Other Clinical Quality Programs and Initiatives

Critical Care Intensivists

Carle is among the 10% of hospitals that meet a national healthcare coalition's patient safety standard for staffing in the intensive care unit (ICU).  Carle has achieved this high standard since 1995, when it formed a critical care team comprised of two critical care surgeons and three internists. Leapfrog, a coalition of more than 150 healthcare benefits providers, recommends that ICUs be staffed by physicians trained to care for critically ill patients.  Having appropriately trained intensivists on staff and practicing under intensive care protocols reduces mortality in the ICU by 40% and lowers morbidity, according to Leapfrog.

Nursing Research

Carle has established a Nursing Research Committee to support, encourage and disseminate nursing research throughout the organization. The chair of the committee is a nationally known nursing researcher and the committee is comprised of staff nurses from various areas, nursing educators, a librarian and a representative from Foundation Quality.  The Nursing Research Committee mission is:  The Research Committee will provide an infrastructure that facilitates the conduct and utilization of research to support delivery of health care that is evidenced-based and quality-outcome driven.

Nursing research Goals:

  • Support the advanced preparation and professional development of practicing nurses.
  • Advance nursing knowledge and subsequent care delivery.
  • Enhance quality of patient outcomes

The Committee is working to:

  • Enhance the quality of patient care and promote positive patient outcomes.
  • Promote clinical decision-making based on research evidence.
  • Promote effective delivery of health care
  • Promote high levels of nursing education and professionalism.

Skin Pressure Ulcers

It is a nursing goal to preserve the integrity of patients' skin while in our care. Many things are done in the hospital to prevent damage caused by lying in one position or other pressure placed on the skin by equipment and devices needed to care for patients.  Prevention of skin pressure ulcers is directly related to nursing care provided. 

Sometimes it is impossible to prevent pressure ulcers because of a patients condition or illness, although this is not frequent. Therefore hospitals who provide excellent nursing care have low numbers of pressure ulcers that develop in the hospital (called hospital acquired pressure ulcers).  Everyday that a patient is in the hospital is called a "patient day" and the longer a patient is in the hospital the higher the risk of a hospital acquired pressure ulcer. To measure this hospitals track the number of hospital acquired pressure ulcers per 1000 patient days.