Sustainability interventions in nursing wards
Nursing interventions
Replacing IV lines every seven days
IV lines, the part of the infusion system that remains outside the body and connects to the intravenous catheter, are currently replaced every four days to prevent infections. Research shows that replacing IV systems every seven days does not increase the risk of infection. This saves materials and time for nurses.
Intervention
Reduce the frequency of changing IV lines from once every four days to once every seven days.
Exclusion: Lines used for the administration of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), blood, propofol, and cytostatics are excluded from this intervention due to different guidelines.
Environmental impact
Measured in CO₂ emissions, based on the reduction in the number of IV lines used.
Implementation approach
Refer to the approach for implementing a different method in nursing practice and consult the step-by-step guide for more information on setting goals, implementation, and evaluation.
When is it implemented?
This intervention is considered implemented when the IV lines in the hospital's nursing units are replaced every seven days and the difference in CO₂-equivalent (kg) has been calculated.
How this is measured?
The environmental impact of this intervention can be determined using the purchasing data of the number of IV lines, see the procedure for measuring an intervention using purchasing data.
Note: Other interventions may affect the results of this one. If the "Using a single IV system across all departments" intervention is implemented at the same time, it may affect the purchasing data for IV lines. Implement the "Use the same infusion system on all units" intervention at a different time to measure the effect accurately.
Resources
Click here for the best practice from the Green ICU on the usage duration of IV lines.
Click here for an example from St. Antonius Hospital where IV lines in the ICU and MC are replaced every seven days.
Footnote
- van de Pol I, Roescher N, Rigter S, Noordzij PG. Prolonged use of intravenous administration sets on central line associated bloodstream infection, nursing workload and material use: A before-after study. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2023 Oct;78:103446.
- Rickard CM, Marsh NM, Larsen EN, McGrail MR, Graves N, Runnegar N, Webster J,..., Playford EG. Effect of infusion set replacement intervals on catheter-related bloodstream infections (RSVP): a randomised, controlled, equivalence (central venous access device)-non-inferiority (peripheral arterial catheter) trial. Lancet. 2021 Apr 17;397(10283):1447-1458.
Resultaten
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View our other interventions
General resources
Paper medication cup
Medication is often administered several times a day in plastic cups, which generates a large amount of waste. Paper medication cups suitable for liquids (containing less than 5% plastic) offer a more sustainable alternative. In some cases, however, a plastic cup remains necessary, for example when crushing medication.
Monitoring parameters
Reusable transport bag for laboratory samples
Nurses collect various samples for diagnostic testing. For transport to the laboratory, different single-use containers such as cups, bags, or kidney trays are currently used and then discarded. A reusable transport container is a more sustainable alternative.
