Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2017
Pressure Injuries in Critical Care: A Survey of Critical Care Nurses.
Critical care nurses must be able to skillfully balance the prevention of adverse events such as pressure injuries in an environment with multiple competing and lifesaving technologies that often take precedent. Despite strategies to prevent them, pressure injuries do occur in intensive care unit patients, and consensus is building that some pressure injuries are unavoidable. ⋯ Critical care nurses are steadfast stewards of safe patient care and think that pressure injury prevention is a crucial aspect of the care they deliver every day. The findings on risk factors for unavoidable pressure injuries mirrored those of experts and provide a layer of support for these factors.
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2017
Review Meta AnalysisContinuous Versus Intermittent Subglottic Secretion Drainage to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A Systematic Review.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia is associated with high morbidity and mortality in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Subglottic secretion drainage, which may be performed continuously or intermittently, is believed to be an effective strategy for coping with ventilator-assisted pneumonia. Whether continuous or intermittent subglottic secretion drainage is superior for preventing ventilator-assisted pneumonia remains unknown. ⋯ The results indicate no apparent differences between continuous and intermittent subglottic secretion drainage for the treatment outcomes included in the analysis. Rigorously designed, large-scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to identify the roles of continuous and intermittent subglottic secretion drainage.
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2017
Meta AnalysisPrevalence of Burnout Syndrome in Emergency Nurses: A Meta-Analysis.
To determine the prevalence of burnout (based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory on the 3 dimensions of high Emotional Exhaustion, high Depersonalization, and low Personal Accomplishment) among emergency nurses. ⋯ The prevalence of burnout syndrome in emergency nurses is high; about 30% of the sample was affected with at least 1 of the 3 Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales. Working conditions and personal factors should be taken into account when assessing burnout risk profiles of emergency nurses.
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2017
Transfusion-Associated Circulatory Overload: Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent, Identify, and Manage a Serious Adverse Event.
Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) is a potentially life-threatening complication of blood transfusion and is associated with increased morbidity, length of stay (hospital and intensive care unit), and hospital costs. Bedside nurses play a key role in the prevention, identification, and reporting of this complication. ⋯ Surveillance and evidence-based strategies such as clinical decision support systems have the potential to reduce the incidence of TACO and mitigate its effects. Practical suggestions for conducting bedside transfusion surveillance and future directions for improving transfusion care are presented.
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The open abdomen technique and temporary abdominal closure after damage control surgery is fast becoming the standard of care for managing intra-abdominal bleeding and infectious or ischemic processes in critically ill patients. Expansion of this technique has evolved from damage control surgery in severely injured trauma patients to use in patients with abdominal compartment syndrome due to acute pancreatitis and other disorders. ⋯ Determining the need for this potentially lifesaving intervention and managing the wound after the open abdomen has been created are all within the realm of critical care nurses. Case studies illustrate the implementation of the open abdomen technique and patient management strategies.