Paediatric inter-hospital transportation: a clinical governance project

This article discusses a quality improvement project in the context of paediatric inter-hospital transportation. The project was set in a large university teaching hospital in Ireland. Risk assessment on the clinical site revealed a gap in the application of best national and international standards in inter-hospital transportation practice. A project was undertaken to explore current paediatric transport services and respond to a clinical service deficit. Consequently, the proposed quality improvement initiative proposes a universal Paediatric Advanced Life Support Programme (PALS) to upskill and enhance the required clinical standards and competencies of neonatal nurses. This intervention was underpinned by attention to change management principles and organisational culture in health care. As a clinical practice development, it demonstrates how benchmarking against best practice can advance the quality and safety agenda in paediatric practice. Education initiatives are recommended to ensure that clinical standards in paediatric transportation are monitored and reviewed with the potential to improve clinical outcomes.