Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
-
Visiting hours play an integral role in the intensive care unit (ICU) for both patients and health care providers. Family members offer support and comfort to patients during critical illnesses. Nurses, however, often view visiting hours as intrusive and time consuming. The issue of restricted versus open visiting hours continues in many ICUs, and the advantages and disadvantages of both types of visitation must be weighed before selecting the visiting hours appropriate for the institution.
-
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome is a multi-symptom, multi-system syndrome which affects all age groups with the common, overriding complaint of severe, unrelenting, burning pain. Affecting millions worldwide, the illness trajectory is poorly understood. A large longitudinal patient study has yielded important preliminary findings, which have implications for nurses caring for a variety of patients in pain.
-
Delirium is a common but underdiagnosed problem among hospitalized older adults. Delirium in this population has serious consequences and can contribute to the patient's demise. Consequently, understanding the nature of delirium in older adults is essential for safe clinical management. The delirious older adult requires physiological and environmental support, protection, judicious administration of medication, and diligent nursing care.
-
The United States has set as a national objective the mapping and sequencing of the entire human genome. Nurses must stay informed about discoveries generated by the Human Genome Project so they can apply this knowledge in nursing practice.