On the CUSP: STOP BSI in New Hampshire

Project Description

This project is being replicated in New Hampshire under the guidance of Dr. Peter Pronovost from John Hopkins and has two components. The technical portion provides evidence based recommendations on how to address specific clinical challenges and the adaptive component provides a framework for patient safety improvement at the local unit level.

The project requires that ICU teams do the following:

1. Implement interventions to reduce CLABSI that include:

   • Educate staff on five evidence based practices to reduce CLABSI:
     • Remove Unnecessary Lines
     • Wash Hands Prior to Procedure
     • Use Maximal Barrier Precautions
     • Clean Skin with Chlorhexidine
     • Avoid Femoral Lines
   • Implement a checklist to ensure compliance with these practices,
   • Empower nurses to ensure doctors comply with the checklist
   • Collect unit level data each month using standardized definitions
   • Provide feedback on infection rates to hospitals and at unit level
   • Implement a monthly team checklist to assess overall progress of project

2. Implement the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) to improve teamwork between doctors and nurses and learn from mistakes. This program includes five steps that are both qualitative and quantitative:

   1. Educate staff on the science of safety
   2. Identify defects in care
   3. Assign an executive as part of the ICU CLABSI team
   4. Learn from one defect per month
   5. Work to improve teamwork and safety culture using tools we provide

return to Stop BSI home

Click to read more about the On the Cusp: Stop BSI national initiative and access the educational resources and tools.