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Essay Available:
Pages:
5 pages/β‰ˆ1375 words
Sources:
4 Sources
Style:
APA
Subject:
Health, Medicine, Nursing
Type:
Coursework
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 29.16
Topic:

GAP Analysis of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI)

Coursework Instructions:

Selected topic: Quality & Safety GAP Analysis of Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)

Write an analysis, 5 pages in length, of the gap between current and desired performance, with respect to the provision of safe, high-quality patient care.

Introduction

Note: Each assessment in this course builds on the work you completed in the previous assessment. Therefore, you must complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented.

As a nurse leader, you must be able to assess your organization's ability to deliver safe, high-quality patient care. In so doing, you may be required to perform a gap analysis of a quality or safety issue as the first step in improving outcomes. Failure to meet benchmarks for safe and effective patient care can have reimbursement, regulatory, and legal consequences.

This assessment provides an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to successfully implement changes that improve patient outcomes by:

  • Evaluating the current culture of an organization.
  • Performing an outcomes gap analysis.
  • Determining what changes are needed to bridge the gap.
  • Examining current thinking on this topic contained in the literature.

Quality and safety are everyone's responsibility as a team of interprofessional care delivery partners. Together we develop policies that support quality and safe care delivery. As part of the interprofessional team, nurses are leaders in care and thus are responsible and accountable for leading and providing safe quality care.

Health care delivery is structured around evidenced-based information. Quality is defined by exploring proven, evidenced-based information. After reviewing and defining evidenced-based information, the interprofessional team applies this knowledge to assess the organization's or the practice setting's ability to provide evidenced-based care delivery. When a gap in care is identified, it is important to propose an evidenced-based change and to execute a plan for improved care.

Your quality and safety gap analysis will provide the basis for the remaining assessments in this course.

Coursework Sample Content Preview:

Quality Gap Analysis
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Code and Title
Instructor
Date
Systemic Problem
One of the most common hospital-acquired/associated infections is catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). The infection results when bacteria and other harmful microorganisms enter the urinary tract through the catheter (Werneburg, 2022). It may affect any section of the urinary tract, including the urethra, bladder, kidneys, and ureters. Several cases would trigger the occurrence of the infection. Prolonged use of the catheter is the leading cause of CAUTI (Werneburg, 2022). Secondly, poor tube handling during insertion exposes it to bacteria. For instance, failure to appropriately handwash using the World Health Organization's (WHO) steps before touching the patient or performing the procedure (Atkins et al., 2020). Another case is when the urine drainage bag needs to be emptied adequately. Additionally, the infection may occur when the urine flows back into the bladder.
CAUTI leads to adverse quality and safety problems, including a heavy healthcare burden on the patient. Hollenbeak and Schilling (2018) state that when the infection occurs, the patient may be forced to stay in the hospital longer, which accounts for bills and psychological burdens for conscious patients and their caregivers. CAUTI also increases the rate of antibiotic resistance since treating it calls for consistent and frequent antibiotic use, especially when the catheter is indwelling over the long term (Werneburg, 2022). Most CAUTIs are usually asymptomatic and may therefore take longer before diagnosis. When the problem is not addressed, the patient may develop life-threatening symptoms and advanced infections. These include fever, severe acute pyelonephritis, urethritis, and renal scarring (Werneburg, 2022). If the infection remains untreated when the patient has a long-term indwelling catheter, it may lead to urosepsis and eventual death.
Proposed Specific Practice Changes
Currently, CAUTIs are propagated by several factors. These include long-term indwelling catheters, healthcare staff with little knowledge of Infection Prevention Control (IPC) protocols, inadequate healthcare professionals, and poor communication and collaboration among the interprofessional team. These factors lead to increased infection transmission, compromising the quality of care and safety (Hollenbeak & Schilling, 2018). Therefore, appropriate measures should be implemented to address these gaps and reduce the risk of CAUTI.
One proposed practice change is minimizing indwelling catheters and removing them as soon as it is medically indicated. Assessment of the catheter should be done daily and considered for removal. Healthcare workers can also opt for alternative urine drainage strategies such as intermittent catheterization (Werneburg, 2022). They may also opt for external catheters instead of indwelling catheters. For men, condom catheters may be used. To reduce the use of indwelling catheters and keep the patient clean and at low risk of developing a CAUTI, the nurse administrators can advocate for improved infrastructure and staffing. They should also plan for routine and continuous professional development ed...
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