Nursing in critical care
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Nursing in critical care · May 2019
Observational StudyValidation of the Dutch version of the critical-care pain observation tool.
Systematic assessment of pain is necessary for adequate treatment of pain. Patient self-reported pain is a superior assessment but is of limited use for intubated patients in the intensive care unit. For these patients, the critical-care pain observation tool (CPOT) has been developed. ⋯ The CPOT is easy to use for systematic assessment of pain. Additional information about the threshold is valuable for use in daily practice.
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Nursing in critical care · May 2019
Nurses' perceptions of intensive care unit palliative care at end of life.
Significant barriers can block the provision of palliative care at the end of life in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, the relationship between perceptions of ICU quality palliative care and barriers to palliative care at the end of life is not well documented. ⋯ Barriers to palliative care are still common in the ICU. Increased training and education are recommended to decrease barriers and improve the quality of ICU palliative care.
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Nursing in critical care · May 2019
Outcomes and experiences of relatives of patients discharged home after critical illness: a systematic integrative review.
Patients discharged from intensive care may experience psychological and physical deficits resulting in a long and complex rehabilitation upon discharge. Relatives are also vulnerable to psychological pathologies and diminished health-related quality of life following the patients' critical illness. Relatives often provide care during the patients' rehabilitation, which may influence their health. ⋯ If informal care giving is to be sustainable, there is a need to design effective strategies of supporting families through all stages of the critical illness trajectory.