L'impératif cosmique universel : l'apport du modèle de Roy au savoir infirmier.

The contemporary challenge in the field of health is undeniably that of devising a way to integrate humans and the environment that is beneficial to health. This article presents the universal cosmic imperative (UCI) philosophical perspective and the notion of the cosmic imperative that leads human beings to be creative in their relationship to nature. It begins by consolidating the exegesis of the internal evolution of Roy’s theory and identifying its influences. The epistemological and philosophical postulates upon which Roy’s theory was built are specified, and then the evolution of Roy’s thought is described in three main phases. The article then moves on to describe and explain the epistemological openings that Roy’s theory allows from the point of view of current health issues, especially environmental medicine, in a macro-meso-micro perspective of global health. Roy’s thinking is part of the question of the current turning point in the discipline of nursing (cure-care-healing) and the definition of its focus. Roy’s theory resists current theoretical developments, which it allows us to describe and question in a pattern that is fruitful for researchers.

[Head trauma patients and their life course]. / Le patient traumatisé crânien et son parcours de vie.

A traumatic brain injury constitutes a complex treatment situation. Nurses are on the frontline having to assume a difficult position between idealism and fatalism with regard to the care pathway and quality of life. Taking a long-term approach to the care and systemised feedback from the patients form simple and economical levers for improvement.

[Concepts boosting the clinical impact in early neurological rehabilitation]. / Concepts dynamisant l'impact clinique en neuroréhabilitation précoce.

Vaudois university hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, has an acute neurological rehabilitation unit. An interdisciplinary team cares for patients with brain injuries after their transfer from intensive care. In this context, nurses base their practice on different concepts and techniques for introducing early neurological rehabilitation into each care procedure.

Effects of environmental distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy: a pilot study protocol.

BACKGROUND: The clinical decisions of emergency department triage nurses need to be of the highest accuracy. However, studies have found repeatedly that these nurses over- or underestimate the severity of patient health conditions. This has major consequences for patient safety and patient flow management. Workplace distractors such as noise and task interruptions have been pointed to as factors that might explain this inaccuracy. The use of a serious game reproducing the work environment during triage affords the opportunity to explore the impact of these distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy, in a safe setting. METHODS/DESIGN: A pilot study with a factorial design will be carried out to test the acceptability and feasibility of a serious game developed specifically to simulate the triage process in emergency departments and to explore the primary effects of distractors on nurse emergency triage accuracy. Eighty emergency nurses will be randomized into four groups: three groups exposed to different distractors (A, noise; B, task interruptions; C, noise and task interruptions) and one control group. All nurses will have to complete 20 clinical vignettes within 2 h. For each vignette, a gold standard assessment will be determined by experts. Pre-tests will be conducted with clinicians and certified emergency nurses to evaluate the appeal of the serious game. DISCUSSION: Study results will inform the design of large-scale investigations and will help identify teaching, training, and research areas that require further development.

Outcome Prediction of Consciousness Disorders in the Acute Stage Based on a Complementary Motor Behavioural Tool.

INTRODUCTION: Attaining an accurate diagnosis in the acute phase for severely brain-damaged patients presenting Disorders of Consciousness (DOC) is crucial for prognostic validity; such a diagnosis determines further medical management, in terms of therapeutic choices and end-of-life decisions. However, DOC evaluation based on validated scales, such as the Revised Coma Recovery Scale (CRS-R), can lead to an underestimation of consciousness and to frequent misdiagnoses particularly in cases of cognitive motor dissociation due to other aetiologies. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical signs that lead to a more accurate consciousness assessment allowing more reliable outcome prediction. METHODS: From the Unit of Acute Neurorehabilitation (University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland) between 2011 and 2014, we enrolled 33 DOC patients with a DOC diagnosis according to the CRS-R that had been established within 28 days of brain damage. The first CRS-R assessment established the initial diagnosis of Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) in 20 patients and a Minimally Consciousness State (MCS) in the remaining13 patients. We clinically evaluated the patients over time using the CRS-R scale and concurrently from the beginning with complementary clinical items of a new observational Motor Behaviour Tool (MBT). Primary endpoint was outcome at unit discharge distinguishing two main classes of patients (DOC patients having emerged from DOC and those remaining in DOC) and 6 subclasses detailing the outcome of UWS and MCS patients, respectively. Based on CRS-R and MBT scores assessed separately and jointly, statistical testing was performed in the acute phase using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test; longitudinal CRS-R data were modelled with a Generalized Linear Model. RESULTS: Fifty-five per cent of the UWS patients and 77% of the MCS patients had emerged from DOC. First, statistical prediction of the first CRS-R scores did not permit outcome differentiation between classes; longitudinal regression modelling of the CRS-R data identified distinct outcome evolution, but not earlier than 19 days. Second, the MBT yielded a significant outcome predictability in the acute phase (p<0.02, sensitivity>0.81). Third, a statistical comparison of the CRS-R subscales weighted by MBT became significantly predictive for DOC outcome (p<0.02). DISCUSSION: The association of MBT and CRS-R scoring improves significantly the evaluation of consciousness and the predictability of outcome in the acute phase. Subtle motor behaviour assessment provides accurate insight into the amount and the content of consciousness even in the case of cognitive motor dissociation.