Clinical Nurse Specialists' Contribution to Safe Jackson-Pratt Drain Removal

This project aimed to educate nurses on teaching patients about the safe management and removal of Jackson-Pratt (JP) drains at home. Using a multimodal learning approach allowed staff and patients to practice the procedure and build confidence to independently perform a JP drain removal. The project objective was to ensure that patients safely remove their own JP drain at home without complications.

After 2 extensive literature searches on the adverse effects of a delayed drain removal and the benefits of an at-home drain removal, a teaching plan was developed, which included a handout for the nurses with key teaching points, a patient education handout, and face-to-face education with staff for hands-on practice.

This is an ongoing project that was initiated in February 2025. Although this is a new project, close to 100 drains have been successfully removed at home with no complications reported.

By teaching nurses to educate their patients on JP drain management and removal at home, our staff was able to ensure patient safety and comfort. By educating patients on proper care and removal of their JP drains, bedside nurses improved patient satisfaction, reduced the risk of complications, decreased resource utilization, while not compromise patient outcomes.