Is zero possible? In the case of central line infections, the answer was once no. A CLABSI (central line associated blood stream infection) was once considered a car crash, or an expected inevitability of care. When University of Utah’s Burn Trauma Intensive Care Unit started treating CLABSIs like a plane crash, or a tragedy demanding in-depth investigation and cultural change, zero became possible. To eliminate infections, a strong team focused on psychological safety and standardized processes was needed. Could the Burn Trauma Intensive Care Unit (BTICU) change their culture to prevent CLABSIs? Could nurses and physicians change the way they worked together inserting, maintaining, and removing lines?

Read More