Within our HCA facilities, isolated events resulting in burn injury to the chest, neck, head and facial areas of the patient have been reported from defibrillator use.  While defibrillator fires are not completely preventable, with appropriate precautions and techniques, the risk can be mitigated. 

Please familiarize yourselves with the below documents to help us lower the risk of these events.

OR Fire Risk Assessment & Protocol

Patient Safety Defibrillator Huddle Card

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

In October,  the North Florida Division began to transition to utilizing Plain Language Codes for activating an emergency response.  This was implemented to promote standardized communication among caregivers across our NFD facilities to ensure clear communication and a coordinated response.  In addition, our patients and visitors will be able to respond appropriately to events that may impact their safety.  

Please see below.

In partnership with our HCA family, please review the new Med-Lock stickers are being introduced into our care environments.  The new Med-Lock stickers are to help bedside clinicians identify when a central line is “locked” with a medication such as heparin or trisodium citrate. This prevents accidental injection of medications into the bloodstream by properly identifying hubs that have medication instilled in them prior to flushing the line for use. 

Please review the attached new huddle card.

Med-Lock Sticker Huddle Card

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

In partnership with our West Florida facility, Oak Hill Hospital, we are posting the C. diff algorithm for lab testing. The C. diff algorithm is a division tool that is to be completed for C. diff testing and should be sent with the specimen to the lab. If criteria is not met, the sample collection is to be stopped and discussed with the provider.

C.diff Testing Algorithm

Thank you for all you do for our patients!

In partnership with our Gulf Coast facility, HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress, in an effort to sure up the tele start documentation and notification these forms will be attached to the Tele boxes.  When ER hold RN or ER staff RN grab a Tele box this form will be with box.  This is to help ensure monitor is placed on tele admit, monitor room is called, rhythm verified and then ER charge receives form after steps are completed prior to departing.

ER Hold Tele Tracker

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

HeART allows viewing AirStrip ONE on iMobile devices as well as submitting and approving AirStrip ONE Snippets using a PC. HeART Telemetry Alerts are triggered on you iMobile Device. Alerts must be reviewed and accepted within 30-60 seconds before alert is escalated. Receiving a Clinical Alert means that there is a significant PT event, accept and assess the patient even if you are not the primary nurse. 

Tele Alerts via AirStrip

HealthStream Course: HeART RN Snippet Overview

To Enroll in Course select Catalog and type course name in Catalog.

Thank you for your dedication to patient safety!

Below is information related to the GE Media Manager – Wound Image Capture application.

Education video: click here

The following Divisions are using this technology: San Antonio, North Florida, Central West Texas

Clinical Tip Sheet

Huddle Flyer

Thank you!

HCA as an enterprise is transitioning to using the Braden Scale for Skin Integumentary Documentation in Meditech.

There is a course in HealthStream providing additional Education: 

CSIP HAPI Phase 2: Braden II Scale and Skin Alteration for Inpatient and Surgery

To access course, search course title in HealthStream Catalog.

Thank you for your dedication to Patient Safety!

You are now able to view the MEWS score over the last 7 days in the West Florida Division via the Status Board.

MEWS or Modified Early Warning Signs aids in early recognition, intervention and stabilization of the patients experiencing clinical deterioration. 

• All change of conditions reported to the nurse should be documented in a nursing note to include who was notified of patient status change and action taken.

MEWS Update

Thank you for your continued dedication to Patient Safety!

Our Partners in West Florida Division have shared Education on Process Intervention Meditech Documentation for Isolation Status, Dx: COVID. 

Isolation Status-COVID

When documenting Process Interventions in Meditech for isolation status, please select one of the following for COVID patients:

1. “Contact” and “Droplet” Precautions
2. “Contact” and “Airborne” Precautions- if the patient requires a negative pressure room for aerosol-generating procedures, which includes BIPAP, CPAP, opening suctioning of airways, sputum induction, CPR, intubation/extubation, bronchoscopy, mechanical ventilation or high flow oxygen
   
   

If you select “Airborne” precautions, that means the patient has to go into a negative pressure room.

Thank YOU!