Increasing the Compliance of Using the CAUTI Maintenance Bundle

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections have been seen as a patient safety issue that can be prevented. Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are known to be the fourth most common healthcare-associated infection (HAI). The CAUTI maintenance bundle was originally created by the American Nurses Association as an evidenced-based practice tool to decrease CAUTI events among patients with indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs). The CAUTI maintenance bundle assists nursing staff with providing safe quality care and with standardizing their practice. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention that was designed to increase the knowledge of the CAUTI maintenance bundle; therefore, increasing the compliance of the CAUTI maintenance bundle among the nursing staff at a small rural Eastern, North Carolina medical center local. The CAUTI maintenance bundle should be completed on all patients with IUCs in order to provide patients with safe quality care. The goal of the project was for the nursing staff to complete the CAUTI maintenance bundle 95% of the time. CAUTI maintenance bundle compliance was audited over a four-month period and showed positive outcomes that can be continued in the years to come.