Strict lsolation Compliance: A Quality lmprovement lnitiative lmplementation Process

Debra Apenhorst, Augsburg College

Abstract

This is a retrospective description and evaluation of an implementation process for a quality improvement initiative. The intent of the quality improvement initiative was to improve compliance with isolation as a means of reducing healthcare associated infections. The project evaluates the effectiveness of the implementation strategies through the lens of the Health Belief Modal and Watson's theoretical framework. This evaluation considers the health beliefs of healthcare workers and the impact on behavior and implications of nurse as vigilant guardian, protecting the patients by decreasing the risk of acquiring an infection while receiving medical care, integral to Watson's theory is the intentional protecting of patients that is a basis to nursing care. lndeed, compliance with practices to protect patients from disease transmission is an important component of providing care. The outcomes of the evaluation will guide how future quality improvement initiatives are actualized to consider the health beliefs of healthcare workers and enhance the role of the nurse as a vigilant guardian.