title: Innovative solutions: beds, baths, and bottoms: a quality improvement initiative to standardize use of beds, bathing techniques, and skin care in a general critical-care unit.
abstract: As a quality improvement initiative, nurses in a general critical-care unit at a Midwest hospital constructed a plan for interventional hygiene. A nationally recognized nursing expert inspired the theoretical framework used as a basis for the initiative. A critical-care nursing clinical excellence team examined the current state and developed, implemented, and evaluated the interventional hygiene plan. Goals included standardizing bathing procedures and use of beds and reducing nosocomial infections and incontinence-associated dermatitis in critically ill adults. During the evaluation period, incidence of unit-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and incontinence-associated dermatitis decreased. Nurses reported favorable reviews for new skin care products and decreased nursing time associated with bathing.
authors.affiliation: Elkhart General Healthcare System, 600 East Blvd, Elkhart, IN 46514, USA. jeigsti@egh.com
authors.forename: Janice E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Eigsti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001494:Baths / Q000379:methods*; D001513:Beds; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007318:Inservice Training; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D058996:Quality Improvement; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*