ICU

Handbook
A Nursing survival
guide

Christian Juarez
Kaity Licon
Ricardo Martinez
EBP question
 Can new nurses in critical care areas
improve learning and patient outcomes
by utilizing a handbook as a resource?
Current Problem
 New graduate nurses working in critical
care areas often have difficulty learning
unit protocols and skills
 Overwhelming amounts of information
and increased stress can result in poor
patient outcomes
PICO
P – New RNs
 I – improve nursing skills, knowledge base,
usage of unit specific policies and
procedures with pocket sized handbooks
 C- compared to reviewing and printing
long, wordy, and at times unclear policies
from the intranet
 O- resulting in an increase in nursing care
provided, and retention of nurses in their
desired fields.
Policies/Procedures
 Currentlyavailable widespread in UMC’s
intranet page.
 Includes general hospital policies ,and sub
categorized between the different
focuses/services available
Current practice
 When something is new or unfamiliar to us,
we have look up the policy regarding that
subject.
 The problem is the search is not always
easy, nor is the information quick to find.
 Cost analysis
 The current amount of time a new nurse spends in orientation
is currently 6 months from hire. This is to give the nurses time to
adjust to unit needs, learn from current unit leaders, and
review the policies and procedures.
 This time can be reduced if new nurses can show they are
ready to practice as leaders with their own patient teams
before the 6 months.
 UMC pays new nurses and experienced preceptors $54/hr on
average when they work together. The total paid during
orientation is $46,650
 If we are able to produce successful nurses with only 4 months
of orientation at this same rate would cost a total of 31,100
 This can save a total of $15,550 per orientation group.
Survey
 By having an ICU handbook, will it improve
nursing outcomes and learning unit
information?
 Participants said having it more condensed and
subject specific would help provided better
patient centered care
 Using a pocket handbook, will improve time
management, unit organization skills, and
improve critical thinking skills?
 Participants said having something like this at
the bedside with them would be very beneficial
when something new arises, or when a quick
reminder is needed.
Research
 “Offering smoother and safer transitions”
(Trossman, 2017, p.12)
 “New graduate nurses require support to
effectively develop competency and
promote retention.” (Maryniak, 2017, p. 325)
 “…putting knowledge to work early in their
careers with preceptorship support may assist
newly qualified nurses to develop confidence
and competence…” (Allan, 2018, p. 123)
 References
Allan, H. T., Magnusson, C., Evans, K., Horton, K., Curtis, K., Ball, E.,
& Johnson, M. (2018). Putting knowledge to work in clinical
practice: Understanding experiences of preceptorship as
outcomes of interconnected domains of learning. Journal Of
Clinical Nursing, 27(1/2), 123-131. doi:10.1111/jocn.13855
Maryniak, K. (2017). Enhancing the New Nurse Experience:
Creation of a New Employee Training Unit. Nursing
Economic$, 35(6), 322-326.
Trossman, S. (2017). Stepping Into a Culture of Safety: Onboarding
programs help retain nurses, strengthen patient
care...Reprinted with permission of The American
Nurse. Kentucky Nurse, 65(4), 12-15.