Nurse-Led Clinical Pathway Development for Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Quality Improvement Approach

This paper examines the development of a nurse-led clinical pathway at the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, BC, to enhance care for cardiac surgery patients. The systematic quality improvement project aimed to standardize care and improve outcomes by addressing issues such as prolonged hospital stays, delayed extubation and limited post-operative mobility. By comparing clinical outcomes with benchmarks, the project identified opportunities for improvement, including early ambulation, timely extubation, reduced mortality, readmission rates and length of stay. The development process involved collaboration with nursing leaders, stakeholder consultations and thorough evidence review and highlighted the crucial role of strategic leadership in large-scale change initiatives.