Increased Healthcare-Associated Infections in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit Related to Boarding Non-Surgical Patients.

Background: Hospital over-capacity often forces boarding patients outside of their designated intensive care unit (ICU). Anecdotal evidence suggested medical intensive care unit (MICU) patients boarding in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) were responsible for increases in healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates. We studied the effect of ICU boarding on rates of SICU HAIs. Methods: This single-center, retrospective two-year database study compared primary SICU patients (Home) to MICU patients boarding in the SICU (Boarders). Variables studied included age, gender, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III (APACHE III) scores, and comorbidities. Healthcare-associated infections included Clostridium difficile infection, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated blood stream infection, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Student t-test, Fisher exact testing, and a multivariable regression model were used to determine the significance of associations. Results: A total of 2,562 patients were included in the study; 328 (12.8%) were Boarders and 2,234 (87.2%) were Home. Univariable analysis demonstrated that Boarders were older (64.0 ± 16.9 vs. 60.2 ± 17.4), more severely ill (APACHE III score 70.5 ± 31.1 vs. 53.4 ± 21.9), more likely to have cirrhosis, coronary artery disease, and asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but less likely to have hypertension. On univariable analysis boarding was associated with an increase HAI rate (19 HAI/1,000 patient days vs. 6.2, p < 0.001). Multivariable regression modeling demonstrated boarding status remained independently associated with HAI (odds ratio [OR] 1.83 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-3.27). Cost estimates demonstrated an additional cost of $83,303 per 1,000 patient days. Conclusion: The practice of hospital boarding is associated with development of HAI and increased hospital costs. Efforts at determining the cause of this increase and then reducing HAIs will improve patient care and help hospital budgets.

Nursing Morbidity and Mortality: The Clinical Nurse Specialist Role in Improving Patient Outcomes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to discuss the development and implementation of a nursing morbidity and mortality (M&M) monthly conference at an academic medical center. Nursing M&M was developed as a peer review process in which cases where clinical errors or misjudgments that have occurred are reviewed in a nonpunitive setting. The cases are selected based on the National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators and the implications they have for the quality of nursing practice. BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: Morbidity and mortality conferences are well documented in the physician arena as an avenue to review and discuss adverse events. There is little published in the literature related to nursing using this peer review format and what impact this forum can have on clinical outcomes. Clinical nurse specialists and clinical nurse educators are oftentimes positioned to help implement this type of forum and evaluate the impact that it has for the staff and patients that they work with. DESCRIPTION: The clinical nurse specialists/clinical nurse educators at this fourth-time designated Magnet® academic medical center facilitate the monthly M&M and select 4 to 5 cases to present. At the end of each brief presentation, the outcome is determined to be either preventable or unpreventable. Action items for educational needs are also identified. OUTCOMES: Nursing M&M has been well attended over the past year. Since its inception, multiple practice changes have been implemented. Based on the positive feedback from the evaluations, this monthly conference has become standing practice in the institution.