Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Level II Nursery to Decrease Transfer Rates
Abstract
Respiratory distress in neonates is the main cause of admission to a Level II nursery. Neonates may be transferred to a higher level of care due to lack of respiratory support, such as continuous positive airway pressure, and nurses educated in the use of continuous positive airway pressure. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, evidence-based improvement project was to decrease neonatal transfer to a higher level of care through education to the neonatal nurses and continuous positive airway pressure to neonates with respiratory distress in Level II nurseries. The sample size of neonates admitted to the Level II nursery at a small rural hospital in the Midwest was seventeen. The sample size of nurses undergoing the educational session was twenty. Neonates with respiratory distress were placed on continuous positive airway pressure using practice guidelines. The project assessed nursing knowledge and competence pre and post-educational session and the rate of transfer compared to rates prior to the intervention. There was a 23% increase in posttest scores, indicating an improvement in the nurses’ knowledge base and competence in CPAP use. The rate of transfer decreased by 15% in neonates who receive continuous positive airway pressure in a Level II nursery, allowing neonates to be managed at the local hospital instead of transfer to the regional hospital, resulting in an improvement in the quality of healthcare delivery.
Degree
D.N.P.
Thesis Department
Rights
Open Access (fully available)
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