Quality Improvement: Education and Implementation of Proper Narcotic Handling Practices by Nurse Anesthetists

Medication errors are estimated to occur once in every 150-300 surgeries (Wahr et al., 2017, p. 36). Unsafe injection practices can lead to increased morbidity and mortality, diminish the overall quality of life for patients, and contribute to substantial increases in healthcare costs. A large majority of unsafe injection practices are caused by a lack of education or mistaken beliefs regarding safe injection practices. Educational reinforcement of safe narcotic handling techniques has significant potential to increase the appropriate use of narcotic syringes among nurse anesthesia providers. The long-standing impact of this project could lead to a reduced number of ‘never events’, medication errors, and infection transmission in the perioperative setting. Our project’s purpose focuses on improving anesthesia provider compliance with the Narcotic Handling Policy in the perioperative setting by offering educational resources and reinforcement of basic aseptic techniques, as well as safe narcotic handling, labeling, and injection practices, which will help to improve overall patient outcomes. The Evidence-Based Practice Improvement (EBPI) Model serves as the guiding framework for the planning, implementation, and analysis of practice change and improvements. Lastly, through the use of an educational bundle, pre- and post-implementation surveys, and long-term follow-up, the project aim seeks to improve anesthesia providers’ compliance with the safe syringe handling practices outlined in the project site’s Narcotic Handling Policy, increase the percentage of appropriately labeled narcotic syringes, and improve overall patient outcomes (Ford, 2013; Pugliese et al., 2010; Wahr et al., 2017).