Early Detection and Management of Acute Kidney Injury in Long Term Care Residents: Increasing Nursing Staff Knowledge, Confidence, and Competence

The incidence of acute kidney injury AKI (also known as acute renal failure) is an emerging public health concern worldwide and it is associated with high healthcare cost, prolonged hospital stays, progression to chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease and higher mortality. Advanced age increases the vulnerability to AKI due to both structural and functional degeneration over time affecting many older adults living in long term care facilities. The literature shows AKI is preventable with early detection and management. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to assess if the implementation an evidence-based education presentation to a group of nurses in a long-term care facility on early detection and management of AKI while improving the staff’s knowledge, confidence and competence will prevent the AKI in the facility, decrease AKI related hospitalizations and ultimately improve health outcomes. The plan, do, study, act (PDSA) method was used, and descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the data of this project obtained from a pre-post survey questionnaire. A retrospective chart review of hospitalization data was utilized to record pre and post intervention hospital discharges. Results indicated that the education presentation improved knowledge and management of AKI; therefore, recommendations for practice change are necessary.