March Education Newsletter

Blood Education Compliance takes a HUGE JUMP!

Since rolling out the new process for blood education documentation, the compliance in CVICU has gone from 20-30% to upwards of 90% compliance, BIG WIN!! 

When administering blood, you can document education from inside the navigator, or you can defer education if the patient is unstable/has no family present.

Shout out to Jess and her hard work to improve documentation, making it a more intuitive process for all bedside nurses!

When a patient enters an arrhythmia while they have an Impella in place, first assess if your patient is stable and perfusing, or unstable requiring resuscitation. If the patient is unstable, CPR should be initiated quickly per ACLS protocol. 

The placement of an Impella has the potential to cause damage to cardiac structures, specifically if your patient is experiencing a suction alarm. For this reason, decreasing the flow rate until suction releases will prevent damage. When you regain function, the Impella is then increased to its previous settings. 

HR compliance packages were just assigned in LMS. These cover bloodborne pathogens, annual training on fire safety, etc. These are linked to a mandatory due date and should be completed at your earliest convenience!

Amidst all the annual compliance modules, if you have any questions about what modules need to be completed, PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out to me, or email vumccompetency@vumc.org
 

Used in conjunction with other tools, restraints keep our patients safe while intubated. The securement of these devices is important to prevent patients from self extubating while restrained!

As pictured below: Make sure you are using the DISTAL, non-moveable securement rail underneath yourb bed's side rails! This prevents patients from pulling their arms up towards their face!

Documentation: 
- Assessment: Every two (no longer than four) hours, perform a vascular assessment, securement, and safety check on your patient 

( To include: Ability to cooperate, nutrition, hydration, circulation, skin condition, patient response, ROM, elimination, hygiene, and discontinuation goal)
: 
- Continue frequent conversations regarding restraint discontinuation with your providers!

Device Handoff: IABP
Over the past few months, we've noticed an uptrend of IABP and T-MCS patients on the unit. To provide a refresher and additional resource for you all, I'm re-sharing the IABP handover tool.
This tool can be used when handing over your patients who have IABP to ensure you're covering the FAQ and key safety points of the catheter.

Want an additional refresher on Timing? Follow this link to see a GREAT 15-minute video on Trigger and Timing