IV Dressing Types: Acrylic vs. Silicone

A silicone securement dressing called IV Clear made by Covalon.

Despite the prevalence of intravenous (IV) therapy, not enough attention is given to the securement technique and IV dressings used, including the host of complications that can occur all based upon which IV dressing was applied.  Not all IV dressings are made equal, and the choice of dressing, including factors such as acrylic vs. silicone, … Read more

Advocacy from the Frontline: Speaking Up for Patient Safety

Patient advocacy meeting to discuss new infection prevention control measures.

Bedside nursing not only involves delivering care like taking vital signs, running IV-lines and administering medications, it also involves becoming a patient advocate – speaking up for the unique needs and safety of your patients.  However, while patient advocacy has been embraced by many organizations and healthcare teams, it’s often limited in practice.  There are … Read more

Preventing Bloodstream Infections and Sepsis

Nurse hanging up IV antibiotics to treat a patient who has developed sepsis from a bloodstream infection.

Healthcare-associated bloodstream infections, if not identified and treated quickly enough, can lead to the development of sepsis: a serious complication of infection. Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection that results in the death of at least 350,000 adults in America each year and 2.9 million children around the world.   In fact, sepsis is the … Read more

Incision Care: Caring for postoperative incisions to avoid surgical site infections (SSIs)

A team of surgeons performing surgery in an operating room who are working with a focus on incision care so the patient has healthy postoperative incisions.

After a surgery, many patients think the hard part is over – but caring for postoperative incisions can become more stressful than the surgery itself due to the risk of infection in the surgical site. Although surgical site infections (SSIs) are preventable, they are the leading cause of readmission to hospitals after surgery, and at … Read more

Code Burnout: Confronting Healthcare Provider Burnout and Turnover

A close up picture of a nurse crying due to healthcare provider burnout.

Healthcare providers are expected to be there when we need them most, but burnout in healthcare is now at critical levels, threatening access to timely, safe and compassionate care.   The healthcare system is overburdened, experiencing heightened levels of demand while healthcare providers are exiting at unprecedented levels – even mid-shift.  Patients have begun to feel … Read more

Helping Children with Congenital Heart Conditions Stay Free and Clear from Surgical Site Infections

An incision scar that has healed on a baby. The baby had received pediatric congenital heart surgery and did not have a surgical site infection.

When a parent is planning for their child’s upcoming surgery, post-operative care and complications like surgical site infections aren’t often top of mind – getting through the operation is the top concern. But, after a child is wheeled back through the operating room doors, a new set of challenges and treatment begins.  After surgery comes … Read more

Central Line Care: Strengthening Protection Against Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs)

A heartbeat line with a microscopic bacteria representing a hospital acquired infection that could be prevented with central line care

Central lines are a direct connection between critical medical intervention, like life saving medication, and the heart. They can be used for tiny babies, children and adults of all ages.  Patients who have long-term central lines are often fighting serious illnesses, and may be immunocompromised, making central line care a high stakes priority.  Such a … Read more

Compassion Tech and Patient Centered Care

Treating an infant with compassion tech by Covalon

Today, our capacity for empathy and compassion doesn’t just begin in our hearts and minds and end at our fingertips. It now extends to the technology that we hold in our hands.  In healthcare, the vast majority of hospitals now prioritize patient and family centered care: an approach to healthcare that places patients and families … Read more