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Implementing a Healthcare Worker Pertussis Immunization Program: Benefits and Barriers
I N N O VAT I V E P R O G R A M S
Rust, C. L.
Proceedings of the 2013 AWHONN Convention
and weaknesses, as well as determine both personal and professional goals. By using the results of the questionnaire, a focused education plan was developed for each team member through a one-on-one coaching session with the nursing director. The education plan includes biweekly meetings as a team, quarterly hospital-wide leadership education, one-on-one coaching sessions, and individual safety-focused projects to assist with improving the outcomes of the department.
Implications for Nursing Practice Data will be analyzed in the spring of 2013 through questionnaires, focused interviews, and overall hospital ratings, including patient satisfaction scores, core measure data comparisons, and physician satisfaction scores. The team anticipates it will be able to clearly identify the course for developing leaders at the staff level who have the key skills required to manage the day-to-day activities of their department, support and promote peer development, and improve patient outcomes and experiences.
Implementing a Healthcare Worker Pertussis Immunization Program: Benefits and Barriers Christina L. Rust, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Edgewood, KY Keywords pertussis immunization healthcare worker health belief model
Professional Issues Poster Presentation
Purpose for the Program o create an education plan to empower healthcare workers to understand their susceptibility to pertussis and to receive the pertussis vaccination.
T
Proposed Change To increase the number of pertussis immunized healthcare workers from approximately 20% to 90% at one healthcare facility. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation By increasing the number of healthcare workers who have received the pertussis vaccination through a comprehensive healthcare worker pertussis immunization program, the likelihood that a newborn infant and mother would be exposed to pertussis from a healthcare worker would be greatly decreased. This would increase fortify the pertussis cocoon the healthcare facility attempts to establish around the newborn and his/her family. Pertussis immunization also would protect healthcare workers from exposure to pertussis from patients, family members, and visitors. Pertussis infection in newborns carries a significantly high morbidity and mortality rate because these infants are too young to have received their pertussis vaccination. A comparison of healthcare worker immunization rates before and after program implementation will
JOGNN 2013; Vol. 42, Supplement 1
be calculated. A survey of healthcare workers will also be conducted using the Health Belief Model framework to determine their reasons for receiving the pertussis vaccination and the perceived barriers to pertussis immunization. These results will be used to modify the immunization plan to increase adherence. If the healthcare worker immunization rate does not reach the goal of 90% then a mandatory pertussis immunization policy may be implemented. Implications for Nursing Practice Pertussis is a completely preventable disease that can be almost completely eradicated through proper immunization. Currently most healthcare workers are not aware of their potential susceptibility to pertussis or that they could acquire pertussis from patients and individuals in the community in which they live. According to a study by Calagar et al. (2006), healthcare workers are at 1.6 times higher risk of acquiring pertussis than the general population. Increasing pertussis immunization rates for healthcare workers to 90% would protect the healthcare workers, newborns, the newborns’ mothers and family members, other patients and visitors, and the community from pertussis infection. The pertussis healthcare worker immunization plan also could benefit the employee and healthcare facility by decreasing potential employee absence due to pertussis illness.
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Rust, C. L.
Proceedings of the 2013 AWHONN Convention
and weaknesses, as well as determine both personal and professional goals. By using the results of the questionnaire, a focused education plan was developed for each team member through a one-on-one coaching session with the nursing director. The education plan includes biweekly meetings as a team, quarterly hospital-wide leadership education, one-on-one coaching sessions, and individual safety-focused projects to assist with improving the outcomes of the department.
Implications for Nursing Practice Data will be analyzed in the spring of 2013 through questionnaires, focused interviews, and overall hospital ratings, including patient satisfaction scores, core measure data comparisons, and physician satisfaction scores. The team anticipates it will be able to clearly identify the course for developing leaders at the staff level who have the key skills required to manage the day-to-day activities of their department, support and promote peer development, and improve patient outcomes and experiences.
Implementing a Healthcare Worker Pertussis Immunization Program: Benefits and Barriers Christina L. Rust, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Edgewood, KY Keywords pertussis immunization healthcare worker health belief model
Professional Issues Poster Presentation
Purpose for the Program o create an education plan to empower healthcare workers to understand their susceptibility to pertussis and to receive the pertussis vaccination.
T
Proposed Change To increase the number of pertussis immunized healthcare workers from approximately 20% to 90% at one healthcare facility. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation By increasing the number of healthcare workers who have received the pertussis vaccination through a comprehensive healthcare worker pertussis immunization program, the likelihood that a newborn infant and mother would be exposed to pertussis from a healthcare worker would be greatly decreased. This would increase fortify the pertussis cocoon the healthcare facility attempts to establish around the newborn and his/her family. Pertussis immunization also would protect healthcare workers from exposure to pertussis from patients, family members, and visitors. Pertussis infection in newborns carries a significantly high morbidity and mortality rate because these infants are too young to have received their pertussis vaccination. A comparison of healthcare worker immunization rates before and after program implementation will
JOGNN 2013; Vol. 42, Supplement 1
be calculated. A survey of healthcare workers will also be conducted using the Health Belief Model framework to determine their reasons for receiving the pertussis vaccination and the perceived barriers to pertussis immunization. These results will be used to modify the immunization plan to increase adherence. If the healthcare worker immunization rate does not reach the goal of 90% then a mandatory pertussis immunization policy may be implemented. Implications for Nursing Practice Pertussis is a completely preventable disease that can be almost completely eradicated through proper immunization. Currently most healthcare workers are not aware of their potential susceptibility to pertussis or that they could acquire pertussis from patients and individuals in the community in which they live. According to a study by Calagar et al. (2006), healthcare workers are at 1.6 times higher risk of acquiring pertussis than the general population. Increasing pertussis immunization rates for healthcare workers to 90% would protect the healthcare workers, newborns, the newborns’ mothers and family members, other patients and visitors, and the community from pertussis infection. The pertussis healthcare worker immunization plan also could benefit the employee and healthcare facility by decreasing potential employee absence due to pertussis illness.
S61