Clinical nursing research
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Clinical nursing research · Aug 2015
Comparative StudyPerioperative Warming in Surgical Patients: A Comparison of Interventions.
The four arm study investigates how use of a preoperative forced-air warming blanket and adjustment of ambient surgical room temperature may contribute to prevention of perioperative hypothermia. Active warming interventions may prevent the drop in core temperature that occur as a result of surgical anesthesia. ⋯ There were no statistical differences in PACU core body temperatures. The application of forced-air warming blankets and room temperature adjustment interventions were not more effective than current practice in preventing perioperative hypothermia.
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Bedside nurses care for patients with pain every day but the task is often challenging. A previous qualitative study that investigated nurses' experiences as they treated patients with pain suggested that nurses may suffer from moral distress if they are unsuccessful in providing adequate pain relief. ⋯ Many participants indicated a need for interprofessional pain management education. Further investigation is needed to clarify the impact of moral distress on nurses managing hospitalized patients' pain.
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Clinical nursing research · Aug 2015
A Balancing Act: Experiences of Nurses and Physicians When Making End-of-Life Decisions in Intensive Care Units.
The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to describe end-of-life decision-making experiences as understood by critical care nurses and physicians in intensive care units (ICUs). A purposive sample of seven nurses and four physicians from a large teaching hospital were interviewed. Grounded theory analysis revealed the core category of "end-of-life decision making as a balancing act." Three interacting subthemes were identified: emotional responsiveness, professional roles and responsibilities, and intentional communication and collaboration. ⋯ When balance was achieved during end-of-life decision making, nurses and physicians described positive end-of-life experiences. The consequence of an imbalance during an end-of-life decision-making experience was moral distress. Practice recommendations include development of support interventions for nurses and physicians involved in end-of-life decision making and further research to test interventions aimed at improving communication and collaboration.