Wendy Napolitano
August 2021
Wendy
Napolitano
,
MSN, RN
Intensive Care Unit
The Hospital of Central Connecticut
New Britain
,
CT
United States
Wendy has been the driving force to making changes to central line management, from insertion to maintenance to timely removal.
Preventing Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) has been a major focus at The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC). Reducing Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs), Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs) and Ventilator Associated Conditions (VACs) has always been challenging. In the Critical Care Unit (CCU), those invasive devices that are necessary to keep our patients alive also increase the risk of developing life-threatening infections. Under the leadership and guidance of Wendy Napolitano, the CCU has reduced the number of HAIs and has been surpassing targets set by the system.
Over the past few years, Wendy has collaborated with Infection Prevention and her staff to implement evidence-based practices to standardize care and reduce infection rates. The two infections that Wendy and her team have had the most success with are CAUTIs and C. difficile. In 2018, CCU reported 7 CAUTIs. In 2019, the number was reduced to 2 and in 2020 there were ZERO CAUTIs in CCU. Wendy was supportive and ensured that her nursing staff had mandatory education for insertion, maintenance, and timely removal of the urinary catheters and were able to reduce/eliminate CAUTIs in CCU in a matter of two years. Even more amazing is the number of C. difficile cases in CCU. There has not been a case of Hospital Onset (H0) C. diff in over one year, since November 2019. This is phenomenal work and is attributed to Wendy’s attention to detail and her constant presence in the CCU.
Probably her biggest success story will be reducing the number of CLABSIs. Although the numbers don’t reflect her hard work and diligence (I’ll discuss that later) she was instrumental with implementing a new dressing and developing best practices for dressing changes and maintenance of central line dressings. Wendy listened to the concerns of her staff about the central lines not staying intact for the gold standard of seven days. She supported the trial of new dressings and after evaluating several options; HOCC implemented a CHG impregnated dressing with the use of a medical adhesive and adhesive remover. Wendy has been the driving force to making changes to central line management, from insertion to maintenance to timely removal. She and the team worked tirelessly to get the best outcomes for their patients. From November 2019 to March, 2020, there were NO CLABSIs in CCU. And then the coronavirus pandemic, also known as the COVID-19 pandemic, hit HOCC. Unfortunately, the CCU reported 4 CLABSIs between April and May. I can still remember how disappointed Wendy and her staff were when we reported the CLABSIs. The news was heartbreaking and Wendy took it personally. The staff had worked so hard to keep their patients safe from CLABSIs, but they were no match for COVID-19. Of course, we all know that COVID-19 patients are at a higher risk for developing CLABSIs, but each infection took a toll on the staff that had worked so hard to reduce the risks while keeping their patients alive.
Speaking of the pandemic, this is when Wendy’s true leadership skills were recognized. Wendy guided and supported her staff through uncharted territory. These were unprecedented times and I worked very closely with Wendy and her staff during the first few months of the pandemic. In the beginning, things were changing daily, i.e. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), treatments, medications, policies, protocols, etc. It was Wendy’s ability to stay calm and remain resilient that she was able to lead her staff through unparalleled situations. She understood all the stresses that her staff faced each day, such as their safety, their families, and of course, their patients. She understood that the CCU staff, her staff, was caring for the sickest of the patients. It is a credit to Wendy’s unwavering support and flexibility that she was able to maintain her staff’s wellbeing during the beginning of this pandemic and continues to do so today.
Wendy is a true leader and her leadership skills are reminiscent of a quote from Florence Nightingale who once said “I do see the difference now between me and other men. When a disaster happens, I act and they make excuses”. Wendy acted and led her staff through extraordinary times. HOCC is fortunate to have her at the helm in the CCU.
Over the past few years, Wendy has collaborated with Infection Prevention and her staff to implement evidence-based practices to standardize care and reduce infection rates. The two infections that Wendy and her team have had the most success with are CAUTIs and C. difficile. In 2018, CCU reported 7 CAUTIs. In 2019, the number was reduced to 2 and in 2020 there were ZERO CAUTIs in CCU. Wendy was supportive and ensured that her nursing staff had mandatory education for insertion, maintenance, and timely removal of the urinary catheters and were able to reduce/eliminate CAUTIs in CCU in a matter of two years. Even more amazing is the number of C. difficile cases in CCU. There has not been a case of Hospital Onset (H0) C. diff in over one year, since November 2019. This is phenomenal work and is attributed to Wendy’s attention to detail and her constant presence in the CCU.
Probably her biggest success story will be reducing the number of CLABSIs. Although the numbers don’t reflect her hard work and diligence (I’ll discuss that later) she was instrumental with implementing a new dressing and developing best practices for dressing changes and maintenance of central line dressings. Wendy listened to the concerns of her staff about the central lines not staying intact for the gold standard of seven days. She supported the trial of new dressings and after evaluating several options; HOCC implemented a CHG impregnated dressing with the use of a medical adhesive and adhesive remover. Wendy has been the driving force to making changes to central line management, from insertion to maintenance to timely removal. She and the team worked tirelessly to get the best outcomes for their patients. From November 2019 to March, 2020, there were NO CLABSIs in CCU. And then the coronavirus pandemic, also known as the COVID-19 pandemic, hit HOCC. Unfortunately, the CCU reported 4 CLABSIs between April and May. I can still remember how disappointed Wendy and her staff were when we reported the CLABSIs. The news was heartbreaking and Wendy took it personally. The staff had worked so hard to keep their patients safe from CLABSIs, but they were no match for COVID-19. Of course, we all know that COVID-19 patients are at a higher risk for developing CLABSIs, but each infection took a toll on the staff that had worked so hard to reduce the risks while keeping their patients alive.
Speaking of the pandemic, this is when Wendy’s true leadership skills were recognized. Wendy guided and supported her staff through uncharted territory. These were unprecedented times and I worked very closely with Wendy and her staff during the first few months of the pandemic. In the beginning, things were changing daily, i.e. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), treatments, medications, policies, protocols, etc. It was Wendy’s ability to stay calm and remain resilient that she was able to lead her staff through unparalleled situations. She understood all the stresses that her staff faced each day, such as their safety, their families, and of course, their patients. She understood that the CCU staff, her staff, was caring for the sickest of the patients. It is a credit to Wendy’s unwavering support and flexibility that she was able to maintain her staff’s wellbeing during the beginning of this pandemic and continues to do so today.
Wendy is a true leader and her leadership skills are reminiscent of a quote from Florence Nightingale who once said “I do see the difference now between me and other men. When a disaster happens, I act and they make excuses”. Wendy acted and led her staff through extraordinary times. HOCC is fortunate to have her at the helm in the CCU.