Title : Improving the supply room organization on a cardiac pulmonary medicine unit to improve RN comfortability in retrieval of emergency supplies
Abstract:
Newly hired nurses with less than 6 months of experience on a Cardiac Pulmonary Medicine Unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital reported significant discomfort in retrieving emergency supplies, with 86% indicating a lack of confidence. This inefficiency poses potential risks to patient care by delaying emergency response times. To address this, the unit launched a project aimed at improving RN comfortability through the reorganization of the supply room and targeted training efforts. The primary goal is to increase comfort levels among nurses with less than six months of experience from 14% to 50% by July 2025. The initiative includes redesigning the supply room, implementing a standardized organizational system, and providing focused education on emergency supply retrieval. Key success metrics include improved RN comfort levels, reduced response times in mock scenarios, and the number of nurses trained on the new system. Using a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) framework, the project is currently in progress and seeks to enhance both patient outcomes and staff preparedness through systematic environmental and procedural improvements.
