Table 2 Recommendations to support bedside nurses’ role
From: Nurses’ contribution to antimicrobial stewardship: business as usual?
Policies | • Emphasize and document in national guidelines for Antimicrobial Stewardship, that the multidisciplinary team collaboration at the bedside (physicians, pharmacists, medical microbiologist, nurses and other allied healthcare professionals), is key to provide the most optimal antimicrobial treatment • Describe in the national guidelines for Antimicrobial Stewardship, the specific role bedside nurses have in medication optimization and appropriate antibiotic use • Acknowledge and document in the local Antimicrobial Stewardship guidelines the role bedside nurses, as members of the interprofessional healthcare team providing bedside care, can have in medication optimization and appropriate antibiotic use. |
Professional | • Implement the content of the WHO “Curriculum guide on Health workers’ education and training on antimicrobial resistance” in both pre- and post-licensure education for nurses [43]. • Ensure bedside nurses have a solid foundation of knowledge and skills on the following topics: • AMR/AMS, Antimicrobial treatment and related matters (clinical reasoning for nurses, diagnostics, patient education), interprofessional communication/collaboration and nursing leadership [44, 45] • Tailor the teaching method and content to the educational needs of the targeted bedside nurses [46] • Tailor the teaching method to the local setting and influencing circumstances (e.g. workload, team culture) [46] • Make use of “coaching-on-the job” and “role modelling” as strong educational modes [47] • Support interprofessional teamwork: o Encourage team communication on values and goals [48] o Clarify roles and contributions of the individual team members [48] o Emphasize that respectful collaboration and teamwork is essential for providing high quality of care [49] |
Practice | • Make use of and implement cognitive reminders in the daily nursing practice. Examples of cognitive reminders are checklists (to be used during ward rounds) or reminders in the Electronic Health Care system. • Appoint an “Antibiotic Champion”, a nurse with extended knowledge and skills regarding Antimicrobial Stewardship, at the ward level • Establish a formal partnership between either the dedicated bedside nurse (Antibiotic Champion) or a representative of the bedside nurses, with a member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team at the hospital level. The goal of the partnership is to support the bedside nurses in daily practice but also to work together on quality improvement projects related to AMS. |