Nursing

The Six C's of CAUTI Prevention

Nurse Leader Insider, August 18, 2016

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Nurse Leader Insider!

In early 2014, the medical intensive care unit at the Mayo Clinic Hospital contributed 25% of the facility’s catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). By the end of 2015, the unit had gone a full year without a single infection.

That reduction helped spur a 70% hospitalwide reduction in CAUTIs, earning the Rochester, Minnesota-based hospital the 2015 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award from the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission.

CAUTI reduction has been a persistent struggle for hospitals across the country. In March, an HAI Progress Report released by the CDC indicated there has been no change in CAUTI rates between 2009 and 2014 (although CAUTIs have decline modestly in the last year, specifically in the final quarter of 2014).

In March, The Joint Commission added to the mounting pressure on hospitals to prevent CAUTIs, with an update to NPSG.07.06.01 that includes more detailed requirements for CAUTI prevention. The finalized standard requires hospitals to educate staff about indwelling catheters and the risks of CAUTI, conduct competency assessments, and “develop written criteria, using established evidence-based guidelines for placement of an indwelling urinary catheter.” Staff are expected to adhere to the hospital’s written guidelines, particularly as it pertains to limiting the duration of catheters and using aseptic technique.

This is an excerpt from Patient Safety Monitor Journal. Subscribers can read the full article here. Find out more about the journal, its benefits, and how to subscribe by clicking here.



Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Nurse Leader Insider!

Most Popular