Inpatient Surgical Bowel Preps: Making Them Work

This article will describe the evidence-based approach our hospital developed to best prepare children for abdominal surgery. Our evidence-based interdisciplinary approach was based on the work of [McCallin, A. (2001). Interdisciplinary practice—A matter of teamwork: An integrated literature review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 10, 419–428], [Melnyk, B. M. (2002). Evidence-based practice. Strategies for overcoming barriers in implementing evidence-based practice. Pediatric Nursing, 28, 159–161], [Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2002). Evidence-based practice. Key steps in implementing evidence-based practice: Asking compelling, searchable questions and searching for the best evidence. Pediatric Nursing, 28, 262–266], [Sierchio, G. P. (2003). A multidisciplinary approach for improving outcomes. Journal of Infusion Nursing, 26, 34–43], and [Wojner, A. W. (1996). Outcomes management: An interdisciplinary search for best practice. AACN Clinical Issues, 7, 133–145]. At our hospital, a leading children's hospital in an eastern urban setting, we surgically manage children, from newborns to young adults, with a variety of diagnoses. These diagnoses include the following: inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and UC, imperforate anus, necrotizing enterocolitis, and abdominal tumors. The bowel prep is an integral part of these children's surgical preparation.