Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Apr 2009
Nursing involvement improves compliance with tight blood glucose control in the trauma ICU: a prospective observational study.
The importance of tight glycaemic control has gained acceptance over the last 5 years as a critical component of routine intensive care unit (ICU) measures. In an environment already strained for resources and staffing, however, effective strategies providing for increased input and responsibility of bedside nursing personnel are paramount to successful implementation. ⋯ Nursing input and increased responsibility improved the results of a tight glycaemic control in our trauma ICU. Increasing nursing input in the development and implementation of a tight glycaemic policies can result in safe and effective improved glucose control in the trauma ICU.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Apr 2009
The impact on parents of a child's admission to intensive care: integration of qualitative findings from a cross-sectional study.
In this study, parents were asked which aspects of their experience of having a child in intensive care had caused them the most distress and how they continued to be affected by these experiences. ⋯ Parents report significant and persisting distress. Further research is needed on how best to support them acutely and in the longer term.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Apr 2009
Nurses' perceptions of leadership in an adult intensive care unit: a phenomenology study.
The purpose of this research was to explore ICU nurses' perceptions of nursing leadership in the adult intensive care unit (ICU). The nursing profession needs leaders at all levels; ward, administration and executive and in an era in which there is a shortage of ICU nurses, nursing leadership is important, as positive leadership skills correlate with enhanced recruitment and retention of these specialist nurses. Six ICU nurses with at least 5 years experience in ICU nursing were recruited from a metropolitan hospital in Australia. ⋯ Five themes emerged and these were all inter-related: leading by example, communication, ability to think outside the management square, knowing your staff and stepping up in times of crisis. These findings highlight the importance of nursing leadership in the adult ICU and the need to ensure that all current and future nursing ICU leaders are adequately prepared and educated for this role. This information may also be used to assist in the development of leadership skills in ICU nurses.