Reducing delays in the transfer of patients from psychiatric intensive care units (PICU) to acute inpatient services: a quality improvement project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Challinor ◽  
Emily Lewis ◽  
Andrew Mitchell ◽  
Debbie Williams
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Quality Improvement Project ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Transfer Of Care ◽  
Delayed Discharge ◽  
Open Wards ◽  
The Impact

Aim: To investigate the delays in the transfer of care of patients from psychiatric intensive care units (PICU) to acute care inpatient wards.Background: Few studies have focused on the characteristics of patients requiring transfer from PICU or delays in transfer of care from PICU to inpatient beds. The efficient transfer of patients from a PICU is essential to provide a dynamic service, promote patient recovery, enable safe, timely discharges and reduce stay in unnecessarily restrictive settings.Method: A 3-month prospective study was performed on two PICUs (Brooklands and Willow), investigating delays to transfer from PICUs to open wards. Days and percentage of discharges was also examined.Following collection of the initial data cycle, Brooklands implemented a ‘traffic light’ tool to identify delays. Following implementation, the project was repeated one year later.Results: A total of 122 patients were analysed for delays in the transfer of care from PICU to acute open wards. Brooklands PICU demonstrated a prolonged delay to transfer of patients, prompting implementation of a delayed discharge tool, the ‘traffic-light’ system. Brooklands PICU subsequently demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the days to transfer.Conclusions: This quality improvement project adds to the limited research base for delays in the transfer of PICU patients and is the first study to implement a delayed discharge tool within a PICU. Further research is required on the transfer of patients from PICUs, examining barriers for these delays and the impact of this on patients within PICU.

scholarly journals From a small local audit to a regional quality improvement project – Improving lung protective ventilation

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
Sarah Birkhoelzer ◽  
Matt Taylor ◽  
Ben Harris ◽  
Kayode Adeniji
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Ideal Body Weight ◽  
Protective Ventilation ◽  
Quality Improvement Project ◽  
Lung Protective Ventilation ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Ideal Body

Background Lung protective ventilation with tidal volumes (VT) of 6–8 ml per kg ideal body weight have been shown to reduce mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and reduce post-operative pulmonary complications in major abdominal surgery. Following a local audit on weight recording, the Southcoast Perioperative Audit and Research Collaboration (SPARC) conducted a regional multi-disciplinary survey on the current practice in lung protective ventilation in the Wessex region. This resulted in a quality improvement project improving lung protective ventilation across these intensive care units. Methods Over one-week period in January over two consecutive years, lung protective ventilation parameters of mandatory ventilated patients (above the age of 18 years) were audited in intensive care units in the Wessex region. Results A total 1843 hours of mandatory ventilation were audited. The quality improvement project led to an improvement of lung protective ventilation with an average of 30% higher duration of ventilation with VT < 8 ml/kg ideal body weight. There was a suggestion that documentation of height and weight on admission to intensive care units improved compliance with lung protective ventilation. Conclusions Adherence to lung protective ventilation is variable across intensive care units but can be improved by recording patient’s weight and height accurately and using simple chart to help calculate the appropriate tidal volume. Additionally, this project demonstrates how a regional audit and quality improvement network can help to facilitate regional quality improvement.

scholarly journals Nurses’ experiences of ICU diaries following implementation of national recommendations for diaries in intensive care units: A quality improvement project

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 102828
Author(s):  
Anny Norlemann Holme ◽  
Kristin Halvorsen ◽  
Ragne Sannes Eskerud ◽  
Ranveig Lind ◽  
Sissel Lisa Storli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Quality Improvement Project ◽  
Improvement Project

A Quality Improvement Project to Reduce Events of Visitor Escalation in the Intensive Care Nursery

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Schwoebel ◽  
Elizabeth Quigley ◽  
Annemarie Deeley ◽  
Joanne DeLuca ◽  
Stephanie Hollister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Quality Improvement Project ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Intensive Care Nursery

Intermediate Care to Intensive Care Triage: A Quality Improvement Project

CHEST Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 150 (4) ◽  
pp. 213A
Author(s):  
Pranav Chandrashekar ◽  
Ali Abdel-Halim ◽  
David Hager
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Quality Improvement Project ◽  
Intermediate Care ◽  
Improvement Project

scholarly journals Assessing Nurses’ Knowledge of Noise in the Intensive Care Unit: An Educational Intervention Project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Fortes
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Quality Improvement Project ◽  
Minimal Risk ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Nurses Knowledge

Noise in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been studied for over thirty years, but it continues to be a significant problem and a top complaint among patients. Staff members are now reporting detrimental health effects from excessive noise. One of the significant factors of inadequate noise control in the ICU is that nurses have insufficient awareness regarding the hospital noise issue and its negative impact on health status. The level of knowledge of clinical staff on the topic of noise is not known. A quality improvement project to explore noise in the ICU could facilitate better understanding of the phenomenon and formulation of new ways to continue to reduce noise at a community hospital in Massachusetts. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate nurses’ knowledge of the potentially harmful effects of noise on patients as well as on nurses, to identify opportunities for improvement of the environment, and to conduct an educational intervention aimed at reducing noise in the intensive care unit. The methodology for this project included a pre-test, followed by an educational session, and completion of a post-test. The participants included registered nurse staff members in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Critical Care Unit (CCU). Exclusion criteria included staff members who are not registered nurses. The project posed minimal risk. No identifying or biographical data was collected, and results included analysis of aggregate data. Descriptive statistics were used to assist with analysis. Results were disseminated to the staff of the ICU and CCU, posted on a bulletin board in the critical care area, presented as a poster presentation at the Spring RIC MSN Symposium, and available as a manuscript on the RIC Digital Commons.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document