Date of Graduation

Fall 12-12-2014

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

First Advisor

Mary Seed

Abstract

The Clinical Nurse Leader project took place at a Magnet Hospital in Northern California. It involved the nursing staff on a 23-bed Post-Surgical Medical Surgical unit, as well as the therapists providing care to their diverse patient population. The goal was to improve interdisciplinary communication to decrease the frequency of missed or postponed therapy sessions. A review of literature revealed that this preventable issue could be the most significant factor resulting in an extended length of stay and affecting overall patient satisfaction. Project data was gathered from a variety of sources, including a unit assessment, shadowing therapists, interviews with key stakeholders, and through surveys. Interventions included the creation of a 2-page communication tool and utilizing the patient’s whiteboards to better prepare them for therapy and improve patient-centered care. The pre-intervention results found that 83% of patients were dissatisfied with way the initiation of therapy is currently communicated to them. In addition, 70% of nurses reported that an intervention to improve the scheduling of therapy sessions was necessary, as 52% of nurses reported that they need more advanced notice (30 minutes or more) to adequately prepare patients for therapy. The majority of both pre and post- implementation data suggest that an intervention that would help foster teamwork and collaboration was necessary. Post- implementation results revealed 86% of nurses reported that this intervention significantly improved communication, assisted in prioritization, allowed for better time management, and increased patient participation. It is projected that patient satisfaction scores will significantly increase in 6 months.

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