2085. Bedside Nurses Improve Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention Outcomes: Results of a 3.5-Year Study in Three Hospital Telemetry Units

BACKGROUND: Minimal literature exists to demonstrate the quantitative impact of bedside nurses in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). We initiated bedside nurse-driven AMS and infection prevention (AMS/IP) rounds on three inpatient telemetry units of a community regional medical center. Rounds were nurse-driven, involved an infectious diseases (ID) pharmacist and infection preventionist, and were designed to complement traditional ID pharmacist and ID physician AMS rounds. Rounds were focused on use of antibiotics, urinary catheters (UCs), and central venous catheters (CVCs). Recommendations from rounds were communicated by the bedside nurse either directly to providers or to the ID pharmacist and ID physician for intervention. METHODS: This was an observational, multiple-group, quasi-experimental study conducted over 3.5 years (July 2015 to December 2018) to characterize the impact of bedside nurse-driven AMS/IP rounds on antibiotic, urinary catheter and CVC use, hospital-onset C. difficile infection (CDI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). Outcomes were assessed in two cohorts based on time of AMS/IP rounds implementation (Cohort 1 implemented on one telemetry unit in July 2016, Cohort 2 implemented in two telemetry units in January 2018). RESULTS: A total of 2,273 patient therapy reviews occurred (Cohort 1: 1,736; Cohort 2: 537). Of these reviews, 1,209 (53%) were antibiotics, 879 (39%) were urinary catheters, and 185 (8%) were CVCs. Pre- vs. post-intervention, significant reductions were observed in both cohorts for mean monthly antibiotic days of therapy per 1,000 patient-days (Cohort 1: 791 vs. 688, P < 0.001; Cohort 2: 615 vs. 492, P < 0.001), UC days per patient day (Cohort 1: 0.25 vs. 0.16, P < 0.001; Cohort 2: 0.19 vs. 0.14, P < 0.001), CVC days per patient day (Cohort 1: 0.15 vs. 0.11, = 0.002; Cohort 2: 0.09 vs. 0.07, p = 0.005), and CDI per 10,000 patient-days (Cohort 1: 17.8 vs. 7.1, p = 0.035; Cohort 2: 19.1 vs. 5.4, p = 0.003). Numerical reductions were observed in CAUTI and CLABSI per 10,000 patient-days. CONCLUSION: Bedside nurses can improve AMS and IP outcomes in a scalable fashion when supported by an interdisciplinary AMS/IP team and are complimentary to traditional AMS and IP practices. [Image: see text] DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.