Critical care nursing quarterly
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To gain an understanding and increased knowledge regarding the presence and affects of ambient stressors on patients' sleep and the efficacy of implementing sleep promotion measures within the intensive care unit environment, the author reviewed 10 empirical studies. Research indicates that ambient stressors within the intensive care unit have detrimental effects on patients' sleep, and nursing interventions that focus on the abatement of ambient stressors enhance patients' sleep. In the intensive care unit, optimizing the environment to promote sleep requires the active removal of ambient stressors.
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Every year, thousands of children are admitted to pediatric intensive care for treatment. Many of these admissions are for acute injuries, but children with chronic illnesses requiring repeated hospitalization are also on the rise. Hospitalization of a child is extremely stressful for both the patient and family. ⋯ Intensive care units are modifying layouts of the unit to facilitate visitors and provide sleeping spaces for parents when available. Families are considered part of the team instead of visitors, and are included in the decision making process. The purpose of this article is to promote discussion of family-centered care in the pediatric intensive care unit.
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With the current and predicted nursing shortage, much emphasis is placed on recruitment and retention. With an aging workforce, we must recruit, educate, and retain nurses from many different generations. ⋯ We must do all we can to recruit and retain nurses from all generations in order to provide a workforce able to meet the needs of our patients and families. Generational preferences should be considered when developing nursing education and in welcoming and accepting new staff into the culture of the nursing unit.
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A lot of resources are spent on the development of new staff in the intensive care unit (ICU). These resources are necessary because the environment in the ICU is complex and the patients are critically ill. Nurses need an advanced knowledge base, the ability to accurately define and change priorities rapidly, good communication and teamwork skills, and the ability to work in a stressful environment in order to succeed and give their patients quality care. ⋯ A nurse who is able to think critically will give better patient care. Various strategies can be used to develop critical thinking in ICU nurses. Nurse leaders are encouraged to support the development of critical-thinking skills in less experienced staff with the goal of improving the nurse's ability to work in the ICU and improving patient outcomes.