STARS interventions for violence reduction: Safety, technology, activity, relief, and surroundings.

Background: Caregivers without behavioral health expertise struggle to manage behaviorally challenging patients while providing continuous observation (CO) care.

Problem: A gap in knowledge exists concerning effective CO interventions to reduce patient violence with limited psychiatric resources. The objectives of this project were to improve safety and engagement among staff providing in-person 1:1 CO for patients and optimize acute care CO utilization.

Promoting Evidence-Based Practice at a Primary Stroke Center: A Nurse Education Strategy.

Background: Promoting a culture of evidence-based practice within a health care facility is a priority for health care leaders and nursing professionals; however, tangible methods to promote translation of evidence to bedside practice are lacking.

Objectives: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to design and implement a nursing education intervention demonstrating to the bedside nurse how current evidence-based guidelines are used when creating standardized stroke order sets at a primary stroke center, thereby increasing confidence in the use of standardized order sets at the point of care and supporting evidence-based culture within the health care facility.

Methods: This educational intervention took place at a 286-bed community hospital certified by the Joint Commission as a primary stroke center.