Date of Award
Fall 2015
Project Type
Thesis
College or School
CHHS
Department
Nursing
Program or Major
Nursing
Degree Name
Master of Science
First Advisor
Pamela P. DiNapoli
Abstract
Background: Telemetry monitoring is an essential tool to monitor cardiac electrical activity. Its overuse is costly in time and resources and leads to subsequent testing and treatments that are not necessary for the patient and, in addition, healthcare staff is burdened with work that is potentially not clinically useful.
Aim: The global aim of increasing efficiency in telemetry use starts with the local improvement to facilitate nurse-physician communication of telemetry patients during
Methods: This study with pre and post data collection looked at the results of quantitative data, collected in May-July 2015, on the number of patients with telemetry and the corresponding clinical indication before and after implementation of a modified rounds checklist which included telemetry as a discussion point. The new checklist was initiated on June 22, 2015 and post intervention data was gathered to determine if there was a decrease in the overuse of and increase in the appropriate use of telemetry.
Results: With the implementation of the checklist the use of telemetry decreased, however the clinical indication for use did not improve.
Conclusion and implications for CNL practice: After the implementation of the checklist criteria there has been a consistent decrease in telemetry use. This may attributable to improve nurse-physician communication, however, there is still a lack of appropriate clinical indication of use and the CNL, as lateral integrator, in future improvement projects, should support further modifications to the clinical indication set to improve appropriateness of telemetry use.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Hattie, "An Updated Rounds Checklist to Increase Appropriate Use of Telemetry Monitoring" (2015). Master's Theses and Capstones. 16.
https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/16