Decreased Wait Time and Increased Satisfaction With Bedside Pancreatic Enzyme Dosing for the Inpatient Adolescent With Cystic Fibrosis: A Quality Improvement Project Comparing Enzyme Self-Administration to Nurse Administration

For children with cystic fibrosis (CF), enzymes are essential with meals to absorb nutrients and ensure adequate growth. When hospitalized, CF patients typically rely on nurse-administered medications. Recently, a pediatric hospital unit began allowing adolescents with CF enzymes at the bedside. Postimplementation, a satisfaction questionnaire was administered to participating patients and nurses measuring patient and nurse satisfaction with access to bedside enzymes versus nurse administration and overall time for enzyme delivery. The survey utilized a 5-point Likert scale. The wait time for pancreatic enzymes decreased for self-administered enzymes when compared to those that were nurse administered. All (11/11) patients and 86% (12/14) of nurses preferred the self-administration of enzymes. Hospitalized pediatric CF patients and nurses had higher levels of satisfaction with enzyme self-administration. Immediate access to enzymes in room safes impact patient autonomy, reflecting home self-care practices. Decreases in wait times optimize nutritional growth and healing while hospitalized. As a result, a new limited scope policy allowing patient-administered enzymes is now in place in the pediatric inpatient CF unit.