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Safe Sleep for Hospitalized Infants.
Sherri L McMullen1, Irene Dutko Fioravanti, Kristen Brown
1Sherri L. McMullen is an Assistant Professor at College of Nursing & Research Consultant, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, and Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial Hospital; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. She can be reached via e-mail at McMulleS@Upstate.edu Irene Dutko Fioravanti is a Pediatric Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial Hospital; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Kristen Brown is a Neonatal Advanced Practice RN, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial Hospital; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Mary G. Carey is an Associate Director of the Clinical Nursing Research Center, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial Hospital; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
Promoting safe infant sleep practices improved adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines. Hospital staff education and observation enhanced safe sleep positions for infants, though knowledge gaps persisted.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Quality Improvement
- Nursing Education
Background:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated safe sleep guidelines in 2011.
- Promoting adherence to these guidelines is crucial for infant health.
- Hospital-based initiatives are vital for disseminating and reinforcing safe sleep practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement and evaluate a quality improvement project focused on AAP safe sleep recommendations.
- To promote appropriate role modeling of safe sleep practices for infants.
- To improve infant sleep safety within a hospital setting.
Main Methods:
- A safe sleep educational initiative was delivered to parents and hospital staff.
- Infant sleep practices were observed before and after the intervention.
- Nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions regarding safe sleep were assessed via questionnaires.
Main Results:
- All nurses (100%) received the educational intervention.
- Safe infant sleep positioning improved significantly, from 70% to 90% (p<0.01).
- While some improvements in nurses' knowledge and agreement with guidelines were noted, they were less than anticipated.
Conclusions:
- A discrepancy exists between nursing knowledge and clinical practice regarding safe infant sleep.
- Sustained effort and observation are necessary to fully integrate AAP recommendations into clinical practice.
- Observation and role modeling are key components for reinforcing safe sleep knowledge and practices for parents.
