Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project is to improve adherence to a neonatal intensive care unit’s sepsis protocol.|Background: Antibiotics are frequently overused. Antibiotic stewardship programs are being implemented to improve the use in antibiotics; however, the RN role is not well defined. Education regarding the use of the sepsis calculator to identify newborns at risk for sepsis is lacking. This lack of nursing education places patients at risk for continued exposure to unnecessary antibiotics and contributes to the ill-defined role of the nurse in antibiotic stewardship programs.|Sample/Setting: 28-bed, Level III, Midwestern NICU; 68 full time, part time, and PRN NICU of both day shift and night shift.|Methods: Baseline data was collected by a questionnaire audits to determine nurses’ knowledge regarding neonatal sepsis and the recently implemented neonatal sepsis policy. This data established the information that was presented via PowerPoint. Along with the PowerPoint, NICU nurses were required to attend a simulation day where different scenarios regarding the sepsis protocol were covered. Additionally, each nurse received a sepsis pocket guide as a reference. After the education bundle was presented, nurses completed a post-questionnaire survey to determine the effectiveness of the education provided.|Results: 60% of those surveyed strongly agreed that the provided education bundle gave them a clear understanding of neonatal sepsis, antibiotic stewardship program, and the neonatal sepsis protocol. 59% of the nurses reported that a combination of PowerPoint, simulation, and handouts was the best education modality. 59% of nurses stated that simulation was the best teaching method for learning infrequently used policies.|Conclusion: The use of the online learning module and simulation appears to be what nurses prefer and highlights the importance of scheduled in-services to reinforce infrequently used but important unit policies.