Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Perceptions and Experience Using the American Heart Association Resuscitation Quality Improvement Program

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Volume

36

Issue

3

DOI

10.1097/NUR.0000000000000673

First Page

143

Last Page

152

Abstract

Purpose/Aims The aims of this clinical nurse specialist-led project were to describe the experiences and perceptions of adult intensive care unit nurses using the resuscitation quality improvement (RQI) program as the primary method for resuscitation education and retraining in a community hospital and to form recommendations for improving the RQI experience for participants based on the responses of participants as part of a quality improvement project. Description of the Project An online survey from a convenience sampling of registered nurses in an intensive care unit (N = 28) was done to obtain feedback regarding their perceptions of the RQI program. Analyses of the responses were performed separately by 3 investigators using principles of content analysis before obtaining consensus on themes to increase validity by triangulation. Outcome Themes emerged regarding the beneficial nature of the RQI program as a cardiopulmonary resuscitation learning strategy, such as increased frequency for the practice of compression and ventilation skills that included real-time feedback and increased knowledge of the roles of resuscitation team members. However, themes reflecting cumbersome aspects of using the RQI program were also revealed, such as technological and mechanical shortcomings, the structure of the manikins and ergonomics of the RQI environment, time away from patient care to complete RQI requirements, and lack of resuscitation team interactions. Conclusion Removing or mitigating barriers that hamper efficient use of nursing time using a quality improvement framework may enhance the RQI experience and program delivery, resulting in improved in-hospital cardiac arrest patient care.

Keywords

cardiopulmonary resuscitation, clinical nurse specialist, critical care, intensive care unit, quality improvement

Department

Nursing

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS