012–Aligning the Spine and Caregivers: A Collaborative Approach Among Interdisciplinary Partners to Improve the Care Given to Spinal Instrumentation Patients.

Abstract

Have you ever felt like you know what to do but do not have the correct order, necessary resources, or adequate staff for the task? Nurses on our surgical–orthopedic inpatient unit had an eye-opening experience with a patient and were subsequently approached by the physician to discuss the problem that was encountered during the patient's hospitalization. It was found that components were missing in the care of the postoperative spinal instrumentation patient. Members of the Unit Practice Committee, which consists of staff nurses, nurse leaders, and a clinical nurse specialist, met to analyze and discuss the preprinted orders. It was discovered that the orders were repetitive and incongruent between other services. The Unit Practice Committee members collaborated with orthopedic physicians, as well as representatives from the Pain Service, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy departments to recreate the preprinted orders. With the input gathered from all stakeholders, the preprinted orders were rewritten to provide clarity for all caregivers and to give optimal care to our patients. These newly revised orders provide consistency of care throughout the hospitalization stay for our patients and between the multiple services involved. Objectives: 1.Improve the care of spinal instrumentation patient and outcomes by providing staff with essential resources to deliver optimal care. 2.Strengthen communication between the multiple disciplines, as well as the coordination of care. 013–Collaborative Referral Form: A Communication Tool for Multiple Services in the Ambulatory Setting. Chassy Pham, BSN, RN, CCM, Children's Hospital of Orange County Clinic in Garden Grove, CA Purpose: This poster session discusses how one Children's Health and Dental Center (CHDC) overcame ineffective communication when referring patients between partners. The CHDC improved communication by developing the Collaborative Referral Form and its process, promoting seamless communication for referrals. Background: Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) partnered with Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County and Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove (BGCGG) to open the CHDC. The mission is to provide pediatric medical, dental, and family support services at one location. CHOC provides comprehensive medical services for children and health insurance enrollment assistance. Healthy Smiles offers dental treatment and education services. BGCGG offers family support, family counseling, optometry, and transportation services. Each partner realized patients were only coming for a single service and referral attempts to each other center were unsuccessful due to a lack of communication. Method: A task force was formed to identify and solve the underutilization of multiple services. In Phase I, the task force developed the Collaborative Referral Form and Process. This form is a communication tool between partners to refer patients and families for multiple services. The form consists of three sections: patient's demographics and consent, reasons for referral, and follow-up notes. The initiating person completes the form and sends it to the necessary partners. The receiving partner designates one person to make the appropriate arrangements and send follow up notes back to the referring person. Phase II involved educating providers, staff, and community partners about the form and its process. In Phase III, the CHDC put the form into action. Findings: The CHDC exceeded their goal of effectively communicating and referring between one another for multiple patient services. The CHDC discovered that the referral form was beneficial for multiple specialty services between partners but not necessary for routine optometry and dental services. The form has been extremely beneficial for the local school districts to refer students for multiple services and ultimately assists patients in receiving multiple health services at one location. 014–Crash Carts Wristband Bracelets for Patients. Susie Pippin, RNBC, Maria Addy-Starino, RNC, Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia, SC The Women's Children's unit at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, SC had a problem, a nice problem if you have to have a problem but a problem. It is rare that the pediatric patient's code is on the unit, which is good, but staff does not get much experience with codes and using the Braselow Mayday Cart. Staff on the unit found a solution. Some of the staff attended a pediatric workshop. There they found out the Academy of American Pediatricians was recommending all pediatric patients entering a hospital with Braselow Carts have a color-coded bracelet placed on them to match the correct drawer in the cart in case of a code. The staff members brought this suggestion to the unit's practice council and the suggestion was approved. Staff members began a search for the bracelets. Once the bracelets were located and ordered, a procedure was written up. Staff was oriented to the procedure, and we began to use the colored-coded bracelets. During the trial a couple of problems were discovered. Solutions were found for the problems. The trial continued along with compliance rates. No further problems were discovered, and excellent compliance rates were achieved. Members of the staff presented a PowerPoint presentation to the hospital leadership committee. The presentation was well received by this committee. Some of the members expressed interest in placing the color-coded bracelets on pediatric patients in their departments.