Clinical nursing research
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A patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) program was established on a surgical unit with children age 7 years and older. The primary objectives for the PCA program were safety and efficacy. ⋯ A chart review of these patients indicated that the relation between the number of failed administration attempts, the total hourly analgesic intake, and the pain intensity score was key to optimizing the use of PCA. Recommendations to strengthen the PCA program were implemented based on information gained from these 4 patients with poorly controlled pain.
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Clinical nursing research · Aug 1999
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialChanging clinical practice through research: the case of delirium.
Promoting application of study findings to the clinical setting is a constant challenge for nurse researchers. This project used change theory to include staff RNs in a research study on delirium and to use relevant findings. ⋯ Intervention unit nurses demonstrated an improved ability to identify the presence and absence of delirium, and voluntarily requested to continue using the protocol after the study was terminated. Use of a theoretical model to include nurses in the study promoted the successful conduct of the research and subsequent use of findings.