Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2021
Nurse Managers Leading the Way: Reenvisioning Stress to Maintain Healthy Work Environments.
Stress among nurses is well documented, and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has reached record highs. ⋯ Stress comes with the territory in nursing, but nurses can work together to make stress their ally and not their enemy. The real enemies are COVID-19, burnout, and the aftermath of uncontrolled stress. When nurses keep stress in perspective and focus on what they can control, they contribute to developing healthier work environments.
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2021
Case ReportsBrugada Syndrome: Fatal Consequences of a Must-Not-Miss Diagnosis.
Brugada syndrome is a genetic disorder of cardiac conduction that predisposes patients to spontaneous ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Although Brugada syndrome is one of the most common causes of sudden cardiac death, patients presenting with the syndrome often go misdiagnosed. This error has potentially fatal consequences for patients, who are at risk for sudden cardiac death without appropriate management. ⋯ Increased awareness of Brugada syndrome among critical care professionals can decrease patient morbidity and mortality.
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Targeted temperature management and therapeutic hypothermia are essential components of the multimodal approach to caring for compromised patients after cardiac arrest and severe traumatic brain injury. ⋯ This article discusses nursing considerations regarding the care of patients requiring targeted temperature management that are necessary to improve patient outcomes.
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Critical care nurse · Oct 2021
Awake Self-Prone Positioning: Implementation During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Prone positioning is a well-known beneficial intervention for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, hospitals rapidly adapted prone positioning for acutely ill patients into a new process: awake self-prone positioning. Could a large health care system safely and rapidly implement awake self-prone positioning in COVID-19 units to prevent respiratory failure from progressing among a surge of inpatients? ⋯ Nurses adapted quickly to using awake self-prone positioning as a plan of care for hypoxic patients. This practice may help hospitals adjust care delivery for these patients and effectively maintain patients in non-intensive care units.