Pediatric Cardiology Patient Transfer

Abstract

Nurses that care for the pediatric cardiology population are in a unique position to be involved in high acuity care over a long period of time. Solid communication techniques are required to ensure the continuity of care for these patients prior to surgery, after surgery, and for a significant period of time after surgeries. This quality improvement project aimed to determine how the implementation of a pediatric cardiology transfer communication tool can improve post transfer outcomes for patients moving from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to intermediate care. Building on a previously utilized database of disease specific tools for disease goals, the pediatric cardiology transfer tool looks to answer if within the pediatric intermediate care nurses, can communication guidelines increase knowledge of care and therefore decrease the number of pediatric rapid responses called on pediatric cardiology patients to thereby improve the likelihood of patients being sent home by the estimated date of discharge. Based on the review of literature on communication tools, an anonymous survey was provided to the intermediate care nurses to identify top concerns for pediatric cardiology care. Analysis of the responses identified the top concerns had by nurses and indicated a need for tracking recent care changes that have been the top causes for pediatric rapid responses and return to PICU. On this basis, it is recommended that communication checklists be utilized for all pediatric cardiology patients when transferred and continues to be utilized up to the anticipated date of discharge for progress tracking. Further research is needed as to identify ways to strengthen the implementation into practice as a norm of pediatric cardiology patient transfer from the PICU to intermediate care.