Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain a critical quality metric in healthcare, and Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara’s Telemetry division advanced patient safety and nursing excellence through a focused initiative in 2025. 

The division identified opportunities to standardize urine specimen collection and improve workflow efficiency. Infection prevention experts Evelyn Anzelde, MPH, CIC, and Gurpreet Ishpuniani, BS, CIC, led a multidisciplinary team of nursing leaders, physicians, and supply chain partners to observe real-time processes and engage frontline nurses. This collaborative review highlighted the need for evidence-based improvements in specimen collection and transport. 

The team introduced two key enhancements: 

• BD Vacutainer Kit with anti-reflux tubes for sterile urine collection, ensuring specimen integrity and reducing contamination risk. 

• Pneumatic tube system for rapid specimen transport to the laboratory, streamlining workflow and minimizing delays. 

Education was central to success. Nurse managers and assistant nurse managers received training and cascaded the new process to frontline nurses through huddles and staff meetings. The updated workflow became the standard for patients with indwelling catheters and was later expanded to all patients requiring urinalysis or urine culture, ensuring consistency and accuracy across the division. 

These evidence-based changes improved specimen quality, enhanced diagnostic accuracy, and supported timely care. Most importantly, the initiative achieved its goal of reducing CAUTI rates across the telemetry units, reinforcing KP Santa Clara’s commitment to patient safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.