Restraint reduction program for stroke patients - Assignment Example

in Amato, Salter, &Mion, 2006, p.237). In this paper, I shall put forward a prospective Quality Improvement program – a multi-component Restraint Reduction Program (RRP) for the stroke rehabilitation unit in our hospital as part of my effort to enhance patient outcomes over here. Emergency cardiac and stroke attacks have become the third major cause of hospitalization and death after cancer and heart disease in America. It has been reported that 8, 00, 000 Americans become the victim of stroke every year which calculates to an average of one American suffering from a stroke every 40 seconds.

In fact, stroke accounts for 1, 40, 000 deaths every year and the reason behind other 1, 00, 000 deaths each year in this country. Stroke patients generally suffer a sudden loss of brain abilities such as loss of consciousness, change in behavior, disorientation, dizziness, trouble in moving hands, arms, and legs, difficulty in talking, understanding, or, severe headache. Stroke patients in acute care settings generally have a high risk of falling or agitated behavior which needs to be handled appropriately.

The stroke treatment procedures necessitate every health care provider to identify potential stroke patients and have specialized knowledge, practical experience and the required tools for treating them efficiently. Moreover, it has become urgent for every health care center and acute rehabilitation unit taking care of stroke patients to be equipped with the essential services, techniques and workforce for providing the best treatment (Katz, n.d). For the purpose of enhancing the treatment, I would like to introduce a QI program – a multi-component Restraint Reduction Program in one of our acute rehabilitation unit, the stroke unit.

Physical restraints have been constantly used by nurses in acute stroke care settings to avoid falls, to control agitation and to handle impulsive behavior. Although physical restraints have been found to be beneficial, their adverse effect which may even include death of the patient is a matter of concern. According to various studies, restraint reduction programs have been successful in decreasing restraint use along with maintaining patient safety of stroke patients in both acute care and long term settings (Amato, Salter, &Mion, 2006, p.235). The basis of this QI program, RRP, will be the implementation of a multi-component intervention strategy which could greatly reduce the use of physical restraints and decrease fall rates through a secure and successful approach in the stroke rehabilitation units.

The primary aim of the RRP will be to lower restraint use by 25% and to sustain fall rates lesser than 10% above the baseline. The interventions in the RRP were adopted from successfully employed restraint programs in different acute care settings. For the purpose of execution, a planning committee will be formed which will include clinical nurse specialists, unit nurse managers, nurse patient-care coordinators, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and the staff nurses. To achieve the set target, this plan will be primarily including four main arenas – administrative support, education, consultation and feedback (Amato, Salter, &Mion, 2006, p.236-237). Administration Before the execution of the program, it is