Introduction to Best Practice
Instructions:
- Write a 3-4 page essay (does not include title and reference pages) addressing each of the following points/questions.
- Prepare your document using the APA 7 edition format.
- Be sure to completely answer all the questions for each bullet point. There should be nine sections, one for each bullet below.
- Separate each section in your paper with a clear heading that allows your professor to know which bullet you are addressing in that section of your paper. The headings should follow APA 7 format. This is a guide to formulating headings in APA 7 format: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/16/
- Support your ideas with at least three (3) citations in your essay.
- Make sure to add a conclusion and reference the citations using the APA 7 writing style for the essay.
- The cover page and reference page do not count towards the minimum word amount.
Assignment:
This is a 2 part assignment (Part A and Part B)
Part A:
Visit the following websites:
1. Visit the Cochrane Collaboration website and read the introduction.
2. Search for ‘logo’ in the website search box, and read the explanation of the Cochrane Collaboration logo.
3. Visit the website for AHRQ: AHRQ, (2019), Aug.). AHRQ’s Healthcare Associated Infections Program.
4. For information about Hospital Acquired infection, Target Goals, Action plans and information about steering committees use: https://health.gov/hcq/prevent-hai.asp and https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/education/curriculum-tools/cusptoolkit/index.html
5. Read about Prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections: AHQR, (n.d.). Prevention of Healthcare – Associated Infections.
0. What four infections were studied?
1. What was shown to be effective against prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections and to what strength of evidence?
Part B:
Locate an evidenced-based research paper (less than five years old). Describe the following about the study:
1. The title?
2. What is the study about?
3. Purpose of the study?
4. What was the framework of the study?
5. Protocol development?
0. Describe how the project began.
1. Did the topic have support from leaders, clinical nursing staff?
2. Describe the members of the project team.
3. How long did the team meet?
4. What materials, etc. were developed?
6. Describe the evaluation of the study.
7. What were the findings and conclusions?
Sample Paper
Introduction to Best Practice
Best practice entails using techniques or methods generally accepted as superior alternatives since they are superior to those achieved by other methods. In healthcare, best practice is supported by evidence-based research and information to ensure optimum results (Khan et al., 2017). Organizations such as the AHRQ and Cochrane Collaboration exist to ensure they readily provide up-to-date, accurate, and reliable information regarding healthcare. Moreover, they help clinicians, researchers, patients, and consumers make well-informed decisions about creating, implementing, and receiving healthcare based on the best evidence from various intervention studies and clinical trials. The AHRQ studies Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) and provides essential prevention strategies, tools, and toolkits for these conditions. HAIs are among the leading complications of hospital care.
Part A
Four Infections Studied
The AHRQ studied four infections, including CAUTI (Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections), CLABSIs (Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections), Ventilator-associated Events, and surgical site infections (SSIs). These studies aimed to create tools and research for healthcare professionals to reduce and prevent HAIs.
CAUTIs are among the most common types of HAIs that are highly preventable. According to AHRQ (n.d.), approximately one-fourth of all inpatients in healthcare facilities are likely to have a short-term, indwelling urinary catheter inserted during their hospital stay. A significant number of urinary catheters are inserted without appropriate indications. CLABSIs are a form of HAI associated with significant mortality, morbidity, and costs. As many as 28,000 patients die from CLABSI yearly in intensive care units in the United States (AHRQ, n.d) According to AHRQ (n.d), more than ten million patients undergo surgical procedures as inpatients yearly, accounting for one-fourth of all hospital stays. SSIs are still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after surgery. Mechanical ventilation is a life-saving therapy for various clinical illnesses or conditions and a critical intervention in modern ICUs. The most common HAI in ICU patients is Ventilator-Associated pneumonia (VAP). VAP affects nearly 20% of ICU patients requiring ventilators for more than 48 hours (AHRQ, n,d). Complications related to ventilator use are mainly preventable.
What was Shown to be Effective in Prevention of HAIs?
From the studies on the HAIs mentioned above, the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) was an effective method to prevent HAIs and other patient harm. The CUSP sustains a robust portfolio of implementation and research projects to prevent and reduce healthcare-associated infections (AHRQ, 2019). Clinician teams can use CUSP to ensure safer patient care by combining clinical best practices, improved teamwork, and the science of safety (Khan et al., 2017).
CUSP was piloted or initiated in more than a hundred ICUs in Michigan, where it proved effective in reducing HAIs (AHRQ, 2019). This success served as a benchmark for AHRQ to roll out the program nationally, where it has also been highly effective in reducing various HAI rates in different healthcare settings. For instance, CUSP reduced CLABSI infection rates by 41% in more than 1,000 ICUs, CAUTI infection rates by 54% in more than 400 nursing homes, and 30% in more than 700 hospital non-ICUs (AHRQ, 2019). Moreover, CUSP reduced SSI infection rates in healthcare facilities by 25%- 40%, depending on the surgery type and surveillance method (AHRQ, 2019).
Part B: Research paper
The evidence-based research paper selected is by Caselli et al. (2018), “Reducing healthcare-associated infections incidence by a probiotic-based sanitation system.”
What is the study about?
HAIs are a worldwide concern further threatened by increasing HAI-associated pathogens’ drug resistance (Caselli et al., 2018). The study highlights how persistent contamination of healthcare facility surfaces contributes to the transmission of HAI. This contamination is not efficiently controlled by conventional sanitation and cleaning. As such, the article suggests a more effective approach named Probiotic Cleaning Hygiene System or PCHS system to lessen or terminate surface pathogens.
Purpose of the study
This study aimed to determine whether application of Probiotic Cleaning Hygiene System could impact healthcare-associated infection incidence.
Framework of the study
The study is a pre-post interventional, multicenter study that simultaneously analyzes hospital surfaces contamination and HAI incidence. It was conducted in six Italian public hospitals of medium to large size, from 1st January 2016 to 30th June 2017 (18 months). The hospitals enrolled were from different geographical regions after passing the eligibility criteria, including prior approval from the local ethical committee (Caselli et al., 2018). The hospitals also had to accept not to introduce new interventions focused on infection prevention and control, other than existing ones, which could harm HAI incidence.
Protocol development
This study began with researchers using preliminary research to establish HAI incidence based on conventional cleaning to identify a gap in the need to develop a more effective cleaning system to reduce HAI incidence. This helped the researchers narrow down a cleaning system and exact topic for this study. The researchers then focused on putting together the resources and materials necessary to start and complete this project.
