NURSES TRANSFORMING HEALTH CARE By Shannan K. Hamlin, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, AGACNP-BC, CCRN, Houston Methodist Hospital
Nursing has been defined as the “protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.”1 It is no wonder that nurses are the “face of health care” in our patients’ eyes. However, when it comes to policy and practice changes that optimize patient care, nurses have taken a backseat to physicians and administrators.2 There is increasing evidence that nurses are beginning to assume a more active leadership role when it comes to improving patient outcomes; but more needs to be done because “empowered nurses provide the best patient care.” (pg. 1).2 To highlight nurses’ impact at the bedside, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses developed an innovative program to empower bedside nurses as clinician leaders and change agents.3 The goal of the AACN Clinical Scene Investigator Academy is to train teams of staff nurses from institutions across the country to embark on initiatives that quantifiably improve the quality of patient care and cost.3 Project initiatives from CSI teams located in Texas, North Carolina, Indiana and Massachusetts have showed a combined cost savings of $21 million. The eight Texas-led initiatives alone show a cost savings of $1 million annually.3 Clinical successes from the Texas CSI teams include 3 • Decreased pressure ulcer incidents by 39 percent • Decreased central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) by 57 percent • Reduced mechanical ventilation time in critically ill patients by one day • Decreased patient falls by 40 percent
The time is now for Houston Methodist nurses to demonstrate the impact of nursing on improved patient outcomes and cost. We are expected to lead and not follow in the redesign and improved health care for all patients across all practice settings. To accomplish this, nurses must be good consumers of nursing research, helping to bring evidence to the bedside for speedy implementation but also learn to disseminate their own impactful work to other nurse colleagues and professionals. In 2015, the Department of Nursing Science will begin a series of lectures and workshops focused on reviewing the literature and disseminating projects through abstract development, poster presentations and publishing. We hope to see you there.
• Reduced noise levels in the intensive care unit by 22 percent • Decreased handoff incident reports between emergency department and ICU by 100 percent Rob Szczerba, CEO of X Tech Ventures and columnist for Forbes and the Huffington Post, states “the message to hospital administrators should be clear — if you’re looking to improve the quality of care and reduce costs, try talking to the people working on the front lines every day — talk to a nurse.”2
For further assistance with your research or EBP projects please contact: Houston Methodist Hospital: Shannan Hamlin Houston Methodist San Jacinto: Kathy Arthurs Houston Methodist Sugar Land: Betty Gonzales or Tricia Lewis Houston Methodist West: Kahla LaPlante or Laura Espinosa Houston Methodist Willowbrook: Robin Howe
REFERENCES 1. American Nurses Association. Definition of Nursing. 2014. 2. Szczerba RJ. “Looking to transform healthcare? Ask a nurse.” Forbes 2014. 3. Aylett K. “American association of critical-care nurses innovation training program demostrates ongoing impact on future of nursing.” AACN Communications 2014.
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