Future efforts are needed to standardise and harmonise how we measure these outcomes across European countries and to identify factors that contribute to their prevention which would guide preventative care strategies. If these outcomes were measured in the same way across countries, this would facilitate further research with the aim of reducing the incidence of these avoidable harms and therefore enhancing the quality of patient care in ICUs. This network will work towards advancing patient safety through standardised measurement of three patient safety outcome measures (pressure ulcers, HCAIs and delirium). The processes that contribute to the development of these outcomes will also be explored. This network will enable larger scale research studies of groundbreaking interventions to reduce the incidence of these avoidable harms.
COST ACTION CA24107
About SAFE-ICU
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a complex environment, where nurses are trained to deliver highly specialized care to critically ill patients. The ICU is a rapidly changing environment with new treatments and interventions emerging. However, despite advancements in care practices and treatment protocols, there remains significant variability in patient safety related outcomes. The World Health Organisation estimates that 1 in 10 patients are harmed in healthcare settings and that as many as 80% of these harms are avoidable.
Nurses are active participants in preventing and reducing the incidence of avoidable harms. Pressure ulcers, healthcare-associated infections (HCAI), and delirium are some of the most frequently cited patient safety related outcomes in the ICU. However, there are inconsistencies in how these outcomes are measured across the world.
Specific Objectives
Research Coordination Objectives
Research Coordination Objective 1
Coordinate the compilation of the available tools used in each network healthcare system to measure the identified patient safety related outcomes (pressure ulcers, delirium and healthcare- associated infections).
Research Coordination Objective 2
Collectively identify the most appropriate measurement tools to assess for the presence of these outcomes across the COST network of European countries.
Research Coordination Objective 3
Organize and ensure translation of these tools across several European languages.
Research Coordination Objective 4
Undertake point prevalence studies, using the selected measurement tools to determine the scale of each problem (outcome) across the COST network of European countries.
Research Coordination Objective 7
Undertake point prevalence studies, using the selected measurement tools to determine the scale of each problem (outcome) across the COST network of European countries.
Research Coordination Objective 5
Assess nurses’ knowledge of pressure ulcers, delirium and HCAIs, across the network, using a shared set of standards and knowledge requirements.
Research Coordination Objective 8
Assess nurses’ knowledge of pressure ulcers, delirium and HCAIs, across the network, using a shared set of standards and knowledge requirements.
Research Coordination Objective 6
Coordinate determination of the processes that lead to the development of these adverse outcomes in clinical practice (e.g. the methods and frequency of formal risk assessment).
Research Coordination Objective 9
Coordinate determination of the processes that lead to the development of these adverse outcomes in clinical practice (e.g. the methods and frequency of formal risk assessment).
Capacity Building Objectives
Capacity Building Objective 1
To foster international network-wide knowledge exchange and the development of a research agenda focused on improving patient outcomes.
Capacity Building Objective 2
To enhance nurse researchers skills to ensure a highly trained critical care nursing workforce .
Capacity Building Objective 3
Promote the sharing of knowledge and experience between more-experienced researchers and young/early career nurse researchers .
Capacity Building Objective 4
Coordinate joint educational and research courses/workshops/meetings with other COST Actions/EU projects.
Capacity Building Objective 5
Establish an inclusive network of stakeholders, including nurse researchers, nurse educators, clinical bedside nurses, advanced practice nurses, to help close the evidence-practice gap in nursing care. This network will incorporate diverse expertise, informed by a broad spectrum of stakeholders with other relevant multidisciplinary team members included.
Capacity Building Objective 6
Encourage and support engagement through webinars, podcasts, virtual learning cafes and other innovative means of bringing EU researchers together .
Capacity Building Objective 7
Incorporate the patient voice into a patient safety focused research agenda, to ensure a patient centred approach to reducing the incidence of avoidable harms.
Capacity Building Objective 8
Develop, transform, and empower nurse leaders from the WHO European Region to advance patient safety in the ICU.
Capacity Building Objective 9
Implement educational programmes to educate nurses on areas where knowledge gaps have been identified (e.g. screening tools for pressure ulcers, infection and delirium).
Capacity Building Objective 10
Working to have Patient Safety Related Outcome Measures in European Intensive Care Units recognized as a Thematic Network in the EU Health Policy Platform (HPP).