ANNUAL ASPAN CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS e13

‘‘CBSPAN’S PRIDE: OUR WEBSITE’S SUCCESS’’Marie Graziela Bautista, BSN, RN, CPAN, CAPA,

Mary Kathryn Paskewitz, RN, CPAN (Webmaster),

Michele Joynes, BSN, RN, CPAN, Julianne Harp, MSN, RN, CPAN,

Karen Hoskins, RN, CPAN, Patricia Sendelbach, BSN, RN, CCRN, CPAN,

Elizabeth Wilson, RN, CPAN

Communication is vital to the success of any organization but requires

significant time and resources. CBSPAN covers 3 states with 4 districts.

As membership and activities increased, leaders and members became

frustrated due to the ineffectiveness of existing systems. The website’s

goal was to create and design an efficient communication system among

the Districts. The process involved the collection of information from

membership by website representatives and CBSPAN leaders to send

to the webmaster. Revisions are then made to the website when re-

ceived. Quarterly the entire website is reviewed. Guidelines have been

implemented. The CBSPAN website’s positive impact is that it became

an active source of information among members. Accurate and timely in-

formation are captured including Component, ASPAN and ABPANC in-

formation. Since the website went live in 2004 visits have increased

from 4,000 to 15,000 annually. Sources of visits are both national and in-

ternational. CBSPAN leaders expressed satisfaction and communication

inefficiencies decreased. The most satisfying outcome is the increased

number of perianesthesia nurses that are reached through dissemination

of educational information. CBSPAN website has far exceeded expecta-

tions from communication, marketing and education. Through team-

work and creativity, the website has become the Component’s pride.

JOURNEY TO HAND HYGIENE COMPLIANCE IN THEPHASE I PACUPresenter: Jane E. Holsinger, RN, BSN, CPAN,

Team Members: Jane E. Holsinger, RN, BSN, CPAN,

Melissa Wagoner, RN, AA, RNC, Jessica Close, RN, BSN,

Sandy Trumpower, RN, AA, Roxanna Herbert, RN

Washington County Hospital, Hagerstown, Maryland

Background: An audit of Hand Hygiene practice in our PACU showed

noncompliance with CDC standards.

Objective: To improve patient safety by improving hand hygiene com-

pliance in the Phase I PACU.

Process of Implementation: Numerous steps were taken to improve

hand hygiene compliance. First the result of the audit was presented to

the entire PACU staff. Staff was educated regarding the CDC recommen-

dations for hand hygiene and proper hand hygiene using hand washing

and waterless hand hygiene products. Several staff members continued

monthly monitoring of hand hygiene. The results were reported to the

staff on a monthly basis. The staff was involved in the problem solving

process. Acceptable waterless product for hand hygiene were made

available at the bedside.

Statement of the Successful practice: Hand hygiene will be per-

formed before patient contact, after patient contact and after glove re-

moval 100% of the time.

Statement of the positive outcome achieved: Hand hygiene im-

proved from 32% to 98%.

Implications for Perianesthesia nurses: Hand Hygiene compliance

is achievable in the Phase I PACU when all staff is educated and involved

in the process.

PRESSURE ULCER PREVENTION: BRINGING IT HOME TOTHE PERIANESTHESIA WORLDSusan Andrews, BAN, MA, RN, CAPA, Karen Catchings, BSN, RN, CAPA,

Leslie Edney, BSN, RN, CAPA, Sarah Gillen, AAS, BA, RN, CAPA,

Margaret Johnson, BS, BSN, MSN, RN (presenter),

Nancy Kotti, BSN, CNOR

MCGHealth, Augusta, GA

In October 2008 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began

denying payment for nosocomial pressure ulcers. MCGHealth re-

sponded by instituting polices to identify pressure ulcers present

upon admission. The policy required upon admission, transfer and/or

discharge each patient be visually evaluated for the presence of a pres-

sure ulcer and a Braden Risk Assessment also be completed.

This policy proved problematic in the perianesthesia areas for several

reasons. Most of their patients were healthy, younger patients and, de-

pending upon the type of surgery, the patient may not entirely disrobe.

The nurses were not accustomed to performing visual inspections of

their patients, especially those who did not completely disrobe. It was,

however, acknowledged that nosocomial pressure ulcers can be a prob-

lem for patients going to surgery due to positioning and pressure points

that can occur during lengthy surgery.

MCGHealth Perianesthesia developed a program to meet the require-

ments that included scripting to explain the process to patients, staff ed-

ucation, documentation changes, reevaluation of the patient in PACU,

a 360 degree communication program encompassing the entire peri-

operative process.

NORMOTHERMIA: A PERIOPERATIVE PERFORMANCEIMPROVEMENT PROJECTBarbara L. Jones, BSN, RN

Mary Washington Hospital, 1001 Sam Perry Blvd. Fredericksburg,

Virginia 22401

The medical literature indicates that hypothermia triples the risk of sur-

gical site infections after colon surgery; preventing hypothermia is ben-

eficial in reducing other complications; and patients utilizing patient-

controlled warming gowns experience a significant reduction in preop-

erative anxiety. Patients undergoing total joint replacement and colorec-

tal surgery were arriving to our PACU hypothermic. The purpose of our

performance improvement project was to validate the evidence in the

literature; patient-controlled warming gowns are an effective measure

for reducing hypothermia and positively impact patient satisfaction

and perception of thermal comfort. Patient-controlled warming gowns

proved to be an effective measure for reducing hypothermia and were

positively received by our patients. From January-July 2008 excluding

April, 98.8% of all of our surgical patients and 100% of our colorectal sur-

gery patients arrived to PACU normothermic. Via a storyboard, we show-

cased perioperative nursing’s contribution to our hospital’s goals and

patient outcomes including problem identification; decision-making at

the bedside; and nursing’s involvement with quality improvement utiliz-

ing evidence-based practice and a performance improvement model

with measurable results. Also, we touched upon Watson’s Caring

Theory.