Nursing Accountability of Implementing Changes
Nursing accountability is often associated with specific expectations which include clinical care. It defines the nurse’s responsibility to practice ethically and competently. Nurses use evidence-based research as those presented by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This is an agency that supports health services research that will improve the quality of healthcare and promote evidence-based decision making (AHRQ, May 2009). It is zascsanecessary for nurses to stay up to date on clinical practices so that they can provide the best care possible to their patients. “The nurse assumes responsibility and accountability for individual nursing judgments and actions.”(ANA, 2001, p. 1) This paper will discuss evidence-based patient safety practices, focusing on the safety practice of: Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Associated Infection by use of maximum sterile barrier precautions.
There are pros and cons to the short-term use of central venous catheters (CVC) in the hospital. The benefit of having an intravascular catheter is that it allows you to give large volumes and high concentrations of fluids to patients. It also prevents a patient on long-term antibiotics from having multiple IV starts. However, there are also serious complications with the most common being infection.(Shonjania et al., 2001) According to AHRQ, the use of maximum sterile barrier precautions decreases the risk of catheter related infections since many catheter-related infections are caused by contamination during insertion. Maximum sterile barriers consist of sterile gowns, sterile gloves, sterile drapes, non sterile mask, and non sterile cap.
Since the nurses are at the bedside to assist with CVC insertions, they are responsible for implementing the guidelines set forth by these safety practices. To do this, nurses need to make sure that when they are setting up for the procedure, they keep all equipment sterile as necessary. Providing doctors with sterile gloves and gown, as well as, a mask and cap is required to perform maximum sterile barrier. Furthermore, assisting the doctor with getting supplies so that he/she may remain sterile throughout the procedure is preferred. In addition, these standards are implemented by the nurse closing off the unit or patients room during the procedure. It is imperative that nurses implement these guidelines to a tee and make sure everyone present is following the guidelines as well. Educating patients and family on what maximum sterile barrier is and why it is so important provides better patient compliance. By doing all this, nurses are keeping the risk of accidental contamination low.