Question 2 : Solution Essays

 Central line associated infections can happen in the ICU setting and can lead to poor patient outcomes, longer complicated hospital stays, and increased cost in hospital stays. Education is a crucial way to inform frontline staff about how to prevent these infections. The creation of a bundle of ways for nurses to care for central lines and incorporating it into their protocols and daily routine can decrease the rate of infections. As a nurse in the ICU, it is helpful for staff to have direct and clear instructions to make sure their responsibilities and skills are being performed according to best practice and per protocol per facility. Nurses are at the bedside and are frequently interacting with central lines on a daily basis in the ICU. Making simple changes such as proper hand hygiene before and after use of a central line can have a very positive result on the rate of the infection. The Joint Commission has included central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in their National Patient Safety Goals. It is a problem that can cause critical issues for patients and event result in death. Nurses can have an impact on reducing CLABSIs by implementing evidence-based interventions, such as hand hygiene, proper education on central line care, visual reminders for staff in unit with key points, proper catheter access protocol, disinfecting caps, dressing changes, and frequent assessment of the continued need for the central line. As a nurse in the ICU, I want to establish a central line care bundle using evidence-based research that can reduce CLABSIs and improve patient outcomes.