Aust Crit Care
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Intensive care unit diaries have been shown to improve post-critical illness recovery, however, prior reports of diary implementation are heterogeneous. We sought to construct a common framework for designing and implementing Intensive Care Unit diaries based on prior studies. ⋯ In conclusion, we describe a common framework for the future development of intensive care unit diaries that revolves around the target population for the diaries, their format and content, and the timing of their use. Future studies should address how these elements impact the mechanisms by which intensive are diaries exert beneficial effects.
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Review
Patient, family-centred care interventions within the adult ICU setting: An integrative review.
Patient, Family-Centred Care (PFCC) is internationally advocated as a way to improve patient care. The aim of this integrative review was to extend the knowledge and understanding by synthesising empirical evidence of PFCC interventions within the adult intensive care unit (ICU) setting. ⋯ Research into PFCC interventions is diverse; however, few researchers present a multi-dimensional approach incorporating a culture shift to enact PFCC throughout the ICU trajectory. There is an opportunity for future research to describe, develop, and test instruments that measure PFCC based on its multiple dimensions and not on one component in isolation. Importantly, for PFCC to successfully individualise quality patient care, a commitment and enactment of partnerships between health care professionals, patients, and family members is imperative.
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A core component of family-centred nursing care during the provision of end-of-life care in intensive care settings is information sharing with families. Yet little is known about information provided in these circumstances. ⋯ The provision of information during end-of-life care reflects a family-centred care approach by critical care nurses with information pertaining to emotional care and support of the family paramount. The findings of this study provide a useful framework for the development of interventions to improve practice and support nurses in communicating with families at this time.
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The family experience of critical illness is filled with distress that may have a lasting impact on family coping and family health. A nurse can become a source of comfort that helps the family endure. Yet, nurses often report a lack of confidence in communicating with families and families report troubling relationships with nurses. ⋯ Findings suggest that engaging nurses in educational opportunities focused on families while using storytelling methods encourages empathic understandings. Academic-clinician teams that drive directions show promise in supporting families and nurses in critical care settings. Plans are moving forward to use this study design and methods in other critical care settings.
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Standardising handover processes and content, and using context-specific checklists are proposed as solutions to mitigate risks for preventable errors and patient harm associated with clinical handovers. ⋯ Clinician adoption of tools to standardise ICU-to-ward handover of cardiac surgical patients reduced handover variability and patient safety risks. The study outcomes provide context-specific tools to guide handover processes and delivery of verbal content, a safety checklist, and a risk recognition matrix.