Critical care nurse
-
Critical care nurse · Dec 2016
ReviewPlanning for Deactivation of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators at the End of Life in Patients With Heart Failure.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) may be burdensome in end-stage heart failure. At the end of life, as many as one-fifth to one-third of patients experience an ICD shock. Critical care nurses should be aware of the potential burden of these shocks at the end of life as well as the ethics and organizational policies surrounding ICD deactivation. ⋯ Based on this author's findings, recommendations for discussing and implementing ICD deactivation are offered. Health care organizations should have clear policies addressing ICD deactivation to provide for seamless integration of palliative care services throughout the course of heart failure. These policies should empower nurses to activate resources in a timely manner and should clearly outline processes for ICD deactivation.
-
Critical care nurse · Dec 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyChlorhexidine-Impregnated Dressings and Prevention of Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Bloodstream infections related to use of catheters are associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates, prolonged hospital lengths of stay, and increased medical costs. ⋯ Use of chlorhexidine-impregnated dressings reduced rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections, contamination, colonization, and local catheter infection in a pediatric intensive care unit but was not significantly better than use of standard dressings.
-
Critical care nurse · Dec 2016
Measuring Family Satisfaction With Care Delivered in the Intensive Care Unit.
In our competitive health care environment, measuring the experience of family members of patients in the intensive care unit to ensure that health care providers are meeting families' needs is critical. Surveys from Press Ganey and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are unable to capture families' satisfaction with care in this setting. ⋯ Although patients' family members reported being satisfied with their experience in the intensive care unit, there is room for improvement. Effective communication among the health care team, patients' families, and patients will be targeted for quality improvement initiatives.