American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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During the first COVID-19 pandemic wave, non-intensive care unit (non-ICU) nurses were deployed to temporary ICUs to provide critical care for the patient surge. A rapid critical care training program was designed to prepare them to care for patients in either temporary or permanent ICUs. ⋯ The rapid training program provided basic critical care knowledge for nurses in temporary ICUs, but experiences differed significantly between those deployed to temporary versus permanent ICUs. Although participants believed they provided safe care, nurses with no critical care experience cannot be expected to learn comprehensive critical care from expedited instruction; more formal clinical support is needed for nurses in temporary ICUs. Rapid critical care training can meet emergency needs for nurses capable of providing critical care.
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Older adults (≥age 65) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) are profoundly inactive during hospitalization. Older ICU survivors often experience life-changing symptoms, including cognitive dysfunction, physical impairment, and/or psychological distress, which are components of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). ⋯ Post-ICU inactivity may identify older ICU survivors who may be at risk for PICS and may guide future research interventions to mitigate symptom burden.
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Pediatric palliative transport (PPT) is the practice of offering critically and terminally ill children requiring life-sustaining measures the opportunity to be discharged from the hospital to home or a hospice facility for end-of-life care. Although studies have shown PPT to favorably affect both children and their families, limited research exists on the perspectives of health care practitioners. ⋯ Pediatric palliative transport is considered a feasible, valuable, and critical end-of-life intervention. The value that PPT has brought to participating families warrants continued investment in the intervention's standardization and enhancement.
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Hyperoxemia, often overlooked in critically ill patients, is common and may have adverse consequences. ⋯ Hyperoxemia induced by oxygen therapy was common in critically ill patients and was linked to increased risk of hospital mortality. Health care professionals should be aware of this condition because of its potential risks and unnecessary costs.