Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/430838
21 Executive Briefing: Non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia However, because of the multiple demands on the nurse's time in trying to provide optimal care for all the patient's needs, getting all nurses in a hospital or even on a unit to provide proper oral care every time can sometimes be a challenge. The following are tips to help with the process. Tailor education efforts. When communicating a process change, like improving oral care protocols, nurse leaders should talk about the change with front-line providers in a variety of ways. For Ms. Robertson, when she talked with nurses first about oral care, many saw oral hygiene as a comfort measure for patients and nothing more. "Center the discussion on the fact that oral care isn't just for comfort anymore — it can prevent a pneumonia event," she says. Nearly as important as the message is the means of commu- nicating it. Ms. Robertson found speaking with nurses during a unit huddle to be one of the most effective ways to communicate protocol change. Incorporating oral care training into nurse on- boarding as well ensures that any new nurses also know the im- portance of oral hygiene as it relates to pneumonia. Make it easy. When Ms. Robertson first approached nurses about changing oral care protocol, she ran into resistance from some of those on the front-line because they perceived it as adding tasks to their already full workload and were not fully aware of the ben- efits with regard to pneumonia prevention. In addition to educa- tion, Ms. Robertson also strove to make following the protocols as easy as possible, including putting oral hygiene kits with every patient at the bedside. According to Dr. Ryan, oral care kits that can help prevent non- ventilator HAP should be comprehensive, including an antiseptic solution, a soft nylon-bristle toothbrush backed with a foam head to deliver sodium bicarbonate and the antiseptic solution, and fi- nally, a suction device to remove secretions. "A comprehensive oral care system can help reduce bioburden in the mouth so if patients do aspirate, they are less likely to develop pneumonia," she says. During training, Ms. Robertson also stressed that not only would performing oral hygiene help keep patients healthier, it could also save time in the long run. "Cleaning a mouth takes less time than caring for someone with pneumonia," she says, which she com- municated with her team. "If everyone is doing mouth care, the work is going to be less in the long run." Finally, there is another potential benefit as well. Families want to do whatever they can to assist in the recovery of their hos- pitalized loved ones and oral care is often something they can assist with. "Not only does it give the family something to do, but it makes them feel good knowing that something this simple can make a big impact on the recovery of their loved one," says Karen Giuliano, RN, PhD, clinical outcomes researcher at Sage Products. Overall, implementing comprehensive oral care along with in- creasing the level of awareness regarding the importance of oral care in the prevention of non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneu- monia can save both time and money, as well as keep patients happier and healthier. n Sage Products LLC is a worldwide leader in infection prevention products dedicated to delivering extraordinary outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals. Our innovative products improve care by addressing risk factors for hospital-acquired infections, such as ventilator associated and non-ventilator associated pneumonia, surgical site infections, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections. These simple interventions are backed by proven evidence to help clinicians achieve their desired prevention outcomes. To learn more, visit www.sageproducts.com.