Mejorando la seguridad del paciente: utilidad de las listas de verificación de seguridad en una unidad neonatal

Content validity of a Safe Nursing Care Checklist for a neonatal unit

BACKGROUND

Nursing checklists have been shown to improve communication, reduce the occurrence of adverse events, and promote safe, quality care in different care settings. However, to date, there is no validated patient care safety checklist for nurses caring for infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU).

AIM

To describe development and content validation of the "Safe Nursing Care Checklist for Infants Hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit".

STUDY DESIGN

Online Survey.

METHODS

Based upon an integrative literature review, we developed a checklist focused on safe nursing care for infants in the NICU. Nursing experts participated in three rounds of a content validation process where they rated the items online. An agreement level ≥0.90 was required for inclusion in the checklist. Forty- three expert nurses with experience working in the NICU and who were certified in neonatal nursing or had a master's or doctoratal degree in child health provided content validation of the patient care checklist.

RESULTS

The final checklist contained 45 items with content validation index scores greater than 90%. The instrument was structured into six dimensions including patient identification, effective communication, medication safety, infection prevention, fall prevention, and pressure injuries/skin injuries prevention.

CONCLUSION

Content validity was established for the "Safe Nursing Care Checklist for Infants Hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit" which can identify strengths and weaknesses in safe nursing care for infants in the NICU as well as direct educational interventions to promote nursing care based on scientific evidence.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This checklist can potentially be used by bedside nurses to promote provision of safe care to infants in the NICU and to guide corrective strategies and encourage evidence-based decision-making. Validation in the clinical setting is needed.

Standardization of rounds on a general paediatric ward: Implementation of a checklist to improve efficiency, quality of rounds, and family satisfaction

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized rounding tool for use on the general paediatric ward and to determine if its use can improve quality of rounds as well as patient and parent satisfaction.

METHODOLOGY

The study used a pre- and post-intervention prospective observational methodology. The intervention consisted of the implementation of a Checklist Rounding Tool (CRT) entitled the 'Paediatric Inpatient Rounding Checklist (PIRC)' which outlined items deemed essential to discuss during rounds for all patients admitted to the paediatric ward. The PIRC was created by the research team after reviewing the literature and it was peer reviewed by a panel of expert paediatricians. Performance on rounds based on discussion of checklist items as well as patient and parent satisfaction were evaluated by an external observer both pre- and post-PIRC implementation.

RESULTS

Four of the five less frequently addressed checklist items were discussed significantly more post-intervention. The Rounds Quality Score was significantly improved after checklist implementation, the pre- and post-intervention scores being 8.24 and 9.61/10, respectively (P-value <0.001). Patient and parent satisfaction were rated higher with the use of the checklist. There was no difference in the duration of rounds between the pre- and post-implementation phases.

CONCLUSION

In summary, utilization of a standardized rounding tool on an inpatient paediatric ward led to improvement in quality of rounds as well as patient and parent satisfaction.

Elementos de segurança e compreensão de orientações na alta em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal

RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar elementos de segurança e a compreensão de orientações na alta da Unidade Terapia Intensiva Neonatal entre hospitais público e privado. Método: Estudo transversal, desenvolvido em duas Unidades Terapia Intensiva Neonatal do Centro-Oeste do Brasil. Foram empregados o Checklist para segurança do paciente no preparo para alta da Unidade Terapia Intensiva Neonatal e a Escala de Avaliação da Compreensão do Paciente sobre Orientações de Alta a uma amostra (n=105) de cuidadores dos neonatos. Realizou-se análise estatística descritiva e inferencial. Resultados: O item do Checklist “cuidados com a pele e higienização corporal” obteve maior conformidade no setor privado (96,9%) que no público (73,2%) (p-valor<0,000) e a compreensão de orientações de alta teve média geral de 62,9±8,3 pontos, sem diferença significativa entre os locais. Conclusão: O atendimento a elementos de segurança e a compreensão de orientações na alta foram equânimes entre os hospitais.

Safety elements and understanding of guidelines at discharge from Neonatal Intensive Care Units

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare safety elements and the understanding of guidelines at discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between public and private hospitals. Method: Cross-sectional study, developed in two Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the Midwest of Brazil. The Checklist for patient safety in preparing for discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Assessment Scale of Patient Understanding about Discharge Guidelines were used for a sample (n=105) of caregivers of newborns. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed. Results: The Checklist item “skin care and body hygiene” had greater conformity in the private sector (96.9%) than in the public sector (73.2%) (p-value<0.000) and the understanding of discharge guidelines had an overall mean of 62.9±8.3 points, with no significant difference between the locations. Conclusion: Compliance with safety elements and understanding of guidelines at discharge were equal among hospitals.

Material and sedation-analgesia in the neonatal lumbar puncture procedure

INTRODUCTION

Lumbar puncture (LP) is a frequent procedure during the neonatal period. Correctly performing this technique can avoid many of its complications.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the LP procedure in neonates in Spanish hospitals, studying the type of material and the sedation-analgesia used.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study conducted in Spain gathering data through a survey research distributed by email through the Segurneo-SEN Hospital Network and the Spanish Neonatal Society. Data on the LP technique in neonates were collected.

RESULTS

A total of 301 participants were analysed. Most professionals used a trocar needle with a stylet as the first option (89.7%); however, when the LP failed or was blood-stained, 32.2% changed the type of needle. A total of 143 doctors gave their subjective feeling about the type of needle: they only use trocar needles with stylet (41.3%), the technique is easier using scalp-vein needles (32.2%), there is less probability of a blood-stained LP, or failed using scalp-vein needles (7.7%), they choose the type of needle depending on the size of the newborn (10.5%), indifference when using one type or another needle (8.4%). Almost all (99%) of the surveyed doctors used some type of analgesia. The most widely used measures were topical anaesthetics (90.3%) and sucrose (82.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Currently, the LP procedure in the neonatal period is mainly performed with a trocar needle with a stylet and with the widespread use of different analgesic measures.

[Material and sedation-analgesia in the neonatal lumbar puncture procedure]

INTRODUCTION

Lumbar puncture (LP) is a frequent procedure during the neonatal period. Correctly performing this technique can avoid many of its complications.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the LP procedure in neonates in Spanish hospitals, studying the type of material and the sedation-analgesia used.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study conducted in Spain gathering data through a survey research distributed by email through the Segurneo-SEN Hospital Network and the Spanish Neonatal Society. Data on the LP technique in neonates were collected.

RESULTS

A total of 301 participants were analysed. Most professionals used a trocar needle with a stylet as the first option (89.7%); however, when the LP failed or was blood-stained, 32.2% changed the type of needle. A total of 143 doctors gave their subjective feeling about the type of needle: they only use trocar needles with stylet (41.3%), the technique is easier using scalp-vein needles (32.2%), there is less probability of a blood-stained LP, or failed using scalp-vein needles (7.7%), they choose the type of needle depending on the size of the new-born (10.5%), indifference when using one type or another needle (8.4%). Almost all (99%) of the surveyed doctors used some type of analgesia. The most widely used measures were topical anaesthetics (90.3%) and sucrose (82.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Currently, the LP procedure in the neonatal period is mainly performed with a trocar needle with a stylet and with the widespread use of different analgesic measures.

[The checklists: A help or a hassle?]

Patient safety has become a central component of quality of care. One of the best known and most widely used security tool in all work settings is the checklist. The checklist is a tool that helps to not forget any step during the performance of a procedure, to do tasks with an established order, to control the fulfilment of a series of requirements or to collect data in a systematic way for its subsequent analysis. It is an aid to improve the efficiency of teamwork, promote communication, decrease variability, standardize care and improve patient safety. Main barriers to implementation are reviewed: staff attitudes, hierarchies, poor design, inadequate training, duplication with other work lists, work overload, cultural barriers, lack of replication or checklist closing time. Finally, its applications in Pediatrics are reviewed starting from the most widespread, the safety checklist of pediatric surgery, checklists in neonatal critical units, for safe delivery, for risk procedures, in pediatric intensive care and for pathology time-dependent emergent, e.g. pediatric trauma. It is necessary to highlight the role of leadership in the implantation of a checklist in any area of Pediatrics. There must be one or more people from the team with the support of the Heads of Service and Managers who lead the training of the personnel, direct the implementation of the LV, evaluate the results, inform the rest of the team and can modify the processes depending on the problems found.