Method of obtaining necessary approval and securing support
At first, it is necessary to submit a written report to the administrators of the hospital since they should decide whether an intervention can be launched. This report will include several elements. In particular, one should explain the nature of the problem that should be addressed and why it should not be overlooked. Secondly, this document should contain a description of the strategies that are needed to reduce the risk of infection. Much attention should be paid to the implementation plan explaining the steps that the organization should take in order to achieve its goals. Finally, it is important to provide evidence which can illustrate the efficiency of the proposed intervention. Overall, this application is critical for gaining support of hospital administrators. Moreover, one should explain why funds should be provided for the implementation of this program. These are the main aspects of this report.
Description of the current problem
This plan is aimed at addressing such a problem as catheter-associated urinary tract infection or CAUTI. One should note that CAUTI is one of the most widespread hospital-acquired infections (Rhinehart & Friedman, 2005, p. 26). In particular, it comprises approximately 40 percent of all cases (Rhinehart & Friedman, 2005, p. 26). So, the scale of this problem is one of the reasons why it should attract close attention of healthcare professionals. Additionally, this problem is associated with such risks as urosepsis, cystitis, bacteremia, and many other complications that pose considerable threats (Rhinehart & Friedman, 2005, p. 26). Therefore, CAUTI can significantly impair the health of various patients. Moreover, these people often need to be re-admitted to hospitals. Therefore, it is critical to find methods of reducing the risk of CAUTI since it is a significant healthcare problem affecting a variety of people.
Explanation of the proposed solution
Overall, it is necessary to minimize the use of catheter. One can identify several possible interventions. In particular, medical workers should reduce the days of catheterization. In order to achieve this goal, medical workers should develop protocol which enables them to determine when it is possible to remove a catheter. The main issue is that very often patients continue to use catheters, even though it is no longer necessary. This is one of the details that should be taken into account. This intervention should be applied to both male and female patients who underwent catheterization.
Rationale for selecting proposed solution
The proposed solution can bring several important benefits. First, it can significantly reduce healthcare risks to which patients can be exposed. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about people who have to undergo catheterization. Therefore, this intervention is vital for improving the quality of patient care. Secondly, this recommendation can reduce the costs associated with urinary tract infection. Therefore, the implementation of this plan can bring several benefits to the organization. Admittedly, there are other methods which can minimize the incidence of CAUTI. For instance, researchers examine the efficiency of different catheters (Rhinehart & Friedman, 2005). Nevertheless, this issue still requires further studies. In contrast, the proposed intervention has already been tested in various hospitals.
Evidence
Researchers pay close attention to the methods of reducing the risk of CAUTI. Many of the studies indicate that by minimizing the use of catheters, medical workers can prevent people from acquiring this type of infection. For instance, one can mention the study by Lateef et al. (2009) who argue that the decreased used of catheters is correlated with reduced rates of CAUTI. Certainly, very often, the use of catheter is the only method of helping a patient. Nevertheless, medical workers should limit the duration of catheterization. In particular, in many cases, nurses can initiate the removal of catheter, and this strategy can shield a person from the risk of infection (Mori, 2014, p. 15). Similar findings are derived by other scholars who examined the relation between such variables as the duration of catheterization and the risk of urinary tract infection (Yin-Y et al., 2013). It should be noted that this trends have been observed among various patients who could undergo catheterization (Yin-Y et al., 2013). They might differ in terms of gender, age, or medical history. So, the effectiveness of this strategy is the main reason why it has been chosen among others. These are the main aspects that can be identified. On the whole, the proposed intervention is backed up by empirical evidence.
Description of implementation logistics
In order to implement this plan, hospital administration should pay close attention to the training of the personnel. In particular, they need to know under what circumstance the use of catheters can be avoided. Moreover, it is critical to develop a protocol that enables medical workers to determine when a catheter can be removed. Furthermore, the implementation of this plan requires the assessment of medical workers’ knowledge about the use of catheters. On the whole, this implementation plan will involve both physicians and nurses. For instance, physicians should clearly determine whether a patient needs a catheter. In turn, nurses will be responsible for its removal. Furthermore, it is necessary to change the procedures which are related to the removal of catheters. For instance, medical workers can apply reminders which help them decide whether a patient should continue to use an indwelling catheter (Yin-Y et al., 2013, p. 108). The implementation of this plan should be overseen by nurse managers. These medical workers should make sure that the guidelines for the removal of catheter are followed by nurses who will be responsible for implementing this intervention. These are the main elements of this intervention.
Resources for required implementation
In order to implement this procedure, the hospital should provide several resources. One should keep in mind that this plan can be implemented by at least ten healthcare professionals who will need to develop guidelines catheterization. Secondly, they need to design booklets that will be distributed to nurses. Secondly, it is necessary to provide booklets describing the eligibility criteria for using a catheter. Additionally, the organization should use printed reminders that are needed to make sure that medical workers remove catheters on time. These reminders can help nurses take better decisions regarding the application of catheters. These materials are needed for the success of this intervention.
Additionally, the organization should assess the readiness of medical workers and their knowledge. It is important to design a test which can show to what extent medical workers are knowledgeable about the application of catheters. This information is necessary for identifying and avoiding pitfalls associated with this intervention. Nurses should know exactly when the use of a catheter is indispensible. Yet, these professionals should also tell when there are alternatives that can be applied to assist a patient. Moreover, they should clearly identify the cases when it can be removed. The results of these tests can be needed for training of nurses. This is why this testing is important for proper implementation of this plan.
Furthermore, this program will involve the use of different software applications. In particular, these programs will be needed for the design of booklets and reminders. Additionally, in order to implement this plan, one should use software that facilitates the analysis of statistical data. This analysis will be carried out at the time when the program is implemented. In this way, one can better evaluate the efficiency of this intervention. This is one of the aspects that should be distinguished.
The cost of this program can range from $ 25 000 to $ 50.000. These expenses will be needed for implementing the following parts of the plan: 1) developing and conducting pre-program tests; 2) designing booklets and guidelines and 3) follow-up assessment. The exact amount of money will depend on the number of medical workers who may need to be trained. Nevertheless, these expenses can be justified because in the long term, the hospital can reduce the costs associated with CAUTI.
Additionally, one should focus on the evaluation of this program. In particular, it is critical to compare the rate of CAUTI before and after the implementation of this plan. This evaluation should measure the impact of the intervention on the rate of CAUTI. On the whole, this program can significantly improve the experiences of patients who may need to undergo catheterization. To some degree, this plan can offer the most cost-effective solution to this problem.
Reference List
Lateef, O., Killeen, E. K., Ketchem, A., Wiley, A., & Patel, G. (2009) Reducing use of indwelling urinary catheters and associated urinary tract infections. American Journal of Critical care, 18(6), 535-541.
Mori, C. (2014). Avoiding catastrophe: Implementing a nurse-driven protocol. MEDSURG Nursing. 23(2), 15-28.
Rhinehart, E., & Friedman, M. (2005). Infection Control in Home Care and Hospice. New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Yin-Y, C., Mei-M, C., Yu C., Yu-J, C., Shin-S., & Fu-Der, W. (2013). Using a criteria based reminder to reduce use of indwelling urinary catheter and decrease urinary tract infections. American Journal of Critical Care,22(2), 105-14.