American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Despite the growing use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in intensive care units (ICUs), no standardized ECMO training pathways are available for ECMO-naive critical care nurses. ⋯ Implementation of an ECMO curriculum for a high volume of critical care nurses is feasible and effective.
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Compassion fatigue affects up to 40% of health care professionals who work in intensive care settings. Frequent exposure to the death of patients, particularly children, may put nurses at risk for compassion fatigue, but the relation between these is unclear among those working in pediatric intensive care units. ⋯ No relationship seems to exist between nurses' experiences of patient death or near death and their compassion satisfaction, burnout, or secondary traumatic stress. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of educational attainment on nurse outcomes and determine how best to support nurses who are at risk for compassion fatigue.