Nursing schools and academic health centers: toward improved alignment and a synergistic partnership.

This paper presents the findings from a national survey which the University of Washington conducted among leaders of 32 US academic nursing institutions that are part of academic health centers (AHCs) and complements these findings with results from a separate report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. While expressing overall satisfaction with their AHC relationships, these leaders find that nursing is often given greater parity in matters of education and research than in mission setting, financial, and governance matters. AHCs are being asked to meet new health care challenges in new ways, starting with the education of health care professionals. AHCs need to be restructured to give nursing full parity if the nation's and world's needs for preventive and clinical care are to be best met.

Impact of an Electronic Medical Record Screening Tool and Therapist-Driven Protocol on Length of Stay and Hospital Readmission for COPD.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, care for COPD patients is frequently delivered by respiratory therapists (RTs). After implementing a therapist-driven protocol for COPD treatment, we sought to improve identification of COPD patients. We hypothesized that using an electronic medical record screening tool to identify subjects with COPD combined with a therapist-driven protocol would positively impact length of stay (LOS) and readmission rates. METHODS: Utilizing the electronic medical record to search the provider's admission notes for the terms COPD/Asthma, a report was generated. Subjects already receiving RT services were removed. An RT evaluated identified subjects using a therapist-driven protocol combining clinical assessment and FEV1 to calculate an air-flow obstruction score. Scores ≥7 received 24 h of bronchodilator therapy by RTs. Scores <7 received assessment by RTs but bronchodilator therapy administered by nursing staff. An RT performed medication reconciliation and education for both groups. ICD-9 discharge codes identified primary and secondary diagnoses of COPD. LOS and 30-d readmission rates were measured for a 14-month period. Respiratory-triggered rapid response data were also collected. RESULTS: The pre-intervention period was from December 2013 to June 2014, and the post-intervention period was from July 2014 to January 2015. There were 142 subjects in total, 68 pre-intervention and 74 post-intervention. For primary COPD, mean LOS decreased from 4.37 to 2.96 d (P = .10), and 30-d readmission rates decreased from 13.6 to 6.1%. Respiratory-triggered rapid response data were as follows: The pre-intervention span was from January 2014 to June 2014, and post-intervention was from July 2014 to December 2015. For primary COPD, there were 61 pre-intervention subjects and 63 post-intervention with a decrease in respiratory-triggered rapid responses from 21 pre-intervention (34.4%) to 8 post-intervention (12.7%) (P = .004). For secondary COPD (1,168 pre-intervention, 1,267 post-intervention), there was a change from 318 (27.2%) pre-intervention to 296 (23.4%) post-intervention (P = .03). CONCLUSION: Utilization of the electronic medical record to identify subjects with likely COPD combined with a therapist-driven protocol directed by RT assessment was associated with a trend toward decreased LOS and reduction in readmission rates. There was a significant reduction of respiratory-triggered rapid responses in subjects with a primary diagnosis of COPD.

Using an electronic medical record tool to improve pneumococcal screening and vaccination rates for older patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia.

An electronic medical record tool was developed that determines if a patient meets criteria for screening for the vaccine; it then poses a series of screening questions. Use of the tool has improved performance on pneumococcal vaccination from 44% to more than 90%, with an increase in vaccine units of 305%.

Development and implementation of a hospital-acquired pressure ulcer incidence tracking system and algorithm.

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) are a national concern due to patient morbidity, treatment cost, and reimbursement issues. Stages III and IV pressure ulcers (PUs) that occur during hospitalization are among the conditions considered preventable by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Harborview Medical Center (HMC), located in Seattle, WA, is a Level 1 trauma/burn center and safety net hospital serving diverse populations. HMC is committed to providing excellence in care including optimal skin care and PU prevention to people from all walks of life. At HMC a new system for monitoring daily PU incidence, completing monthly multidisciplinary intensive reviews on HAPUs, and application of an algorithm used to determine if HAPUs were avoidable was developed and implemented. This system has assisted HMC in addressing PU tracking, prevention, compliance with regulatory mandates and has improved skin-related outcomes.