Implementing an Evidence-Based Protocol for Propofol Administration in Vented ICU Patients: Improving Patient Outcomes and Decreasing Hospital Costs

This chapter describes the first project in a tertiary care agency using the original Evidence-Based Practice Improvement (EBPI) Model. The project, developed by nurses working in an intensive care unit (ICU), changed medical and nursing practice positively by documenting an improved quality of care for patients who required mechanical ventilation for a prolonged period as well as a reduction in hospital costs. This project won the first Evidence-Based Practice Award given by the Foundation of New York State Nurses in 2011. Since this project's completion, there have been many advances in the care of ventilated and sedated patients; however, the process used to translate evidence into practice is a meaningful case study. This first successful EBPI project led the way to organizational buy-in regarding the importance of promoting an evidence-based practice (EBP) culture in the clinical environment.