Pediatric nursing
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Comparative Study
Pulse oximeter in the neonatal ICU: a correlational analysis.
In critically ill neonates the risk associated with rapid changes in oxygen saturation is high. Thus effective means of monitoring blood oxygen saturation is essential. While pulse oximetry is appealing because it is noninvasive and in general it correlates well with arterial blood gases (ABG), some concerns remain about its accuracy in certain circumstances. ⋯ This study examined pulse oximetry and ABG values in critically ill neonates. Ninety-three sampling events were used to examine the effects of the following variables on the accuracy of pulse oximetry in the neonate: gestational age, chronological age, diagnosis, anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, hyperalimentation, lipid infusions, inotropic agents. For several of these variables (anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, hyperalimentation, lipid infusion, inotropic drugs), correlations between pulse oximetry and ABG values were low, raising concerns about the use of pulse oximetry in the critically ill neonate.
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Improving practices with families of pediatric patients is most likely to occur when nurses and other health care professionals more fully understand the characteristics and consequences of different approaches to their work. A review of relevant literature in the empowerment, helpgiving, and family-centered care fields suggests the kinds of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that will optimize benefits to families in different domains of functioning. Family-centered care is a special case of effective helpgiving, and effective helpgiving is a special case of an empowerment approach to working with people seeking professional advice and expertise.
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Comparative Study
Comparisons of pain ratings from postoperative children, their mothers, and their nurses.
To identify whether nurses and mothers of pediatric patients accurately assess the child's pain intensity as determined by the child. ⋯ Mothers may be a valuable source of information in assessing their child's pain. The use of pain assessment tools may need to be examined and incorporated into nurses' practice, and assessments of children's pain may need to integrate more data pertaining to developmental level.
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As pediatric nurses, we are caring for increasing numbers of children with special health needs such as tracheostomy and ventilator care. These children are being discharged to their families requiring specialized care, including in-home skilled nursing services. ⋯ The next step was to validate that the curriculum was effective, feasible, and replicable. Part 2 describes the initial validation efforts with hospital and home care nurses.