Improving Oral Care Before Elective Cardiovascular Surgery: A Quality Initiative.

Purpose: Oral care (brushing teeth) may reduce the risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia. The number of patients completing oral care before elective cardiovascular surgery (CVS) was unknown at the study institution. The aims of this quality improvement project were to determine the baseline of oral care completion before elective CVS and increase the number of patients who self-reported oral care completions through an educational intervention.

Leadership Strategies, An Interdisciplinary Team, and Ongoing Nurse Feedback: Ingredients For a Successful BCMA Project.

Barcode medication administration (BCMA) implementation represents a change in a complex process requiring significant modifications in the work of nurses. Nurses' voices are critical for successfully implementing BCMA technology to support this change in nursing practice. Feedback from nurses who administered medications was critical to selecting and refining a BCMA system that supported their practice needs.