Journal of trauma nursing : the official journal of the Society of Trauma Nurses
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The purpose of the present study was to determine (1) the prevalence and degree of hypothermia in patients on emergency department admission and (2) the effect of hypothermia and rate of rewarming on patient outcomes. ⋯ Hypothermia on admission is correlated with worse outcomes in brain-injured patients. Patients with traumatic brain injury who are rapidly rewarmed may be more likely to have worse outcomes. Trauma protocols may need to be reexamined to include controlled rewarming at rates 0.25°C/h or less.
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The purpose of this study was to implement a multidisciplinary daily quality checklist in a trauma intensive care setting to determine adherence to infection prevention protocols as well as the impact on infection and complications. ⋯ Initiation of a multidisciplinary daily quality checklist is correlated with decreased infection rates in a trauma intensive care setting.
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There are many different roles in which acute care nurse practitioners can function. At our institution, the trauma nurse practitioners work in partnership with the trauma attendings to lead the plan of care. The nurse practitioners' holistic approach, emphasis on communication, attention to detail, flexibility and availability has had a substantial impact on patient outcomes as well as staff satisfaction. In this article, we provide an overview of our unique role and the impact on quality of care.
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects nearly 1.4 million Americans annually with an estimated 5.3 million US citizens living with disability. There is no standardized course of treatment for individuals with moderate TBI. This study aims to evaluate the patient demographics and acute care course for those with moderate TBI. ⋯ Moderate TBI is a unique subset of brain injury. Having a better understanding of its course of recovery will help develop appropriate management guidelines for this group.
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There has been growing concern for many years over the impending shortage of trauma surgeons due to attrition and the lack of residents choosing the trauma surgical specialty area. Along with this concern, trauma admissions continue to increase and many trauma services are merging with acute care surgery, increasing the overall service line volume. ⋯ Trauma centers are faced with gaps in patient coverage, placing the need for midlevel practitioners in high demand. This article discusses (1) the utilization of advanced practice nurses on a trauma and acute care surgery service and (2) how the implementation of a formal rounding process improves nursing and physician satisfaction as well as length of stay.