Implementation of an oral care standard for leukemia and transplantation patients

The purpose of this project was to develop an oral care standard on two nursing units in a university hospital where care was given to patients undergoing bone marrow or stem cell transplantation (BMSCT) and other treatments for leukemia. Strategies used in this interdisciplinary effort included collaboration, consultation, education, and evaluation. In the collaboration phase, a core group of nurses talked with staff about current practices, reviewed literature and published standards, examined protocols from other institutions, decided on goals, and developed the standard. Consultation with a dentist, pharmacist, and physician occurred before completion of the standard. The education phase included in-service sessions for nurses and technicians. The evaluation phase, which occurred in two phases, focused on checking to see if the goals had been met, including tolerability and adherence. The first phase allowed identification of problem areas and subsequent revisions, whereas the second phase evaluated adherence at a later time point. Overall, most of the patients adhered to the standard. Future implications include specific recommendations such as an emphasis on oral care, documentation, and patient and staff education. This project is an example of how nurses addressed the challenge of implementing an acceptable oral care standard to decrease patients' oral complications and distress.