• Shelley Burcie, Angelica Morris, Virginia Young, Zara Sajwani-Merchant, and Lindsey Patton.
• Shelley Burcie is a clinical team leader, Critical Care Services, Children's Health System of Texas, Dallas.
• Am. J. Crit. Care. 2024 Jul 1; 33 (4): 272279272-279.

BackgroundPediatric patients receiving neurologic and neurosurgical critical care undergo many procedures that result in stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which increases their risk of poor outcomes. Nurses typically implement a variety of interventions to minimize such stimulation; however, minimal stimulation has not been specifically defined in the literature or described as a standardized bundle of care.ObjectiveTo examine pediatric intensive care unit nurses' interpretation and practice of minimal stimulation in patients with neurologic and neurosurgical conditions and specifically to triangulate nurses' descriptions of this practice with related findings in the literature.MethodsThis was a qualitative, descriptive, exploratory study that used naturalistic inquiry.ResultsA total of 13 pediatric intensive care unit nurses participated in the study. Three primary themes were identified regarding minimal stimulation: (1) new knowledge and practice, (2) communication, and (3) impact of minimal stimulation.ConclusionsThe findings of this study help to establish a working definition of the nursing practice of minimal stimulation and provide a basis for future research. More detailed study is needed on the concept of a standardized minimal stimulation bundle and its impact on patient outcomes.©2024 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

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