Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal (pressure ulcer reduction) : Monitoring and Evaluation Phase

Methods to Evaluate

During the pilot, staff compliance will be monitored to ensure the process is utilized correctly and that accurate data is being collected. Spot checks will be completed by at least two team members on a weekly basis and reported back to the committee. If the change works, it will become permanent and continued monitoring will be conducted to ensure workflow efficiency and continued SSI improvements. The overall success of the protocol will be measured by using the baseline measurement of SSIs from the entire OR suite within the last 12 months. After implementation, the team will collect SSI on a weekly basis from the entire OR suite and compare those results from that of the previous 12 month period.

Outcome Measure

Measurements are extremely important in quality management but in order to be effective, Smith (2014), insisted they be precise, useful, simple, and consistently reported. The outcome measure that will support the success of this project’s objective will be a reduction in SSI rates of at least three percent within 12 months of implementing the new protocol. This measure will be reported on a line graph (see Appendix for example) which will show a month-by-month comparison of SSI rates from the previous year. Line graphs are extremely useful when conducting an analysis of metrics as they provide practitioners a method to easily identify trends and improvement opportunities.

Validity and Appropriateness

The St. Mary’s Quality Improvement Department collects the data on SSI’s. This is the only data that is appropriate to ensure the outcome is achieved. The Quality Improvement Department has been doing this for many years as they do all infection rates within the facility. They will use the same method after the implementation of this protocol as they have for the past several years so the data and the process for collecting the data, has not changed and will not change for the duration of this project which increases the validity of this data.

Resources and Methods

Patient records are a useful data collection tool as they can provide an overall view and details of a patient visit. St. Mary’s records are electronic and so any infections reported back from the lab will be flagged and sent directly to the OR manager and the Quality Improvement Department. This happens in real time and then monthly reports are automatically generated and distributed to the appropriate management team. In this case, reports will also be sent in real time to the new implementation team. No additional resources will be needed except for the time the team members need to meet.

Feasibility

The evaluation plan for the solution implementation is feasible and is actually being requested from OR management and surgeons. The problem was identified in 2013, yet it has yet to be addressed by the appropriate staff. The team has already been assembled and providing them with the details of an evidence-based solution along with an implementation and evaluation plan, makes this an easy potential solution. The Iowa Model of Evidence Based Practice will be used to guide the project which incorporates natural feedback loops as part of the process making the evaluation part of the normal everyday process. The evaluation plan requires very few resources with virtually no added cost to the departmental budget.

Appendix

References

SSI Rates 2014 vs 2015

SSI Rate %