign off sheet for catheter insertion and a catheter care sheet which would be competed every shift. Additionally, the department manager would keep an updated chart that documents each occurrence of CAUTI posted at the nurse’s station.
Lastly, the proposed evaluation of the success of the project’s interventions, would include the department’s Shared Governance Council meeting after the first month of EBP project interventions to compare the current number of CAUTI occurrences with last year’s data during the same month. The interventions would be deemed successful if the number of CAUTI occurrences decreased by at least half.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
WCHHS - Nursing
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Christie Emerson
Included in
Reducing Catheter-Associated Infections Through A Two-Nurse Protocol
Catheter-associated infections related to Foley catheter insertion and maintenance is a current problem in my practicum unit and across the United States. Although we are only in the third month of 2022, my practicum unit has already documented three cases of catheter associated infections occurring this year. Unfortunately, these cases are not outside of the norm, in the United States, catheter-associated infections are the second most common hospital acquired infection (Zurmehly, 2018). The purpose of this project is to propose trial interventions at Kennestone Hospital that have been effective in other hospitals like the Shepherd Center to reduce the occurrence of catheter-associated infections.
According to an article published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the authors found that the implementation of a two-person urinary catheter insertion protocol with a checklist decreased the risk of CAUTIs in their patient population (Fletcher-Gutowski & Cecil, 2019). The authors claim that by utilizing this strategy, nurses will maximize teamwork to maintain sterility (Fletcher-Gutowski & Cecil, 2019). Proposed methods to tackle this important problem at Kennestone Hospital would include the implementation of a two nurse sign off sheet for catheter insertion and a catheter care sheet which would be competed every shift. Additionally, the department manager would keep an updated chart that documents each occurrence of CAUTI posted at the nurse’s station.
Lastly, the proposed evaluation of the success of the project’s interventions, would include the department’s Shared Governance Council meeting after the first month of EBP project interventions to compare the current number of CAUTI occurrences with last year’s data during the same month. The interventions would be deemed successful if the number of CAUTI occurrences decreased by at least half.