Second runner-up: Multidisciplinary team reduces Clostridium difficile incidence

Intensive care unit, AnMed Health, Anderson, SC

Aimee Sharp, MSN, RN, CCRN, NE-BC, nurse manager of the intensive care unit (ICU) at AnMed Health, has a lot to be proud of, according to Jay Wright, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, director of inpatient nursing for cardiovascular and critical care services. “Aimee has done so much to develop a culture of change,” said Wright. “With Aimee’s support, the ICU staff truly embrace evidence-based practice and the staff is fully engaged.” And Sharp says of her team, “We want to figure out how to make things better. I’m fortunate to have this group…what we have is pretty spectacular.”

In this multidisciplinary team’s entry for the All-Pro Nursing Team award, they described their effort to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile (C. diff) in the ICU. They identified a lack of clear responsibility for cleaning some equipment in patient rooms. Some of the steps the team took to solve this problem included creating a checklist that clearly defines what should be cleaned by environmental services and what should be cleaned by nurses. In re-evaluating the way rooms were cleaned, the team found that using ultraviolet light therapy after each discharge or transfer didn’t seem to make a big impact on the C. diff rate. In response, they instituted bleach cleaning three times a week in all rooms. And, in coordination with the lab, the team created a C. diff validation form with strict testing criteria. The result of all of their efforts was an 84% reduction in C. diff cases (from 19 in 2015 to 15 in 2016 to 3 in 2017).