ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study was aimed to identify potential obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in ambulatory surgical patients and create perianesthesia nursing protocols using a reliable and validated screening tool. DESIGN: Descriptive survey. METHODS: A nurse-initiated OSA survey was conducted in 1,118 preoperative ambulatory patients using the STOP-Bang Questionnaire to identify patients at risk for OSA. The findings resulted in the development of protocols, patient education, and interventions. FINDINGS: Ambulatory surgical patients were not routinely assessed for OSA before this study. The study verified that 10% of patients scheduled for ambulatory elective surgery had undiagnosed OSA and, because of the OSA identification, 16% of all scheduled surgeries were canceled. There were no unnecessary hospitalizations after the nurse-initiated OSA protocol. CONCLUSIONS: The STOP-Bang Questionnaire is a useful tool for screening patients with risks of OSA in the ambulatory surgical setting. This study supports using nursing best practices and safe patient care.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Surgical Procedures/methods , Mass Screening/methods , Perioperative Nursing/organization & administration , Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic/methods , Preoperative Care/methods , Prospective Studies , Snoring/etiology , Surveys and QuestionnairesSubject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Mortality/trends , Quality Improvement/organization & administration , Quality Indicators, Health Care/organization & administration , Sepsis/mortality , Sepsis/nursing , Humans , Male , Models, Organizational , Program Evaluation , Sepsis/diagnosis , Sepsis/prevention & control , United StatesSubject(s)
Emergency Service, Hospital/organization & administration , Occupational Exposure/legislation & jurisprudence , Occupational Exposure/prevention & control , Violence/legislation & jurisprudence , Violence/prevention & control , Humans , New Mexico , Occupational Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Safety Management/methods , Violence/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
More than 260,000 total joint replacements are performed every year in the United States. The University of New Mexico Hospital is a publicly held hospital that provides healthcare to many patients who are uninsured and indigent. More than 200 joint replacement surgeries are performed every year at University Hospital, Albuquerque, NM, resulting in an average length of stay of 5.7 days and other patient outcomes. The average cost ranges from $18,000 to $22,000 per procedure, with a reimbursement rate of 61%. Nursing care of these patients can be a challenge and an orthopaedic nurse case manager can effect positive patient outcomes.
Subject(s)
Arthroplasty, Replacement/nursing , Case Management , Medical Indigency , Nursing Service, Hospital , Orthopedic Nursing , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Arthroplasty, Replacement/economics , Arthroplasty, Replacement/statistics & numerical data , Female , Hospitals, Public/economics , Hospitals, University/economics , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , New Mexico , Nursing Service, Hospital/economics , Nursing Service, Hospital/organization & administrationABSTRACT
Nursing research promotes quality patient care and cost reduction. Learn what barriers exist to nurses conducting research and implementing findings, and how one hospital overcame them.
