Nursing in critical care
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Nursing in critical care · Mar 2009
Multicenter StudyExploring the quality of dying of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the intensive care unit: a mixed methods study.
Improving the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care in critical care settings is a high priority. Patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are frequently admitted to and die in critical care units. To date, there has been little research examining the quality of EOL care for this unique subpopulation of critical care patients. ⋯ Attention to the management of dyspnoea, anxiety and treatment decision-making are priority concerns when providing EOL care in the ICU to patients with COPD.
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Nursing in critical care · Mar 2009
Experiences of intensive care unit diaries: 'touching a tender wound'.
The aim of this study was to describe peoples' experiences of a personal diary written when they were critically ill and receiving care in an intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ It is suggested that a diary may be a tool that can help formerly critically ill people to gain a sense of coherence concerning their critical illness experience, but reading it can be painful and demanding.