Antibiotic stewardship for nurses: Using e-learning modules to bridge the education gap.

Mary T Catanzaro

doi:10.1017/ash.2021.216

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called for an interdisciplinary approach to antibiotic stewardship implementation that includes front-line nurses. The literature to date has identified key factors preventing uptake by nurses: lack of education, poor communication among providers, and unit culture. Three e-learning modules were developed to address the nurses' education regarding the roles nurses play in antibiotic stewardship, antibiotic resistance, allergy assessment, medication side effects and interactions, pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics, culture interpretation, specimen collection, and the antibiogram. A survey was used to assess whether nurses felt more prepared to participate after finishing the modules. Front-line staff nurses in acute care were assigned e-learning modules as part of their pharmacy's introduction of an antibiotic stewardship program for nurses. Nurses viewed the modules and completed a survey designed to rank their usefulness and to assess their attitudes. Overall, 81% of nurses felt that they should be part of the antibiotic stewardship team. After completing the modules, 72% felt more empowered to participate in stewardship discussions and an additional 23% requested more education. Also, 97% felt that the information they learned could be utilized in everyday work regardless of the new program. The most cited barriers to stewardship activities were lack of education (45%) and hospital and/or unit culture (13%). Education and culture need to be addressed to overcome the barriers to nurses' involvement in antimicrobial stewardship. E-learning can provide a simple and effective first step to educate nurses, with minimal time investment.

Highlights

The benefits of antimicrobial stewardship are well known
The second module focused on microbiology–laboratory themes: appropriate collection or transport of clinical specimens, interpretation of laboratory results, and the antibiogram
Even though all modules were built with the intent to encourage participation in antibiotic rounds or discussion with physicians, they provided a fundamental understanding of topics that could prove useful regardless of experience, unit worked, or sustained interest in stewardship activities

Summary

Introduction

The benefits of antimicrobial stewardship are well known. Stewardship activities decrease the inappropriate use of antibiotics while encouraging their judicious and appropriate use, which leads to better patient outcomes and long-term decreases in microbial resistance.[1]. This staggering statistic, as well as the urgency surrounding the threat of antimicrobial-resistant organisms and the dwindling supply of effective antibiotics, have led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to require hospitals to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs by 2020.4 Implementation of stewardship programs are integral to other countries’ national action plans as well

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Conclusion