Implementing a Systematic Process for Consistent Nursing Care in a NICU: A Quality Improvement Project

Aim: The global aim of this quality improvement project was to develop and implement a systematic process to assign and maintain consistent bedside nurses for infants and families. Methods: A systematic process based on a primary care nursing model was implemented to assign consistent care for a 48-bed, single-family room NICU. Results: Four PDSA cycles were necessary to obtain agreement from the nursing staff as to the best process for assigning primary nurses. Post-intervention data revealed a 9.5 percent decrease of consistent caregivers for infants in the NICU ≤ 28 days and a 2.3 percent increase of consistent caregivers for infants in the NICU ≥ 29 days. Conclusion: Although these findings did not meet the goal of the specific aim, a systematic process was created to assign bedside nurses to infants. Further PDSAs will be needed to refine the process to reach the aim.