Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) care bundles evidence based practice (EBP) project

This evidence based practice (EBP) project involves implementing ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) care bundles at least eighty percent of the time in order to reduce the incidents of VAP. Dependent variables are variables that are not changed or manipulated (Helmenstine, 2017). In this EBP, the dependent variable that would be collected will be the incidents of VAP in patients that are mechanically ventilated longer than 48 hours and do not receive at least 80 percent compliance with VAP bundles. This will be the baseline to compare the effectiveness of the VAP bundles. The independent variable is the variable that is changed or manipulated (Helmenstine, 2017). The independent variable that will be collected is the number of patients that develop VAP after having been mechanically ventilated longer than 48 hours and received at least 80 percent compliance with VAP bundle care. Comparing these two variables will show the effectiveness of VAP bundles. This method of evaluation poses a problem because it relies heavily on the nurses and other staff members to accurately document when interventions are or are not carried out. Time constraints and heavy workloads can cause nurses to miss interventions or simply forget to chart them. One way to overcome this challenge is to give every ventilated patient a paper checklist that can be passed along with the SBAR during change of shift. It provides both a reminder and a record of the interventions that were completed, making collecting the information easier. The charge nurse will then take that check list and ensure that the data is plotted on the unit goals board so that everyone can see the progress being made as well as when the unit is lacking.

Helmenstine, T. (2017, August). Understand the Difference Between Independent and Dependent Variables. Retrieved January 17, 2018, from https://www.thoughtco.com/i-ndpendent-and-dependent-variables-differences-606115