Nursing research
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Few studies have examined the potential relationship between pain and aggressive behavioral symptoms in nursing home (NH) residents with dementia as a function of resident communicative status (ability to self-report pain). ⋯ The relationship between pain and aggressive behavioral symptoms varies according to the communicative status of NH residents and disproportionately affects those who cannot articulate their pain. Strategies for enhancing pain management in these residents are needed to adequately treat pain and reduce aggression.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Electronic alerts for triage protocol compliance among emergency department triage nurses: a randomized controlled trial.
Alerts embedded in electronic health records (EHRs) are designed to improve processes at the point of care. ⋯ The use of a passive EHR alert to promote ED triage protocols showed little benefit. Before the widespread implementation of EHR alerts for patient care, rigorous studies are required to determine the best alert methods and the impacts of such interventions.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of patient migration in bed on torso elevation.
Elevating the hospital head of bed (HOB) to at least 30° is recommended practice to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in mechanically ventilated patients. However, this common practice prescribes the position of the bed and not of the patient, which could be significantly different. ⋯ Migration toward the foot of the bed flattens the torso. To maintain a torso angle that is likely to protect against VAP, healthcare providers need to manage both HOB angle and migration. Protocols and equipment that minimize patient migration will help support effective clinical practice. Future research on patient migration, as it relates to VAP or other outcomes, should measure patient torso angle to allow accurate translation of the results to care practice.
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Animal models in pain research have suggested that inclusion of both evoked and nonevoked behavioral measures is needed to better reflect the human pain experience. Individuals with chronic pain are known to experience spontaneous pain, in addition to pain after exposure to an external stimulus. Recently, the dynamic weight bearing (DWB) apparatus was developed to assess for nonevoked hyperalgesia by capturing weight bearing and surface distribution in the paws of mice after acute inflammation. ⋯ Mice with inflammation showed alterations in weight bearing as well as increased thermal hyperalgesia in comparison with control groups. These findings support the use of the DWB test as a tool for measuring nonevoked inflammatory hyperalgesia in a mouse model.
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The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 to fund comparative clinical effectiveness research to provide reliable evidence to help patients and their healthcare providers make informed decisions. ⋯ Goals of nursing research are well aligned with PCORI interests. Given this synergy, many phenomena that nursing scientists study could become topics of a competitive proposal for PCORI funding. Major aspects of PCORI funding with implications for nurse researchers include the nature of the questions asked, funding priorities, engagement of patients and stakeholders, compliance with the PCORI's methodology standards, and the proposal review criteria and process.