Insight (American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses)
-
An increased incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) parallels the increased incidence of viable births at earlier gestational ages. However, advancements in laser therapy can treat ROP and ultimately prevent blindness. This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a tool that consistently documents ROP assessments by medical staff, as well as pertinent medical history necessary to safely manage this critical population. ⋯ The infants were considered at risk for ROP if they weighed less than 1500 grams or if they had a gestational age of less than or equal to 34 weeks. At any given time, the outpatient clinic manages from 50 to 70 infants. Implementation of the tool increased consistency in documentation by medical staff and guided the initial assessment for nursing and technical staff members.
-
A case study approach will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of a continuous quality improvement team designed to explore the process of preoperative medical record completeness. The goal of this team was to improve essential chart components (e.g., electrocardiography, history and physical examination) required 48 hours before the date of surgery in an effort to facilitate optimum patient management and timely flow of patients to the operating room. When the 48-hour compliance rule is followed, the nurse reviewer has sufficient time to review all patient data and notify attending physicians or designees of any abnormalities. In essence, improving component compliance provides better quality care because patients are able to be assessed before surgery with enough time to solve any problems.