From left: CAUTI Prevention Task Force members Amy Bulger, Cara Valente and Sinead Bolze

In alignment with the Department of Nursing’s FY 2019 goal of decreasing hospital-acquired infections, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) Prevention Task Force members developed a CAUTI Safety Huddle process with a focus on infection prevention and process improvement. This process promoted data transparency, accountability and a culture of safety at the unit and organization level.

  • Per the process, unit leadership were notified as soon as a CAUTI was identified.
  • The ND, PDM and physician lead would then complete a thorough chart review and schedule a unit huddle with the patient’s care team within 48 hours.
  • Within 72 hours of an occurrence, unit leaders would partner with the infection preventionist to report key takeaways and opportunities for improvement.

The group first implemented this safety huddle process in the oncology units and ICUs July–Sept. 2019. After the success in those units, this process was expanded to all inpatient units in Nov. 2019.

As a result of these efforts, the CAUTI rates per 1,000 catheter days decreased from 2.47 during April–June 2019 to 1.17 during January–March 2020.

Why It’s Magnet: Magnet requires an example of clinical nurses improving patient outcomes as part of the Transformational Leadership component (TL2) of the Magnet model. This is one of many examples throughout the Brigham demonstrating how nurses work together to impact positive patient outcomes. It’s who we are.

Members of the CAUTI Prevention Task Force who participated in these efforts include: Co-chairs Amy Bulger, MPH, RN, GERO-BC, CPHQ, Casey McGrath, MSN, RN, and Marc Pimentel, MD, MPH; Michael Klompas, MD; Sinead Bolze, MBA, RN, OCN, CPHQ; Cara Valente, BS, RN; Jennifer Beloff, MSN, RN; Robert Boxer, MD, PhD; Shauna Ford, MPH, MS; Eric Yenulevich, PA-C; Meaghan Klempa, PA; Kimberly Logue, BSN, RN, PCCN; Katie Bradley, BSN, RN; Amy Davenport, BSN, RN; Isabel Argento, BSN, RN; Avery O’Grady, BSN, RN; Whitney Sayman, BSN, RN; Kimberly Butler, BSN, RN; Susan Gabriel, BSN, RN, CCRN; Joanne Kinlay, BSN, RN; Michael Ferrazzi, MSN RN; Maura Barry, BSN, RN; Michael Ferchak, BSN, RN; Shera Tignor, BSN, RN; Jaimie Medina, BSN, RN; Allison Daley, BSN, RN; Damarys Martinez, MSN, RN, CNL; Darlene Nedeljkovic, BSN, RN; Barbara Cunningham, BSN, RN; Nayla Zreik, BSN, RN; Karen Manganaro, MSN, RNC-OB; Kayla Weiners, BSN, RN; Doreen Levitan, BSN, RN; Donna Duffy, BSN, RN; Amanda Annese-Zacek, BSN, RN; and Michelle Saunders, BSN, RN