Nurse-Driven Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Reduction Process and Protocol: Development Through an...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Infection Prevention

Background:

• Translating evidence-based practices into clinical settings is crucial for patient outcomes.
• Active collaboration between academic nursing faculty and frontline clinical staff can bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based, nurse-driven protocol to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).
• To assess the impact of an academic-practice partnership on infection rates and nursing education.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative team of university and hospital nurses designed a protocol for CAUTI reduction.
• The protocol included nurse-driven catheter discontinuation, smaller catheter utilization, silver-based cleansing, and staff education.
• Data were collected for 8 months pre- and post-implementation in four intensive care units.

Main Results:

• A 28% reduction in CAUTIs was observed post-implementation compared to pre-implementation rates.
• The partnership strengthened the integration of clinical learning into the nursing curriculum.
• Collaboration fostered a stronger sense of collegiality between academic and clinical nurses.

Conclusions:

• Academic-practice partnerships are effective in implementing evidence-based practices and reducing healthcare-associated infections.
• These partnerships enhance nursing education, promote transformative change, and ensure sustainability of best practices.