Developing an EndoCaseTrac.
Many smaller hospitals are merging with large facilities to form healthcare groups. Standardization is the key to cost effectiveness and consistency within such groups. Not only should standardization be applied to equipment, but also to various aspects of documentation. A multi-facility Endoscopy Nurses Task Force was formed to develop an all-encompassing, easy flowing conscious sedation nursing record. The end product was an EndoCaseTrac that is thorough, complete, and multi purposed, to be used in any situations where intravenous conscious sedation is administered, but with the option of being department-specific. Staff education prior to implementation of the EndoCaseTrac played a very important part in the overall acceptance of this newly developed, very thorough and complete nursing documentation. Frequent staff meetings and discussions after implementation decreased the resistance and insecurity in using the EndoCaseTrac. A performance improvement program was also developed to evaluate the accurate completion by the endoscopy nurse and to identify problems.
Den Boer
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Endoscopy Department, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000451:nursing*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000451:nursing*; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing*; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D009737:Nursing Records / Q000592:standards*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration