American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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To date, no intervention has definitively improved outcomes for families of critical illness survivors. An integrated perspective on caregivers' needs after critical illness could help identify high-priority intervention targets and improve outcomes. ⋯ Caregivers have instrumental, self-care, and mental health needs after critical illness. Adapting hands-on and skills training interventions to the post-ICU setting, while tailoring interventions to caregivers' health-related social context, may improve caregiver outcomes.
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Family members and close friends of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) often experience stress and a sense of helplessness. Participating in the care of their loved one may improve their adaptation to the ICU environment and better prepare them for caregiving after discharge. ⋯ Further testing of the FWCS is needed. After refinement, the FWCS could be used to evaluate factors contributing to caregiving willingness of family members of ICU patients and advance the science related to family engagement in the ICU. Additionally, it could be used as a practical tool to suggest family caregiving activities in the ICU.
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Intensive care unit (ICU) patients experience hypoglycemia at nearly 4 times the rate seen in non-ICU counterparts. Although inpatient hypoglycemia management relies on nurse-driven protocols, protocol adherence varies between institutions and units. ⋯ Adherence to nurse-driven hypoglycemia protocols can be equally effective in ICU and non-ICU patients. Further research is needed to determine protocol adherence barriers and patient characteristics that influence response to hypoglycemia interventions.
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Sound levels in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are often above recommended levels, but few researchers have identified the sound sources contributing to high levels. ⋯ Clinicians should partner with families to limit nighttime PICU noise pollution. Large-scale studies using this reliable coding scheme are needed to understand the PICU sound environment.
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Early mobility interventions in intensive care units (ICUs) are safe and improve outcomes in subsets of critically ill adults. However, implementation varies, and the optimal mobility dose remains unclear. ⋯ More daily out-of-bed mobility for ICU patients was associated with shorter mechanical ventilation duration and hospital stays, suggesting a dose-response relationship between daily mobility and patient outcomes. However, relationships differed across ICU subpopulations.