Date of Award
Spring 5-22-2022
Document Type
Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscript
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Joseph Burkard, DNSc, CRNA, EBP-C, AACN Health Policy Fellow
Abstract
Background: Emergency departments (EDs) must rapidly respond to critically ill patients, yet inconsistent stocking of essential supplies can impede care. At UC San Diego Hillcrest, Phase 1 of this project established a dedicated resuscitation room (Room 6), which improved staff readiness but revealed challenges in maintaining inventory. To address this gap, Phase 2 introduced an inventory checklist to enhance organization, accountability, and efficiency.
Purpose: This project aimed to implement and evaluate the impact of an inventory checklist in the dedicated resuscitation room. The objective was to ensure consistent stocking of essential equipment, improve staff perceived preparedness, and workflow efficiency during resuscitations.
Methods: This evidence-based practice project utilized a pre-and post-intervention design. A standardized inventory checklist was introduced for Room 6, requiring documentation of essential supplies at shift changes. Evaluation included anonymous staff surveys assessing perceived readiness and retrospective chart reviews of critically ill nontrauma patients (ESI 1, age > 18) treated in Room 6. Chart reviews measured the time from ED arrival to four key resuscitative interventions (1) documentation of a full set of vitals, (2) airway placement, (3) documentation of patient’s weight, and (4) Documentation of end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2).
Evaluation of Outcomes/Results: The checklist reduced the time to obtain a full set of vitals by 24.7% and patient weight by 34.8%. However, time to airway placement and ETCO₂ documentation respectively increased by 100.7% and 26.2%. Survey results showed an increase in clarity of staff roles (4.3%), improved access to resuscitation equipment (6.4%), and fewer instances of leaving the bedside to retrieve supplies (11.7% decrease). A decrease was noted in perceived standardization of resuscitation practices (8.4%) and in timeliness of life-saving interventions (10.2%).
Conclusion: Introducing an evidence-based inventory checklist in a dedicated resuscitation room enhanced staff readiness and supported a more organized and efficient workflow. The intervention helped address prior concerns about inconsistent equipment availability and promoted timely access to critical supplies.These changes highlight the value of structured processes in strengthening emergency department preparedness and supporting high-quality care during resuscitations.
Digital USD Citation
Kumar, Pooja, "Care of the Critically Ill Nontrauma Patient: Improving Emergency Department Readiness and Patient Care Through the Implementation of a Dedicated Resuscitation Bay: Phase 2" (2022). Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts. 295.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/dnp/295
Copyright
Copyright held by the author
