Capstone Project Blog Week 7
Follow Blog Instructions and Formatting Template for entry
I filled out some of the sections to keep you on track with my progress. Please complete the missing sections using nursing journal or information from the CDC (at least 2 references). I included my classmates Blog to provide extra guidance.
- The blog is intended to serve as a journal for your project throughout the semester. It is the mechanism through which you report progress (or lack of progress!), and share information relevant to project implementation and evaluation.
- Blog entries should be entered every other week. Each entry should be as concise and substantive as possible and show the progress you are making with your project. Comment on two of your classmates blogs 3. Please provide entries according to the following format to provide consistency across all blogs.
- a. Introduction/overview of week’s goals and accomplishments*
-My goal during the last two weeks has been to develop an effective 10 question survey for dialysis patients with Central Venous Catheter to assess their level of knowledge The project is not intended to teach patients to change their own dressings on their catheters, but rather monitoring the integrity of their dressings in order to recognize when a dressing change is indicated.
-Second, I managed to set up a meeting with the unit manager to discuss the implementation of using a patient survey to assess knowledge and perception of CVC care. I mentioned that an explanation of the survey will be provided and completion of the questionnaire will be assumed to imply consent. Ethical considerations include confidentiality of individual and institutional responses being protected.
-Lastly, I began to ultize the questionnaire with a total of 9 clients thus far. Responses were being collected in hours, days or frequencies per week. Participant answers were responded to in an impartial manner, with no discussion as to the correctness of responses.
- Challenges (anticipated and unanticipated) faced and strategies used to overcome challenges/barriers*
- Utilization of coaching and/or mentoring to assist you in your work; as well as noting any coaching or mentoring you offered to those helping you carry out this project
I sought out assistance from upper management, as well as approval from various other key players, such as the Infection Control, Compliance, Quality Improvement, Home Health Education, Case Management, Outpatient Management, and Information Technology Departments. It was essential to tailor specific parts of the project to address the concerns and values related to each individual department.
- Capstone Project Plan Progress: Is project progressing according to plan and timeline? Explain and amplify.
- Leadership lessons learned
- Outcomes achieved
- Track clinical hours weekly / running total in your blog (90 total required for course)
5 hours were spent collaborating with the interdisciplinary team to review the questionaaire and gain approval
10 clinical hours were spent gathering data using the 10 guestion survey
3 hours were spent doing research to develop the questionnaire comparing it to evidence based practices.
Another Classmate in the Same Hospitals Submission to use as an example
Week’s Goals/Accomplishments:
One of my main goals for the past week was setting up a meeting with the nurse manager of the Geriatrics unit to discuss the implementation of a bedside fall intervention poster to prevent patient falls. I met with the nurse manager and showed her the “Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) Sheet” I will be basing my bedside poster on (Brigham & Women’s Hospital, 2016). She liked the idea and made some suggestions to modify the sheet in order to be compliant with HIPPA.
My next goal was to use the feedback from the nurse manager and create a draft of my poster. The poster will include weather the patient is on bedrest or if they need 1 or 2 people assist when ambulating. It will also include if the patient uses a walking aid such as a walker or cane. There will be other options that could be checked off, such as if a bed alarm is in place. At the bottom of the sheet I would also like to add a reminder of other fall interventions like keeping the floor dry and wearing non-slip socks (Tzeng & Yin, 2017).
A third goal of this week was to meet again with the staff members of the unit to discuss the implementation of the bedside poster and get feedback. I felt that I took a step to motivate and empower the staff about the poster by discussing its possible benefits. This is an important aspect of leadership because when staff is empowered, they are more likely to critically think and be active in their roles (Roussel, Thomas, & Harris, 2016). They gave me positive feedback and felt that the poster could be useful when they are covering for patients they are not familiar with. I want to keep the design of the poster simple as I do not want to create more work for the staff.
Challenges/Strategies:
One of the challenges I faced this past week was when I met with the nurse manager to speak about the bedside poster. The challenge was including useful information on the poster without violating HIPPA. This was an opportunity to demonstrate leadership through relationship building, teamwork and collaboration with the manager to solve the dilemma (Roussel et al., 2016). The manager felt that including that a patient was forgetful would be against HIPPA, but after brainstorming, we decided to include as an intervention “needs reorientation.”
Another challenge was setting up a meeting with the manager. She and I both have busy schedules, but we eventually were able to come to an agreement on a date and time. I was able to utilize my mentor, Daryl, in this situation to help set up a time for the meeting. This is one of the benefits of having a mentor in the project because of his professional relationships and ability to share his experiences with me (Durham University, 2018).
A third challenge faced was when I was researching the use of bed alarms. I found information that was conflicting with the hospital’s practice. They currently use bed alarms as a fall prevention intervention, but it has been shown that there isn’t a significant reduction of falls or injury with the use of bed alarms (Schoen, Cull, & Buckhold, 2016). After reading this information I wanted to speak to the unit staff about their opinion on bed alarm use. They felt that it is useful in the Geriatric setting because many of their patients are forgetful or have altered mental status and usually are slow when getting out of bed, giving them enough time to respond to the alarm. Nurses shared stories of close catches in which the bed alarm prevented falls. I decided to include if the patient had a bed alarm on the poster because of their use of bed alarms on the unit.
Utilization of Mentor:
Like I mentioned earlier, I was able to use my mentor to facilitate communication between the unit’s nurse manager and myself to set up a meeting. I have also been sharing my ideas about the bedside poster and have been getting positive feedback from Daryl. He also communicated to me that when I plan to implement he be in touch with the assistant director of nursing. Daryl has been supportive through my research process and has introduced me to staff members of the Geriatrics unit.
Project Plan Progress:
I feel that the project is progressing well. Now that I have met with the nurse manager and discussed the implementation of my intervention, I need to design the final version of my bedside fall intervention poster. The poster will then be printed on laminated paper so that it can be cleaned and reused. After that I will again meet with the unit staff to further explain how to use the poster and how it could prevent falls. I’m going to familiarize the staff with how to fill out the poster and answer any questions. I will continue to utilize my mentor for advice and if any issues arise.
Leadership Lessons:
One of the leadership lessons I learned this past week was when speaking with the nurse manager and collaborating to move this project closer to implementation. Effective leadership involves collaboration “to review evidence and deliver recommendations for team-based approaches to deliver the highest quality, lowest cost, evidence-based care that also maximizes the patient experience” (Roussel et al., 2016, p. 55). Another lesson learned in the past weeks was that communication is essential in leadership, which is why I have been speaking to the staff on the unit about my project. According to Orchard, Sonibare, Morse, Collins, & Al-Hamad (2017), nurse leaders with exceptional communication skills motivate team members rather than give orders. This was my intention, as I did not want to come off to the staff as simply giving orders and directions. Transformational leadership style is beneficial in this situation because the leader will provide the motivation to reach goals, and the team will work together for the best results (St. Thomas University, 2018).
Outcomes Achieved:
Outcomes achieved to date include researching ideas for my fall intervention bedside poster, meeting with the nurse manager, meeting with staff, and developing a draft for my poster.
Clinical Hours:
Week 4 (9 hours): Research for bedside poster, discussions with mentor,
Week 5 (9 hours): Met with nurse manager, developed draft of bedside poster, met with staff members
