Quality improvement of the prophylactic antibiotic function

Wound infection poses a volatile threat to the surgical patient. Perioperative nurses have a direct responsibility for prevention. As prophylactic antibiotics have become a practice standard, the perioperative nurse must assist the operating team in their administration. Quality Improvement staff can coordinate a multidisciplinary effort to improve this process. The systematic approach to prescribing, administering, and evaluating this function will be discussed.