Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Apr 2006
Nurses' roles in discharge decision making in an adult high dependency unit.
An ethnographic approach was used to investigate the roles which nurses take in the discharge decision making process in an adult High Dependency Unit (HDU). Participant observation and unstructured interviews were the data collection methods used. Four themes were identified. ⋯ They had substantial responsibility for bed management and became more proactive in decision-making when there was pressure on HDU beds. Issues associated with decision making were highlighted, as although nurses wanted to contribute to discharge decision making, they were often uncomfortable with this role. There is scope for further investigation into the working relationship of nurses and medical staff, how administrative roles of nurses influence their ability to provide patient care and whether the opinions expressed with regard to decision making are widespread within the nursing community.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Apr 2006
Enteral feeding in the critically ill: are nursing practices contributing to hypocaloric feeding?
Enteral feeding is the preferred method of nutritional support for the critically ill; however, a significant number of these patients are under-fed. It is possible that common nursing practices associated with the delivery of enteral feeding may contribute to under-feeding although there is little data available describing nursing practice in this area. ⋯ The findings of this survey support the contention that nursing practices associated with the delivery of enteral feeds may contribute to under-feeding in the critically ill patient population.