American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
-
Older adults account for more than half of all admissions to intensive care units; most remain alive at 1 year, but with long-term sequelae. ⋯ Although initiatives have increased awareness of the challenges, implementation of geriatric-focused practices in intensive care is inconsistent.
-
Nearly one-third of new-graduate nurse practitioners report undergoing no formal orientation process, and postcertification orientation processes vary. A validated curriculum would address the need for structured training to enhance new graduates' practice transition. ⋯ The curriculum developed and validated in this study can become the basis for practice transition for novice nurse practitioners. The curriculum is adaptable and can be used for surgical and medical intensive care units. As refined, the competencies provide a validated foundation for training of new-graduate nurse practitioners in the intensive care unit.
-
Quality improvement efforts in sepsis management have increased patients' survival rates. Many sepsis survivors experience sequelae leading to unplanned hospital readmissions and subsequent mortality, especially when survivors delay seeking medical attention because they do not recognize the signs and symptoms of recurrent sepsis. Thus, increasing knowledge of sepsis among patients and caregivers before initial hospital discharge is essential. ⋯ The Sepsis Fact Sheet provides useful patient information as evaluated using established recommendations for printed materials and expert content validation. Areas for improvement include providing a summary, modifying images, and simplifying language. Results may be useful for sepsis education and discharge teaching.