A System Approach to Advanced Practice Clinician Standardization and High Reliability.

Advanced practice clinicians (APCs) are an integral part of the health care team. Opportunities exist within Advocate Health Care to standardize and optimize APC practice across the system. To enhance the role and talents of APCs, an approach to role definition and optimization of practice and a structured approach to orientation and evaluation are shared.

Assessing the perceived level of institutional support for the second victim after a patient safety event.

Objective: The objective of this study was to establish a baseline of perceived availability of institutional support services or interventions and experiences following an adverse patient safety event (PSE) in a 650-bed children and adult community teaching hospital.

Methods: Investigators queried associates about their experiences after a PSE, what institutional support services or interventions they perceived to be available, and how helpful used services were. The investigators used an online modified version of a PSE survey developed by several health related organizations in Boston.

Neonatal end-of-life care: a review of the research literature.

While advances in neonatal medicine have increased the possibility of sustaining life for many infants, more infants still die in the neonatal period (birth to 27 days of life) than those in any other time in childhood. Despite this statistic, there still remains much that is unknown about both the needs and the care of these critically ill babies. Palliative care is a viable option for many of these infants and their families.

Implementation of potentially better practices for the prevention of brain hemorrhage and ischemic brain injury in very low birth weight infants.

Objective: Using an evidence-based approach, a Vermont Oxford Network focus group whose goal was to reduce brain injury developed and implemented a number of potentially better practices. Each center approached implementation of the practices differently. Reducing the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia are important for improving long-term outcomes for low birth weight infants.

Evaluation and development of potentially better practices for the prevention of brain hemorrhage and ischemic brain injury in very low birth weight infants.

Objective: Neonatal care providers from 5 institutions formed a multidisciplinary focus group with the purpose of identifying potentially better practices, the implementation of which would lead to a reduction in the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia in very low birth weight infants.

Methods: Practices were analyzed, 4 benchmark neonatal intensive care units were identified and evaluated, and the literature was assessed using an evidence-based approach. The work was also reviewed by a nationally respected expert.