Date of Conferral
2019
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Eileen Fowles
Abstract
The most important risk factor for developing a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the prolonged use of the urinary catheter. To address the CAUTI rate at the project site, which was higher than the national benchmark, a team of healthcare practice leaders developed an evidence-based algorithm addressing the appropriate indications for inserting or discontinuing a patient's Foley catheter. Using the plan-do-study-act model, the purpose of this quality improvement evaluation project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence-based Foley algorithm for decreasing the use of Foley catheters and reducing the CAUTI rate and to explore whether using the Foley algorithm shift assessment tool would reduce the incidence of Foley catheter utilization. Data were compared on the rate of CAUTI and Foley catheter use over 4 months before and 4 months after implementation of the algorithm. There was a statistically significant decrease in the Foley utilization rate after implementing the Foley algorithm; the overall CAUTI rate did not decrease. The outcome of this quality improvement evaluation project could produce social change by highlighting the need for consistent application of the algorithm. In addition, reducing the rate of Foley catheter usage could decrease the incidence of CAUTIs, reduce hospital costs, and improve overall patient health during hospitalization.
Recommended Citation
Wright, Marshanell, "Decreasing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in the Acute Care Setting" (2019). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 6707.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6707
