Redesigning Rounds in the ICU: Standardizing Key Elements Improves Interdisciplinary Communication.

Background: Daily multidisciplinary rounds (MDR) in the ICU represent a mechanism by which health care professionals from different disciplines and specialties can meet to synthesize data, think collectively, and form complete patient care plans. It was hypothesized that providing a standardized, structured approach to the daily rounds process would improve communication and collaboration in seven distinct ICUs in a single academic medical center.

Methods: Lean-inspired methodology and information provided by frontline staff regarding inefficiencies and barriers to optimal team functioning were used in designing a toolkit for standardization of rounds in the ICUs.

Nurse Project Consultant: Critical Care Nurses Move Beyond the Bedside to Affect Quality and Safety.

A nurse project consultant role empowered 3 critical care nurses to expand their scope of practice beyond the bedside and engage within complex health care delivery systems to reduce harms in the intensive care unit. As members of an interdisciplinary team, the nurse project consultants contributed their clinical expertise and systems knowledge to develop innovations that optimize care provided in the intensive care unit. This article discusses the formal development of and institutional support for the nurse project consultant role.

Adoption of an Electronic Template to Promote Evidence-Based Practice for Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, and Directives Documents.

Background: Policies, procedures, and guidelines standardize care, meet regulatory requirements, and can promote safety in clinical practice. The existing protocols, policies, guidelines, and directives (PPGDs) at a level 1 trauma academic medical center were underused by the intensive care unit clinicians and did not always clearly represent the supporting evidence.

Aims: The goals of this project were to update the Critical Care Practice Manual (CCPM) and to ensure that clinical practice was aligned with best evidence.