NRS 493 Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval

Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval

Nurses are obligated to ensure that patients are given the quality and safe care. This capstone change project focuses on the management of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) among medical-surgical patients. CAUTI is an issue that is associated with significant implications for the quality and safety of care. The purpose of this paper is to identify the issue, project setting, problem description, implications of the problem, significance of the problem to nursing practice, and the proposed solution.

The Problem

This capstone project focuses on the management of CAUTIs in medical-surgical units. CAUTIs are among the primary healthcare concerns that plague health facilities nationwide affecting the safety and well-being of patients in medical-surgical units. They account for the bigger percentage of UTIs in hospitals. According to Gomila et al. (2019), CAUTIs affect over one million people yearly in the United States. CAUTIs are associated with dire complications such as sepsis and endocarditis, increased healthcare costs, long hospital stay days, and even death. They are also the widespread causes of bacteremia in medical-surgical units. Moreover, CAUTIs are linked to a heavy economic burden attributed to the heavy financial load needed in the treatment of infections, which causes a fiscal burden on the healthcare industry. Based on these factors, CAUTIs are considered a significant nursing issue that needs to be addressed.

The Setting

Medical-surgical units within healthcare facilities are the preferred setting for this capstone change project. The incidence of CAUTIs is linked to risk factors such as poor maintenance of the catheter and inappropriate use of indwelling catheters. These factors are common in post-operative units where the catheter is inserted into the bladder of many patients to help in draining urine after a surgical procedure (Mong et al., 2022). Catheter increases the risk of contracting CAUTIs. Therefore, a targeted intervention focusing on this setting is critical in enhancing the healthcare outcomes of patients.

Problem Description

CAUTIs are among the primary healthcare concerns that plague health facilities nationwide affecting the safety and well-being of patients in medical-surgical units. According to CDC (2021), about 15-25% of hospitalized patients need urinary catheters. However, the extended use of urinary catheters increases the risk of contracting CAUTIs. CAUTIs are associated with dire complications such as sepsis and endocarditis, increased healthcare costs, long hospital stay days, and even death. Moreover, CAUTIs are linked to a heavy economic burden attributed to the heavy financial load needed in the treatment of infections (Shaheen et al., 2019). Therefore, this project seeks to manage CAUTIs among patients in medical-surgical units to prevent adverse events and promote positive health outcomes among these patients.

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Effect of the Problem

Management of CAUTIs is an issue that should concern all healthcare providers. Some of the implications of CAUTIs in the medical-surgical unit include increased chances of contracting sepsis and endocarditis, increased healthcare costs, and long hospital stay days (Van Decker et al 2021). Moreover, CAUTIs are the leading cause of death among medical-surgical patients and are also associated with a significant socio-economic load on patients and their families (Shaheen et al., 2019). The dire implications of this nursing issue make it a cause for alarm that necessitates being addressed with utmost priority in the healthcare system.

NRS 493 Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval

Significance of the Topic and its Implication for Nursing Practice

The management of CAUTIs among medical-surgical patients is an important topic in nursing practice. Nurses have the obligation to champion the safety and quality of care for patients. As such, the management of CAUTIs among medical-surgical patients aligns with this nursing obligation (Shadle et al., 2021). Moreover, the management of CAUTIs is a way of enhancing patient health outcomes and reducing CAUTIs within medical-surgical units.

Proposed Solution

The proposed solution to CAUTIs management and prevention in medical-surgical units is the adoption of intentional leadership rounding. Hedenstrom et al., (2022) define leadership rounding as a process where leaders engage with nurses and patients, talking to them directly about CAUTI prevention. Leadership rounding is crucial in providing information to caregivers and discussing with nurses particular process issues that may be encumbering progress in addressing CAUTIs in the medical-surgical units (Auten, 2021). These discussions during leadership rounding need to ensure interprofessional collaboration between providers that are involved in CAUTI management. This is critical in ensuring the sustainability of the proposed intervention.

Conclusion

This paper has given an impression of this capstone change project and the reasons it is considered applicable in nursing practice. Dealing with the issue of CAUTIs in medical-surgical units is crucial in enhancing safety and quality of care, thus enhancing positive patient outcomes.

References

Auten, K. (2021). Intentional Leadership Rounds: A Proactive Approach to CAUTI Reduction. American Journal of Infection Control, 49(6), S9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2021.04.035

CDC. (2021). Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) | HAI | CDC. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/hai/ca_uti/uti.html

Gomila, A., Carratalà, J., Eliakim-Raz, N., Shaw, E., Tebé, C., Wolkewitz, M., Wiegand I., Grier S., Vank C., Cuperus N., Heuvel, L., Vuong, C., MacGowan, A., Leibovici, L., Addy, I., & Pujol, M. (2019). Clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with catheter-associated urinary tract infection in countries with a high rate of multidrug-resistance: the COMBACTE-MAGNET RESCUING study. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 8(1), 1-8. doi: 10.1186/s13756-019-0656-6

Hedenstrom, M., Harrilson, A., Heath, M., & Dyess, S. (2022). “What’s Old Is New Again”: Innovative Health Care Leader Rounding—A Strategy to Foster Connection. Nurse Leader, 20(4), 366-370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2022.05.005

Mong, I., Ramoo, V., Ponnampalavanar, S., Chong, M. C., & Wan Nawawi, W. N. F. (2022). Knowledge, attitude, and practice in relation to catheter‐associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention: A cross‐sectional study. Journal of clinical nursing, 31(1-2), 209-219. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15899

Shadle, H. N., Sabol, V., Smith, A., Stafford, H., Thompson, J. A., & Bowers, M. (2021). A bundle-based approach to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections in the intensive care unit. Critical Care Nurse, 41(2), 62-71. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2021934

Shaheen, G., Akram, M., Jabeen, F., Ali Shah, S. M., Munir, N., Daniyal, M., … & Khan, M. (2019). Therapeutic potential of medicinal plants for the management of urinary tract infection: A systematic review. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 46(7), 613-624.

Van Decker, S. G., Bosch, N., & Murphy, J. (2021). Catheter-associated urinary tract infection reduction in critical care units: a bundled care model. BMJ Open Quality, 10(4), e001534. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001534

NRS 493 Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval