Olans RN, Olans RD, DeMaria A. The Critical Role of the Staff Nurse in Antimicrobial Stewardship--Unrecognized, but Already There.
Clin Infect Dis 2015;
62:84-9. [PMID:
26265496 DOI:
10.1093/cid/civ697]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An essential participant in antimicrobial stewardship who has been unrecognized and underutilized is the "staff nurse." Although the role of staff nurses has not formally been recognized in guidelines for implementing and operating antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) or defined in the medical literature, they have always performed numerous functions that are integral to successful antimicrobial stewardship. Nurses are antibiotic first responders, central communicators, coordinators of care, as well as 24-hour monitors of patient status, safety, and response to antibiotic therapy. An operational analysis of inpatient admissions evaluates these nursing stewardship activities and analyzes the potential benefits of nurses' formal education about, and inclusion into, ASPs.
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