Improving Inpatient Colonoscopy Preparation in a University Hospital: An Evidence-Based Practice Project.

The majority of inpatient colonoscopy preparations at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center were rated as suboptimal, leading to incomplete or aborted procedures. These procedures needed to be rescheduled and delayed the patient's discharge from the hospital. An evidence-based practice model was used to implement an electronic colonoscopy order set.

An Evidence-Based Approach To the Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections.

This article describes a bundle of interventions that effectively reduced the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections on the Acute Care Medicine' Unit, a general medicine/telemetry unit. A series of evidence-based interventions were implemented in October 2011, and since the implementation of these interventions, the 28-bed unit has seen a significant reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Heart failure symptom clusters and functional status - a cross-sectional study.

Aim: To identify symptom clusters in individuals with heart failure and evaluate the relationship of the identified clusters to functional status.

Background: Heart Failure is a global health problem affecting approximately 1-2% of the adult population in developed countries worldwide. Individuals with heart failure may experience as many as nine symptoms and may limit activities that worsen their symptoms or adjust the way they engage in activities.

Heart failure symptom relationships: a systematic review.

Background: Heart failure is a prevalent chronic health condition in the United States. Individuals who have heart failure experience as many as 2 to 9 symptoms. The examination of relationships among heart failure symptoms may benefit patients and clinicians who are charged with managing heart failure symptoms.

Components and strategies of nurse residency programs effective in new graduate socialization.

Patient needs and practice conditions demand that clinical nurses in acute care hospitals engage in a unique professional practice role-care and management of clinical situations for multiple patients, simultaneously. Nurse Residency Programs (NRPs) facilitate the integration of newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) into this professional practice role through competency development in seven management areas. Purpose of this study was to identify effective components and strategies of NRPs in each area.