Date of Graduation

Summer 8-16-2022

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

Program

Kaiser cohort MSN capstone

First Advisor

Liesel Buchner, DNP, MSN, RN, CNL

Abstract

Abstract

Problem: Patients who have same day surgery often have little or no recall of the postoperative home care instructions when delivered in the aftercare area. The number of instructions that are required for home care, combined with medications given for pain and nausea as well as anesthesia, can make recall of these instructions difficult. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to provide the postoperative instructions for post prostatectomy patients discharged with an indwelling urinary catheter in the pre-operative area before the patient underwent surgery to decrease the length of time the patient spent in the recovery unit.

Context: At an Ambulatory Surgery Center on the campus of a medical center in Northern California, the current performance reflected an average stay in the PACU of 150 minutes. After assessing the current performance and reviewing regional data that reflected a high of 251 minutes and a low of 85 minutes, it was determined that there was an opportunity for improvement to 120 minutes for this unit’s performance.

Interventions: Handouts on catheter care were provided in a discharge folder, a video to watch while waiting for their surgery to start and hands on practice with a night bag and leg bag were the interventions for this project.

Measures: The primary outcome was to reduce the length of stay in the recovery unit from 150 minutes to 120 minutes during a three-month trial period from April 2022 to June 2022 and 100% of patients receiving the education in the preoperative area.

Results: Despite two outlier surgical patients, the goal of the project was met, with a reduction in the average length of stay in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit to 116 minutes and all of the patients included in the trial period received their education in the preoperative area.

Conclusion: Providing the discharge teaching in the preoperative area can be successfully implemented resulting in a reduction in the length of stay for patients discharged with an indwelling urinary catheter.

Key Words: indwelling urinary catheter, preoperative teaching, postoperative education, PACU length of stay

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