Articles: intensive-care-units.
-
Comparative Study
Perceptions of collaborative practice between Navy nurses and physicians in the ICU setting.
Despite strong evidence for the benefits of collaborative practice between nurses and physicians, this model remains the exception rather than the rule. ⋯ Navy ICU nurses and physicians perceived that they were involved in collaborative practice behavior at a moderate level. Physicians, however, reported perceiving collaborative practice to a greater extent than did nurses. Further research, in different populations, is required to test the theorized constructs of the instruments used to measure perceptions of collaborative practice behavior in this study.
-
Critical care medicine · Sep 1994
Effectiveness and efficiency of a Dutch pediatric intensive care unit: validity and application of the Pediatric Risk of Mortality score.
To assess the performance of pediatric intensive care by an international standard. ⋯ In our setting, effectiveness and efficiency of pediatric intensive care appeared to be validly determined using explicit criteria (mortality risk, administration of ICU-dependent therapy). Overall effectiveness met the standard set forth in an American study; validity in stratified analysis of diagnostic subgroups remains to be further established. Efficiency showed marked, specialty-related differences. The low efficiency in other (noncardiovascular) surgical patients was probably caused by the recovery function of the ICU. A more general application of these criteria might be considered in modifying admission and discharge policy, as well as in quality control.
-
Critically ill patients need their families more than ever, but rigid policies often restrict family visitation in ICU. Family visitation is not a "privilege" granted by hospitals, it is a necessary adjunct to the therapeutic regimen. Though changing outdated visitation policies can be difficult, it must be done. The clinical nurse specialist can play an important role in planning and implementing needed change.