Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2019
Early Therapeutic Mobility and Changes in Scores for Pain and Fatigue.
This report is a secondary analysis of data from a larger study of a nurse-led early therapeutic mobility intervention among patients receiving mechanical ventilation. This analysis evaluated whether intervention frequency or intensity was associated with pain or fatigue. Frequency was defined as once-daily versus twice-daily interventions. ⋯ Four patients reported decrements in pain; 1 reported a decrease in fatigue. Less than 5% of enrolled patients indicated a score change of +4 to +6 for pain or fatigue, typically with the first intervention that included sitting at the edge of the bed. Future research could examine the distress associated with these symptoms in critically ill adults receiving early therapeutic mobility interventions.
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2019
Palliative Care and Moral Distress: An Institutional Survey of Critical Care Nurses.
The need for palliative care in the intensive care unit is increasing. Whether gaps and variations in palliative care education and use are associated with moral distress among critical care nurses is unknown. ⋯ Many critical care nurses do not feel prepared to provide palliative care. When palliative care access is perceived as inadequate, nurses may be more apt to experience moral distress. Health system leaders should prioritize palliative care training for critical care nurses and their colleagues and empower them to reduce barriers to palliative care.
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialPalliation of Thirst in Intensive Care Unit Patients: Translating Research Into Practice.
Thirst is prevalent among patients in intensive care units. A research-based "thirst bundle" was shown to significantly decrease thirst in these patients. ⋯ The palliative "thirst bundle" significantly alleviated patients' thirst and resulted in little caregiver burden. Further efforts are warranted to incorporate this intervention into intensive care unit practice.
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2019
Topical Lidocaine Patch for Postthoracotomy and Poststernotomy Pain in Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit Adult Patients.
Transdermal lidocaine patches have few systemic toxicities and may be useful analgesics in cardiac surgery patients. However, few studies have evaluated their efficacy in the perioperative setting. Objective To compare the efficacy of topical lidocaine 5% patch plus standard care (opioid and nonopioid analgesics) with standard care alone for postthoracotomy or poststernotomy pain in adult patients in a cardiothoracic intensive care unit. ⋯ Adjunctive lidocaine 5% patches did not reduce acute pain in postthoracotomy and post-sternotomy patients in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit.