Intensive care unit rounding checklists to reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Objective: To assess whether the implementation of an intensive care unit (ICU) rounding checklist reduces the number of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).

Design: Retrospective before-and-after study that took place between March 2013 and February 2017.

Setting: An academic community hospital 16-bed, mixed surgical, cardiac, medical ICU.

Effectiveness of a Nurse-Led Initiative, Peer-to-Peer Teaching, on Organizational CAUTI Rates and Related Costs.

A nurse-led initiative of peer-to-peer teaching positively impacted organizational incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). The initiative included validating the competency of the nursing staff, highlighting the importance of CAUTI prevention, identifying CAUTI costs, quantifying the value of nursing care, and supporting nurses as teachers. The project demonstrated that peer-to-peer teaching and competency validation can be effective methods to engage nurses in quality improvement.

Effectiveness of 2 methods of chlorhexidine bathing.

The purposes of this study were to examine the impact of chlorhexidine on the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) on an inpatient oncology unit, compare the cost of 2 chlorhexidine bath delivery methods, and evaluate nursing time and satisfaction to administer the baths. MRSA and VRE transmission rates decreased from those during the previous years. Costs associated with bathing increased, but time to administer the bath decreased with the chlorhexidine cloths, and nursing staff reported satisfaction with their use.