Dimensions of critical care nursing : DCCN
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The use of ventricular assist devices (VADs) is becoming more common in cardiac surgery centers as the indications for application of these devices are expanding. Nurses caring for cardiovascular patients need to become familiar with the current clinical criteria used in VAD application. This author has developed an algorithm that is helpful in teaching VAD nursing care and evaluating cases in practice.
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Census fluctuations and the failure to develop appropriate guidelines for admitting and transferring patients have made the staffing of critical care units extremely difficult, sometimes with serious ethical and physical consequences to patients. In this report, a case is analyzed to explore some of the ramifications of the use of beds in the critical care unit.