Redesigning Rounds in the ICU: Standardizing Key Elements Improves Interdisciplinary Communication.

BACKGROUND: Daily multidisciplinary rounds (MDR) in the ICU represent a mechanism by which health care professionals from different disciplines and specialties can meet to synthesize data, think collectively, and form complete patient care plans. It was hypothesized that providing a standardized, structured approach to the daily rounds process would improve communication and collaboration in seven distinct ICUs in a single academic medical center. METHODS: Lean-inspired methodology and information provided by frontline staff regarding inefficiencies and barriers to optimal team functioning were used in designing a toolkit for standardization of rounds in the ICUs. Staff perceptions about communication were measured, and direct observations of rounds were conducted before and after implementation of the intervention. RESULTS: After implementation of the intervention, nurse participation during presentation of patient data increased from 17/47 (36.2%) to 56/78 (71.8%) (p < 0.0002) in the surgical ICUs and from 8/23 (34.8%) to 107/107 (100%) (p <0.0001) in the medical ICUs. Nurse participation during generation of the daily plan increased in the surgical ICUs from 24/47 (51.1%) to 63/78 (80.8%) (p = 0.0005) and from 7/23 (30.4%) to 106/107 (99.1%) (p < 0.0001) in the medical ICUs. Miscommunications and errors were corrected in nearly half of the rounding episodes observed. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the implementation of a simple toolkit that can be incorporated into existing work flow and rounding culture in several different types of ICUs can result in improvements in engagement of nursing staff and in overall communication.

Nurse Project Consultant: Critical Care Nurses Move Beyond the Bedside to Affect Quality and Safety.

A nurse project consultant role empowered 3 critical care nurses to expand their scope of practice beyond the bedside and engage within complex health care delivery systems to reduce harms in the intensive care unit. As members of an interdisciplinary team, the nurse project consultants contributed their clinical expertise and systems knowledge to develop innovations that optimize care provided in the intensive care unit. This article discusses the formal development of and institutional support for the nurse project consultant role. The nurse project consultants' responsibilities within a group of quality improvement initiatives are described and their challenges and lessons learned discussed. The nurse project consultant role is a new model of engaging critical care nurses as leaders in health care redesign.

Adoption of an Electronic Template to Promote Evidence-Based Practice for Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, and Directives Documents.

BACKGROUND: Policies, procedures, and guidelines standardize care, meet regulatory requirements, and can promote safety in clinical practice. The existing protocols, policies, guidelines, and directives (PPGDs) at a level 1 trauma academic medical center were underused by the intensive care unit clinicians and did not always clearly represent the supporting evidence. AIMS: The goals of this project were to update the Critical Care Practice Manual (CCPM) and to ensure that clinical practice was aligned with best evidence. The aim was to design a new PPGD template that used technology to enhance the presentation and functionality of these documents. METHODS: Nurse project consultants reviewed every PPGD and solicited feedback from critical care nurses who consistently identified 2 barriers to utilization of CCPM: difficulty finding PPGDs and the cumbersomeness of lengthy policies. This improvement project used the principles of the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle to test changes in real time. When 95% of the PPGDs were in the new format, a 22-question survey was created to elicit feedback from the direct care nurses who used the PPGD in the new electronic format. RESULTS: On the basis of the survey results, nurses at the medical center accessed a PPGD at least once a month. The overall results indicated that the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the PPGDs provided guidance (85%), reflected current practice (76%), were clear and concise (75%), and were evidence based (73%). Only 24% of those surveyed were still having difficulty finding PPGDs. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: To facilitate timely modification and early adoption of the new PPGD format, the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle was effectively used. The CCPM adopted a new electronic format that met the aims of the project. When making a commitment to develop evidence-based practice policies and guidelines, it is important to revisit the process, consider ongoing support, and educate frontline staff as applicable. The new template restored and enhanced the standardization of PPGDs. Technology can enhance usability and improve functionality, but it can also prove to be frustrating when implementing changes that use it, especially if users are not comfortable with it.