Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2022
Case ReportsPostoperative Nursing Care of a Deceased Donor Tracheal Transplant Recipient.
Certain airway disorders, such as tracheal stenosis, can severely affect the ability to breathe, reduce quality of life, and increase morbidity and mortality. Treatment options for long-segment tracheal stenosis include multistage tracheal replacement with biosynthetic material, autotransplantation, and allotransplantation. These interventions have not demonstrated long-term dependable results because of lack of adequate blood supply to the organ and ciliated epithelium. A new transplant program featuring single-stage long-segment tracheal transplant addresses this concern. ⋯ High-quality nursing care postoperatively in the intensive care unit is critical to safe and effective treatment of the tracheal transplant recipient and success of the graft. To effectively treat these patients, nurses need relevant education and training. This article is the first documentation of postoperative nursing care following single-stage long-segment tracheal transplant.
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Tumor lysis syndrome is a life-threatening oncologic emergency in adult and pediatric patients with hematologic cancer. It occurs most often in malignancies with rapid cell turnover and large tumor burden, but its incidence has risen in solid tumors. The subsequent release of tumor cell contents into the bloodstream results in dangerous electrolyte and metabolic disturbances. ⋯ Knowledge of risk factors and clinical presentations will enhance the ability of nurses in clinical practice to prevent adverse events and complications that result from tumor lysis syndrome.
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2022
Rapid Deployment of Team Nursing During a Pandemic: Implementation Strategies and Lessons Learned.
The COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of patients requiring intensive care nation-wide, leading to nurse staffing shortages in many units. ⋯ Team nursing in the intensive care unit is an agile tactic easily replicated in dire staffing situations.
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2022
Implementation of a Pediatric Delirium Screening Program in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Knowledge of and screening for delirium are important to patient care. As bedside caregivers, nurses are in a strategic position to observe changes that may indicate delirium. ⋯ Although unit-wide compliance with the screening protocol decreased without regular monitoring, it subsequently improved after the institution of reminders and reeducation of nursing staff. Nursing perceptions evolved to view screening as an important component of patient care that did not disrupt daily workflow.
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2022
Implementing a Standardized Communication Tool in an Intensive Care Unit.
Effective communication is essential in critical care settings. Use of the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) tool has been shown to standardize and improve communication among health care providers. ⋯ Implementation of the SBAR communication tool significantly improved general perceptions of communication in this intensive care unit.