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Document Type

DNP - University Access Only

Award Date

2018

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Graduate Nursing

First Advisor

Robin Arends

Keywords

Pneumonia, readmission, nursing, pharmacy, HOSPITAL score.

Abstract

This DNP Project used an internationally validated readmission score to identify inpatient individuals at risk for pneumonia readmissions on an inpatient medical unit. The purpose of this project was to prevent these high-risk individuals from readmission using evidence-based pharmacy interventions. The HOSPITAL tool was filled out at discharge by nursing staff for individuals who were admitted for pneumonia. When individuals were found likely to be readmitted, the nurse notified the patient’s care provider and pharmacist and they were provided with three pharmacy-based interventions. At the end of the project, pneumonia readmission rates from the same time period in the past two years were compared, using descriptive unpaired t-testing. The readmission rates for 2018 were not statistically significantly different from the others, and the readmission rates showed no trend. Another component of the project was the nurse’s attitudes towards the use of the HOSPITAL tool which were measured using a Likert scale before and after implementation of the tool. The nurse’s attitudes changed toward the ease of use of the tool and finding its components in the EMR. Clinical implications include that facilities can use the nurse findings to implement changes to improve nurse adherence to the tool’s use in practice. Also, readmission rates could be measured to determine if there continues to be a statistically significant decrease in readmission rates.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Hospitals -- Admission and discharge
Hospital utilization
Pneumonia -- Patients

Description

Includes bibliographical references

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

154

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

Copyright © 2018 the Author

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