Practitioners integrate patient values and new ideas in nursing to support the health needs of more patients. These practices will result in evidence-based practice (EBP). The problem of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) continues to affect many patients and health facilities. This paper explains how a HAI management practices can be embraced using the ACE star model and implemented in the targeted unit using a powerful change model.
Change Model Overview
The ACE Star model is utilized by nurses to organize EBP processes. The five stages outlined in the model include “knowledge discovery, evidence summary, translation into practice recommendations, implementation into practice, and evaluation” (Kumar, 2015, p. 523). The theoretical model outlines different varieties of knowledge in a cyclic sequence.
The sequence focuses on the manner in which research information and evidence is implemented through various cycles. The knowledge is combined with new insights and adopted in nursing practices. The ACE Star model guides practitioners to implement EBP approaches in healthcare settings (Kumar, 2015). Nurses who use these cyclic steps to implement change can improve patients’ health outcomes.
Scope of the EBP
HAIs affect many healthcare units, settings, and practitioners. Such infections are caused by microorganisms such as Clostridium difficile and Staphylococcus aureus (Khan, Ahmad, & Mehboob, 2015). These infections can affect the skin, body organs, or soft tissues. Nazir and Kadri (2013) observed that HAIs were becoming prevalent in many health institutions. Around five cases of HAIs are recorded every month in my unit. The number of such cases might be higher in the facility. Similarly, the problem is prevalent in many healthcare institutions. HAIs are also associated with increased medical costs and longer in-hospital stays.
Stakeholders
The targeted change will be undertaken by a team of eight professionals. I will be the team leader. The team will include three two RNs, a pharmacist, a caregiver, an information technology (IT) specialist, and two nurse aids. These individuals will be equipped with the right resources and updates.
Responsibility of Team Members
The two nurses will be trained and empowered to mentor others. The nurse aids will focus on the best practices that can be embraced by every patient. The physician will communicate the agenda to different departments and managers. The IT specialist will offer technological insights to implement the change successfully. The pharmacists will monitor the manner in which drugs are prescribed.
Evidence
Nazir and Kadri (2013) acknowledge that HAIs continue to affect many patients. The use of antiseptic soaps and detergents is supported by different researchers. These chemicals are used to wash hands in an attempt to minimize infections. Mehta et al. (2014) encourage nurses to use powerful HAI management to deal with readmissions and increased medical costs. These researches have their unique strengths because they offer meaningful insights that can be utilized to deal with HAIs. The recommendations can be treated as clinical guidelines that have the potential to improve the health outcomes of more patients. However, they fail to deliver meaningful information due to the limited nature of their respective sample sizes.
Summary
Different measures can be implemented to deal with HAI infections. However, the use of bar soaps and chlorhexidine might not mitigate the rates of infection. This understanding explains why the change project will focus on the effectiveness of various HAI management procedures (Khan et al., 2015).
Recommendations for Change Based on Evidence
HAI management processes should be taken seriously to manage support more patients. Different measures can empower practitioners to embrace evidence-based practices. The main focus of the project is to support the implementation of evidence-based HAI management procedures in the healthcare facility (Shahida et al., 2016). Nurses will deal with these health challenges using appropriate therapeutic and infection management practices.
Translation
Action Plan
The intended goal is to create a new environment that promotes appropriate HAI management practices and therapies. Kurt Lewin’s model of change will guide the change process. The first stage will be to refreeze the unit. Every stakeholder will have a role to play. Members of the unit will be informed about the facts of HAIs and their impacts on healthcare delivery. Practitioners will be educated about the importance of appropriate HAIs management practices. The second phase focuses on changing the situation (Mehta et al., 2014). This stage will encourage different stakeholders to embrace specific practices such as hand washing with bacterial soap, provision of antibiotics to patients, constant monitoring, and sterilization of equipment. The third stage is freezing. This phase will ensure the implemented practices become part of the unit.
The proposed change will be completed within a month. The first week will be used to sensitize and inform more people about the benefits of the proposed processes and the challenges of HAIs (stage 1). The next two weeks will be appropriate for implementing the project. The last week will be used to assess the success of the project. The next issue will focus on evaluation. This will be done throughout the second month. Constant monitoring and collection of feedbacks will assess the effectiveness of the project (Shahida et al., 2016). Nurses’ experiences and outcomes of patients will determine the success of the project. The information captured from the assessment process will be reported using surveys. The data will be analyzed and communicated to the facility in a timely manner.
Process, Outcomes Evaluation and Reporting
The targeted outcomes include reduced cases of HAIs, better working environments, and increased levels of satisfaction. These outcomes will be measured using feedbacks from both the nurses and patients (Kumar, 2015). The number of readmissions or prolonged stays in hospitals will gauge the success of the project. The captured information will be analyzed, condensed, and communicated to the stakeholders using emails or internal memos.
Next Steps
The next strategy is to implement the project in the facility. The success recorded in the unit will become the model for promoting change in the institution. The new change will be aimed at supporting the acquisition of the proposed evidence-based practices in the organization. The involvement of departmental leaders and managers will ensure the change is successful (Shahida et al., 2016). The targeted model will transform the practices in the facility. Constant updates and training programs will ensure the new practices become part of the facility.
Findings
The achievements from the project will be communicated within the organization using memos and newsletters. Departmental heads will receive timely updates and share the information with every worker (Kumar, 2015). The institution’s website will be used to communicate findings to different community members.
Conclusion
Many healthcare institutions are struggling with the problem of HAIs. The ACE Star change model EBP process presents five steps that can promote knowledge transformation. The first stage focuses on the discovery of knowledge. The information is then summarized in the second phase. The third stage is translation into appropriate recommendations for practice. This gives way for implementation into practice. The last stage is to evaluate the success of the new practice. With the use of Kurt Lewin’s change model, the ACE star approach can be implemented successfully to support the health needs of more patients.
References
Khan, H. A., Ahmad, A., & Mehboob, R. (2015). Nasocomial infections and their control strategies. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 5(7), 509-514. Web.
Kumar, Y. (2015). Evidence-based quality improvement: A knowledge transformation in nursing care. International Journal of Health Sciences and Research, 5(8), 522-524. Web.
Mehta, Y., Gupta, A., Todi, S., Myatra, S. N., Samaddar, D. P., Patil, V., Bhattacharya, P. K., & Ramasubban, S. (2014). Guidelines for prevention of hospital acquired infections. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 18(3), 149-163. Web.
Nazir, A., & Kadri, S. M. (2013). An overview of hospital acquired infections and the role of the microbiology laboratory. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2(1), 21-27. Web.
Shahida, S. M., Islam, A., Dey, B. R., Islam, F., Venkatesh, K., & Goodman, A. (2016). Hospital acquired infections in low and middle income countries: Root cause analysis and the development of infection control practices in Bangladesh. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6, 28-39. Web.