Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Dec 2022
Assessment of Good Practice Guidelines for Administration of Drugs via Feeding Tubes by a Clinical Pharmacist in the Intensive Care Unit.
In intensive care units, patients are frequently unable to take oral drugs because of orotracheal intubation or sedation. ⋯ Implementation of good practice guidelines by a multidisciplinary team in the intensive care unit significantly improved practices for administering crushed, opened, and dissolved oral forms of drugs by feeding tube.
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Critical care nurse · Dec 2022
ReviewCommunication Between Registered Nurses and Family Members of Intensive Care Unit Patients.
Effective communication between intensive care unit patients and their families and nurses promotes relationship-centered care and improves nurses' ability to meet patient and family needs. However, communication with these patients is challenging because of their critical illness. Families often become surrogate decision makers for adult intensive care unit patients. ⋯ Improved communication between patients and families and intensive care unit nurses is essential to strengthen relationship-centered care. Additional research is needed to better understand the communication needs of adult patients and their families in the intensive care unit.
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Critical care nurse · Dec 2022
A Care Step Pathway for the Diagnosis and Treatment of COVID-19-Associated Invasive Fungal Infections in the Intensive Care Unit.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a pandemic. Patients with severe cases resulting in hospitalization and mechanical ventilation are at risk for COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis, an invasive fungal infection, and should be screened for aspergillosis if they have persistent hemodynamic instability and fever. Early detection and treatment of this fungal infection can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality in this population. ⋯ The Care Step Pathway is an effective educational tool to help intensive care unit clinicians consider fungal infection when caring for COVID-19 patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit, especially when the clinical course is deteriorating and antibiotics are ineffective.
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Critical care nurse · Dec 2022
Trauma-Informed Care: Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses at the Root of Children's Safety and Trust.
Any experience that a child perceives as threatening or detrimental and has long-term consequences for the child's holistic health and welfare qualifies as trauma. Whether an experience is traumatic depends on the 3 E's of trauma: the event, the experience of the event, and the effects. Traumatic events can affect an infant's or child's development and have lifelong repercussions. ⋯ The nurse providing trauma-informed care understands the impact of trauma on the child, the family, and the staff and responds by integrating knowledge about trauma into care, both individually and systemwide, seeking to actively avoid retraumatization. This article presents the 6 principles of trauma-informed care and 3 case examples illustrating the application of these principles in the pediatric intensive care unit. Additional resources are provided to equip critical care nurses to fully implement this standard of care for critically ill children.
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Critical care nurse · Dec 2022
Improving Patient Safety by Increasing Staff Knowledge of Evidence-Based Pulse Oximetry Practices.
Pulse oximetry is commonly used in critical care settings to monitor oxygenation status and assist with decision-making regarding oxygen therapy. Although it is imperative that nurses follow manufacturer guidelines, off-label use is common and could affect patient safety. ⋯ Providing a brief educational session and making ear pulse oximeter probes readily available in the critical care setting increased compliance with manufacturer guidelines and helped ensure safe pulse oximetry monitoring.