Teaching Strategies for Educating Staff on Not using Shoe Covers in the OR

"The use of shoe covers has never been shown to decrease surgical site infection risk or decrease bacteria counts on the operating theatre floor.  However, it may protect team members from exposure to blood and other body fluids during an operation and is thus recommended" (Demir, 2009).

1.  Set Clear Lesson Goals

Provide staff with literature that supports the objective that you want to meet.  Once staff can identify with research that supports the change in practice, implement policies that to ensure change in practice.

2.  Question to Check for Understanding

Provide questions in open forum or by questionnaires to assess learning of staff.  Provide surveys to understanding and rationale of new clinical practice.

3.   Allow flexibility for Change of Practice

Reinforce policy supporting change in practice.  Ensure proper attire is being met in OR.  Follow up with staff on the change in practice. 

"Implementing a policy for surgical attire is one example of working together with a multidisciplinary team to make the perioperative environment safer for patients and providers.  A strategy based on a collaborative review of the evidence and acknowledgement of preference among provider groups will add to the success of the implementation" (Graling, 2013).

References:

Demir, F. (2009). A survey on prevention of surgical infections in operating theaters. Worldviews On Evidence-Based Nursing, 6(2), 102-113 12p. doi:10.1111/j.1741-6787.2009.00152.x

Graling, P. (2013). Surgical Attire Compliance for Safe Patients and Practitioners. AORN Journal, 97(4), 475-478e4 1p. doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2013.01.009

Identify two ways evidence-based practice is used in your institution.

Two ways that evidence-based practice is used in my current institution is through the implementation of new policies and procedures that impact clinical practices.  Another way that evidence-based practice is in the implementation of the electronic health record. 

Does Using the Pilot program and Phased Approach processes through information technology impact the use of EBP.

The application of evidence-based practices into information technology through a pilot program and phased approach increases the quality of patient care by providing reliable clinical research that promotes optimal health care outcomes.  The nurse will have the ability to exercise the most efficient clinical care to patients through the guided efforts of evidence-based practice that is incorporated into the patients plan of care through technology.   

What are two implications of using technology? How can it be improved?

Two implication of information technology in nursing practice is safety and quality in health care.  "Technologies used by nurses offer the means for preventing errors and adverse events (e.g., medication errors, miscommunications, delays in treatment, and adverse events—such as failure to rescue, nosocomial infections, pressure ulcers, falls, and complications of immobility" (NIH, 2015).

"Evidence-based nursing care is informed by research findings, clinical expertise, and patients’ values, and its use can improve patients’ outcomes. Use of research evidence in clinical practice is an expected standard of practice for nurses and health care organizations, but numerous barriers exist that create a gap between new knowledge and implementation of that knowledge to improve patient care" (Peterson et al., 2014).

References:

Peterson, M. H., Barnason, S., Donnelly, B., Hill, K., Miley, H., Riggs, L., & Whiteman, K. (2014). Choosing the Best Evidence to Guide Clinical Practice: Application of AACN Levels of Evidence. Critical Care Nurse, 34(2), 58-68 11p. doi:10.4037/ccn2014411

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2686/