Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2022

Document Type

Problem/Project Report

Degree Type

DNP

College

School of Nursing

Department

Not Listed

Committee Chair

Veronica Gallo

Committee Co-Chair

Kari Sand-Jecklin

Committee Member

Kari Sand-Jecklin

Committee Member

Heidi Porter

Abstract

This project sought not only to improve the communication and interunit transitions of care between emergency department providers (EDPs) and inpatient providers (IPs) using a standardized handoff tool, but also to reduce the Emergency Room (ED) wait time for patients admitted to the community hospital. The project employed a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design to explore provider satisfaction with an evidence-based standardized handoff tools and wait time. Forty-eight providers completed the survey before the I-PASS implementation, and 43 providers completed the survey post I-PASS implementation. Though not statistically significant, data indicates that wait time increased for the post-implementation months of December, January, and February 2022 when compared with pre-implementation months of February, March, and April of the previous year. From the discussion with the facility quality team, the increase in weight time is mainly due to nursing staffing and vacancies rates. Significant positive differences were seen in 18 of the 19 items on the provider satisfaction survey indicating that providers were more satisfied with handoff using the I-PASS tool than prior to implementation of the standardized tool. The only exception was that the agreement for need of standardized handoff tool was not significantly different in comparing pre and post survey responses. Findings from this project support the need for a standardized handoff tool in ED. Prior to the implementation of the tool, providers described missing information, inaccurate information, and incomplete care plans in handoffs. The I-PASS tool addressed all these items and was easy to use.

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