Abstract

The purpose of this implementation project is to help decrease the rates of mucosal barrier injuries (MBI’s) and oral mucositis (OM) in patients receiving chemotherapy on the oncology unit. In 2022, it was reported that seven MBI’s occurred on an oncology unit in a large county hospital in an urban area. This secondary infection has the potential to increase morbidity, increase treatment costs, lengthen hospital stays, and can have a devastating impact on quality of life (Correa et al., 2019). There is currently no protocol in place at the proposed location for this intervention that will help reduce this potential side effect of chemotherapy. If a secondary infection occurs during admission, the hospital is responsible for the cost. The lack of a preventative protocol created interest for multiple stakeholders. Research shows that an evidence-based oral care protocol should be implemented to help prevent this secondary infection. The intervention chosen not only had to be effective, easily available, low cost, but also needed to be easily performed.

According to research, the best way to prevent MBI’s and OM is to create an oral care protocol that simply includes brushing teeth and using a mild oral rinse twice a day. Prior to the trial period, education will need to be completed for all staff on proper oral assessments, proper documentation for tracking purposes, and patient education. This proposed project will take an interdisciplinary team to accomplish with all hospital stakeholders involved.

Date of publication

Spring 4-21-2024

Document Type

MSN Capstone Project

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4659

Degree

Masters in Science of Nursing - Education

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