A proactive model of rounding for inpatient cancer care is among success stories featured at the conference.
A nurse who developed a proactive model of rounding for inpatient cancer care resulting in a dramatic drop in rapid responses is among presenters at the 48th annual Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress running through Sunday in San Antonio, Texas.
Evidence-based practice changes led by nurses are being highlighted at the conference, including one by Michael Martorana, BSN, BS, RN, of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Buffalo, New York, that addressed reducing rapid responses and codes through critical-care nurse rounding.
Though most cancer patients receive treatment as an outpatient, some require inpatient care for treatment complications, symptom management, and complex procedures.
Martorana discussed the implications of this need for a higher level of nursing care during a poster presentation, “The Effects of Proactive Critical-Care Nurse Rounding with High-Risk Patients in a Dedicated Cancer Hospital,” co-authored by Andrew Storer, PhD, DNP, RN, NP-C, A, FAANP, Roswell Park’s vice president and deputy chief nursing officer.
Martorana developed a proactive “SWAT” model of rounding at Roswell Park, 142-bed dedicated cancer hospital, and successfully advocated for its funding, leading to a 12-hour-per-day increase in critical-care nurse staffing for high-risk patients.
Over the seven-month trial period, SWAT nurses rounded daily to each inpatient unit, where staff identified patients at risk of clinical deterioration and those discharged from critical care the previous day. SWAT nurses then assessed those patients for needed interventions.
Because of early intervention, the need for rapid responses involving staff outside the critical care unit fell from 4.5 per 1,000 patient days in the seven months prior to the SWAT program to 3.5 in the seven months after the program began, according to the cancer center.
Codes outside the critical care unit, signaling that a patient was in medical distress, dropped from 0.48 per 1,000 patient days in the seven months before implementation to 0.16 in the following seven months. The reduction in rapid responses and codes resulted in less disruption and the use of fewer resources, noted the nurse researchers.
Carol Davis is the Nursing Editor at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Nurse-led, evidence-based practice changes are being presented at the 48th annual Oncology Nursing Society Congress running through Sunday.
A proactive model of rounding for inpatient cancer care resulting in a dramatic drop in rapid responses was one practice change featured at the conference.
Because of early intervention, the need for rapid response fell dramatically.