Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Barbara Niedz

Abstract

Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) is a life-threatening complication. Approximately 900,000 people in the United States are affected by VTE with a mortality of 300,000 cases per year. Although potentially preventable, VTE remains the leading cause of hospital deaths in the U.S. The practice problem addressed in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was evidence of an increased incident of VTE events on a trauma surgical unit. The practice-focused question evaluated the extent to which a nurse-driven protocol for VTE prophylaxis could improve adherence to mechanical prophylaxis with sequential compression devices and compliance with nursing documentation. The purpose for the doctoral project was to retrospectively evaluate the impact of an existing quality improvement (QI) project with a 3 year analysis of the VTE prevention program. The theoretical framework that guided the project was the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s triple aim initiative to maximize healthcare performance and improve healthcare outcomes. The results of the Chi square inferential test show a statistically significant improvement when the preintervention data (N=60) were compared to the postintervention data (N=60) on both the presence of an order (likelihood ratio 4.236, 1 df, p=.040). Documentation also improved from preintervention to postintervention (Likelihood ratio 36.69, 1df, p<.0001). Thus, the interventions set forth in the QI project demonstrate successful improvement on these 2 processes measures. The impact on social change aligns with the The Triple Aim’s goals to optimize healthcare performance and reduce harm. Decreasing the incidence of VTEs support social change by promoting improvement in human and social conditions.

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