ABSTRACT
Previously, blood and body fluid exposures were managed by a visit to the University Employee Health Clinic during normal business hours and the Emergency Department after hours. We implemented the "S-T-I-C-K" program where health care personnel were evaluated immediately after exposure by a nurse-driven 24/7 hotline. Increasing accessibility to care and a simplified process for exposure management led to a significant decrease in Emergency Department utilization and time between the exposure and receipt of post-exposure prophylaxis.
ABSTRACT
Nurses' practice of listening to bowel sounds was first proposed in 1905 and continues today, largely unquestioned. The authors developed a project to determine whether any compelling evidence exists for using this method to assess for the return of gastrointestinal (GI) motility following abdominal surgery. Literature on the subject was evaluated and an assessment of nursing practice was conducted. Based on the literature review and the assessment, a nursing practice guideline was developed, implemented, and evaluated. (Note that the nursing practice guideline outlined in this article was evaluated for use with abdominal surgery patients only and has not been evaluated in and may not be appropriate for other patient populations). The results were positive and indicate that clinical parameters other than bowel sounds, such as the return of flatus and the first postoperative bowel movement, are appropriate in assessing for the return of GI motility after abdominal surgery. Bowel sound assessment was discontinued and patient outcomes were evaluated to make sure that the practice change had no adverse effect on patients' recovery.
