Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common urologic complaints encountered in a urology practice. In the general population of men the prevalence rate in 20 years and older was 18.4%. Prevalence rates continue to rise through the lifespan with ranges from 5.1% in men 20-39 years to 70.2% in men 70 years and older (Selvin, Burnett, & Platz, 2007). Additionally common comorbid conditions with aging such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes further contribute to the incidence and severity of ED. After ED is diagnosed, there are guidelines and an algorithm of treatments. The recommendations for treatment include lifestyle modifications, oral medications, intraurethral suppositories, intracavernosal injections (ICI), and finally surgical implantation of a penile prosthesis. Once a patient is graduated to treatment of ICI, there is a negative stigma associated with needles, particularly with the thought of an injection into the penis. Our experience is that a patient’s perception of penile pain from the injection is more than actual pain verbalized after the injection. There is limited research assessing the perception of pain associated with ICI therapy. Anticipatory pain is higher than actual reported pain after intracavernosal injection (ICI).

Learning Outcome:
After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to assess innovations being used by other professionals in the specialty and evaluate the potential of implementing the improvements into practice

Background: For years, there has been several millions of dollars used to research a female external urinary incontinence device, to no avail. This is an increasingly important goal due to the emphasis of reduction of hospital acquired conditions, such as Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI). Many patients who are incontinent, especially within the critical care setting, develop dermatitis that can lead to wounds and injuries that can be life threatening. The aim of this study is to reduce the number of incontinence associated dermatitis cases, for female patients in the ICU, using an external urinary incontinence system.

Learning Outcome: After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to assess innovations being used by other professionals in the specialty and evaluate the potential of implementing the improvements into practice

The purpose of this Quality Improvement project was to develop and implement an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for cystectomy patients at a regional hospital in central Illinois. Specific goals included reducing patient’s length of hospital stay, reducing occurrence of postoperative ileus after surgery and educating the nurses involved in patient care about effective implementation the protocol. An educational presentation and knowledge assessment via testing was developed and subsequently presented to the nurses both inpatient and outpatient at the host facility. A specific protocol was crafted after discussion with stakeholders and the ERAS protocol was finalized and implemented at the facility. The outcome measures examined were the patient’s length of stay and occurrence of postoperative ileus. In addition, a blinded post education survey was provided to nursing staff to evaluate knowledge of the ERAS protocol. The findings demonstrated a positive trend toward decreased length of stay with no occurrence of postoperative ileus which was at 53.3% prior to implementation. Post education evaluation for the nurses also showed significant improvement in knowledge base of ERAS protocol. Limitations of this project are secondary to the lower number of post ERAS patients for the project compared to the retrospective group. However, Post ERAS patients demonstrated significantly improved postoperative outcomes thereby entrenching the ERAS protocol as the standard of care for all urology surgeries at this institution.

Learning Outcome: After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to assess innovations being used by other professionals in the specialty and evaluate the potential of implementing the improvements into practice

Ureteral stents are one of the most used urologic devices to create and preserve ureteral patency. Side effects after ureteral stent placement have a high prevalence, and stent related pain has been reported to affect over 80% of patients. This Quality Improvement Project aimed to develop a standardized care pathway through education and pharmacological management for patients after ureteral stent placement. Specific goals included reducing readmission rates to the emergency department (ED), reducing the patient’s phone calls to the urology clinic, and improve patient satisfaction. The protocol developed for the project included discharging patients with an alpha- blocker, an anti-cholinergic, pain medications and post-procedure educational material. An educational presentation was provided to the nurses and stakeholders about the protocol. The outcome measures examined were the number of patients returning to the ED and the number of phone calls to the urology clinic after ureteral stent placement. The findings demonstrated a positive trend towards a decreased number of patients returning to the ED and the number of calls to the urology clinic after the procedure. The findings showed that a standardized plan of care can reduce the number of ED returns, reduce the number of phone calls to the urology clinic and improve care.

Learning Outcome: After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to assess innovations being used by other professionals in the specialty and evaluate the potential of implementing the improvements into practice.

The project goal was to enhance the patient experience, nursing satisfaction, and optimize outcomes for the urology patient through collaboration between inpatient and ambulatory nursing by implementing an innovative staffing plan to ensure staffing needs are met.

Learning Outcome: After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to assess innovations being used by other professionals in the specialty and evaluate the potential of implementing the improvements into practice