A State Public Health Intervention: Using Data to Support Infection Prevention Strategies and Resources

ISSUE: Urinary tract infection accounts for 32% of infections reported by acute care hospitals with the majority of hospital-associated UTIs being caused by instrumentation of the urinary tract, mainly from an indwelling urinary catheter (IUC). Established culture and resistance to change associated with high urinary catheter utilization in Hospital chronic ventilator dependent units are difficult to overcome. PROJECT: Staff engagement and commitment was established by daily multi-disciplinary CAUTI Prevention Team Rounds: Staff RN, Charge RN, Nurse Manager, Physician Champion, and Infection Preventionist. Nurses were empowered to follow urinary catheter necessity justification and removal criteria algorithm. Patients with unnecessary urinary catheters were identified in nursing knowledge exchange, daily huddles and CAUTI preventive rounds. Identified unnecessary urinary catheters were removed with engagement of a physician champion. Reinforced use of Bladder Scanner and increased utilization of external catheter usage to reduce indwelling urinary catheter utilization. Urinary catheter insertion, maintenance, and removal criteria visual aid developed.