A Multidisciplinary Approach to Incorporate Bedside Nurses into Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infectious Disease Control
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are crucial for appropriate antimicrobial use.
• Hospitals need innovative, multidisciplinary approaches for effective ASPs.
• Engaging frontline clinicians, like bedside nurses, is essential for enhancing ASPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of bedside nurse-driven antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention rounds.
• To assess the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team involving nurses in stewardship initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective evaluation was conducted on a 31-bed telemetry unit.
• Nurse-driven rounds involved a nurse coordinator, infectious diseases pharmacist, infection preventionist, and nurse practitioner.
• Primary outcomes measured were antimicrobial, acid suppressant, and invasive catheter use.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in antimicrobial use (791.2 to 697.1 DOT/1000 patient-days; p=0.03).
• Substantial decrease in acid suppressant medication use (708.1 to 372.4 DOT/1000 patient-days; p=0.0001).
• Marked reduction in urinary catheter use (0.3 to 0.2 catheter-days/patient-day; p=0.002).

Conclusions:

• Bedside nurses can be successfully engaged in antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention.
• Nurse-led initiatives demonstrate a measurable impact on key healthcare outcomes.
• Further research is needed to explore strategies for integrating nurses into ASPs.