Sunday, June 28, 2009
Hall A (San Diego Convention Center)
Martha D. Leighton, MS, RN , Department of Education, Elliot Hospital, Manchester, NH
Deborah Bell-Polson, BSN, RN , Maternity Services, Elliot Hospital, Manchester, NH
Oxytocin is one of the most commonly used medications in Labor & Delivery. It has the potential to cause serious complications as well as the potential to be blamed as the cause of a poor outcome. Lack of evidence to demonstrate one best way to administer oxytocin has lead to variations in the administration and management of this high alert medication. Our hospital set out to improve the safety of our patients receiving oxytocin while in labor. We gathered a multidisciplinary team and utilized the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s perinatal community as well as the latest evidence to implement structural supports that can enhance safe oxytocin administration. Our multidisciplinary team worked on instituting the same fetal monitoring education for OB Care Providers and Registered Nurses, we developed a standard oxytocin order sheet, revised our oxytocin guideline and fetal monitoring guideline, developed algorithms for management of non-reassuring fetal heart rate patterns and hyperstimulation, as well as implemented monthly fetal monitoring strip reviews. We established a baseline prior to our project and then we evaluated our progress six months post implementation. We are able to demonstrate improved efficiency in oxytocin administration, improved documentation related to safe oxytocin administration for both OB Care Providers and Registered Nurses. We are consistently identifing and correctly managing hyperstimultaion when it occurs and have even seen an increase in our vaginal delivery rate for patients who have received oxytocin.