AACN advanced critical care
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Patients with advanced heart failure have limited treatment options despite advances in medical management. Ventricular assist devices represent a surgical option that offers improved end-organ function, survival, and quality of life. ⋯ Despite growing numbers of ventricular assist device implants, literature about the challenging care of patients following ventricular assist device implantation is limited. This article focuses on the physiological basis for postoperative nursing management strategies and the most important complications of which critical care nurses need to be aware.
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Pain is a common symptom experienced by individuals who are in treatment for cancer and becomes more prevalent for those with more advanced stages of malignancy. Critical care nurses are essential in the management of cancer-related pain, which is a challenging problem when individuals who have a cancer diagnosis are admitted to the intensive care unit for emergent conditions. Regular, thorough, and patient-appropriate assessments by experienced critical care nurses guide selection of treatment modalities, including pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic techniques. In addition, existential pain necessitates spiritual care intervention, and involvement of other appropriate interdisciplinary team members can result in improved management of all types of pain experienced by critically ill individuals with cancer.