Roadmap
A guide to (de)implement sustainability interventions. On this page, you’ll find additional information on implementing and measuring sustainability interventions on nursing wards. You can download the full step-by-step guide here (NL).
A guide to (de)implement sustainability interventions.On this page, you’ll find additional information on implementing and measuring sustainability interventions related to medication use. You can download the full step-by-step guide here (NL).
Implementation: reducing product use
- Analyze purchasing data from the previous year to map the current consumption of the product.
- Talk with nurses about how the product is used and their motivation behind it. Identify the reasons for reducing its use.
- Set a goal by determining how much the product use can be reduced (in numbers or percentage) within a given number of months.
- Develop an implementation plan using the step-by-step guide. Include agreements on how the product should be used and when exceptions apply. Also describe how colleagues will be made aware of (in)appropriate use and encouraged to take action, for example by highlighting alternatives or storing the product in a less visible location.
- Refer to the step-by-step guide for more information on setting goals and creating an implementation and evaluation plan.
Implementation: (reusable) product
- Make the intervention specific by mapping out the current situation and the desired change. Ensure coordination between all relevant departments so the change is practical and well integrated into existing workflows. For example, involve the procurement and logistics departments for storage and transport, and for reusable products, engage the infection prevention and cleaning departments (laundry or housekeeping) for the cleaning process.
- Set a goal by determining when and which nursing wards will switch to the reusable product.
- Develop an implementation plan using the step-by-step guide. Include agreements on which product will be replaced, policies on procurement and waste management, and how colleagues will be informed about the new product and procedures. Take into account whether the disposable product will remain available in the ordering system, and define the conditions under which it may still be ordered and used.
- Refer to the step-by-step guide for more information on setting a goal and developing an implementation and evaluation plan.
Implementation: new approach in nursing practice
- Make the intervention specific by mapping out the current situation and the desired change. Ensure coordination between all relevant departments so the change is practical and well integrated into existing workflows. Involve healthcare professionals with relevant expertise, such as nurses, nurse specialists, and physicians, as well as the infection prevention department (if applicable), the procurement department for material supply, and nurses working on nursing wards for practical input.
- Set a goal by determining when nursing wards will adopt the new approach.
- Develop an implementation plan using the step-by-step guide. Include a description of the new procedure, how the transition will be organised, and how colleagues will be informed and trained.
- Refer to the step-by-step guide for more information on setting a goal and developing an implementation and evaluation plan.
Measuring an intervention using purchasing data
- Baseline measurement: Analyze the purchasing data before the implementation of the intervention.
- Calculate the number of products purchased over a fixed period, preferably three months.
- Post-measurement: Analyze the purchasing data after the implementation of the intervention.
- Determine when the intervention started and when the effect is expected. Use the predefined SMART objective to establish the expected outcome and timeline.
- Select a period of the same length as the baseline measurement to calculate the number of products purchased after implementation.
- Ideally, use the same time frame as the baseline, for example, the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026.
- If circumstances differ (for instance, a change in the number of admitted patients), select an alternative period that is still representative.
- Recalculate the number of purchased products to measure the difference in purchasing volume.
- Complete the environmental impact calculator*.
- Enter the number of products purchased before and after the intervention into the environmental impact calculator.
- The environmental gain is calculated as the difference in product use converted into CO₂ emissions, extrapolated over a one-year period.
Footnotes
*Environmental impact calculator coming soon
Nursing wards
