title: Implementing Evidence-Based Practice to Reduce Infections Following Arthroplasty.
abstract: Surgical site infections can have a devastating effect on a patient's morbidity impacting their quality of life and productivity in society. Financial burdens are placed on healthcare organizations because of surgical site infections as well. Evidence has shown that it is a worthwhile endeavor to implement a practice to screen and treat patients who are nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Implementing evidence-based practices to combat surgical site infections can help ensure quality healthcare, while producing best possible patient outcomes; however, getting evidence to the bedside can be a challenge. The Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice model is designed to help nurses translate evidence into practice. This article describes the steps one community hospital took to implement an evidence-based practice using the Johns Hopkins model to decrease the likelihood of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infections in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty.
authors.affiliation: Candy Mori, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, ONC, is Clinical Nurse Specialist, Medical/Surgical, Nursing Education and Practice, Wooster Community Hospital, Wooster, OH.
authors.forename: Candy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016294:Models, Nursing; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*