E03-1 Decreasing Length of Stay in the Special Care Nursery

 

Authors: Susan Alliston BScN, MSN, RN(EC); Cailynn Bateson RN, BScN, MBA (student)

 

Presenters: Susan Alliston and Cailynn Bateson, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton ON

 

Purpose: The purpose of this Quality Improvement (QI) initiative is to review our current discharge process and identify barriers or processes that can be improved upon to facilitate earlier discharge and reduce hospital length of stay.

 

Learning Objectives:

• Describe an innovative quality improvement and Lean-thinking approach to interdisciplinary groups working on a QI project.
• Identify strategies that promoted and enhanced patient and family engagement in the Special Care Nursery.
• Identify evidence-informed strategies that promote excellence in women and infant care.

 

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E03-2 Establishing a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Kimbanguiste Hospital in Kinshasa, Congo

 

Authors: Maryam Mozafarinia RN, MSc; Micha Mfuana RN, BScN; Stephanie Mardakis RN, MScN; Cynthia Garcia RN, MScN; Louis Beaumier, MD

 

Presenter: Maryam Mozafarinia, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University and McGill University Health Centre, Montreal QC

 

Purpose: This presentation describes the proposed plan of a nurse-led non-for-profit organization called “Une Chance De Vivre (CDV)” (a chance to live) aimed to address environment of care for sick newborns in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The presentation entails CDV’s main objectives, project timeline and goals as well as barriers and potential solution to the implementation of the project for the designated centre. We also share CDV’s completed and ongoing tasks. Nurses, based on their clinical expertise, are in a unique position to address disparities in healthcare. Disparity and lack of resources have various causes and are symptoms of the larger systemic problem with poverty being the principle one. This situation particularly affects the most vulnerable populations, women and children. One way to alleviate this burden is through help within the profession. CDV’s main mission is to put in place evidence-informed care practices to help infants survive and grow healthier. 

 

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the importance of “nursing clinical expertise” as a unique means to identify effective ways of working within the context of shared health challenges in countries with limited health resources.
• Understand the importance of integrating institutional and environmental culture for implementation of a transition project.
• Identify the necessity of adopting a theoretical performance evaluation framework (Transition Model) to ensure consistency throughout the project phases and facilitate the evaluation of project results.