Antibiotic stewardship for nurses: Using e-learning modules to bridge the education gap.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Infectious Disease Management

Background:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advocates for interdisciplinary antibiotic stewardship, emphasizing the crucial role of front-line nurses.
• Identified barriers to nurse engagement in antibiotic stewardship include insufficient education, poor inter-provider communication, and unit culture.
• Nurses are integral to the success of antibiotic stewardship programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning modules designed to enhance nurses' knowledge and preparedness for antibiotic stewardship.
• To address specific educational gaps related to nurses' roles in antibiotic stewardship, antibiotic resistance, and related clinical practices.

Main Methods:

• Three e-learning modules were created covering essential aspects of antibiotic stewardship relevant to nursing practice.
• Front-line acute care nurses participated in the e-learning modules as part of a new antibiotic stewardship program.
• A post-module survey assessed nurses' perceived preparedness, attitudes towards stewardship, and identified persistent barriers.

Main Results:

• A significant majority of nurses (81%) expressed a desire to be part of the antibiotic stewardship team.
• Post-module, 72% of nurses felt more empowered to engage in stewardship discussions, with 23% seeking further education.
• Nurses reported high applicability (97%) of the learned information to their daily work, with lack of education (45%) and unit culture (13%) remaining cited barriers.

Conclusions:

• Addressing educational deficits and hospital/unit culture is essential for overcoming barriers to nurse involvement in antimicrobial stewardship.
• E-learning presents a feasible and efficient method for initial nurse education in antibiotic stewardship, requiring minimal time investment.
• Continued educational initiatives and cultural support are necessary to fully integrate nurses into antimicrobial stewardship efforts.