The experiences of family caregivers who participated in a family involvement program after cancer surgery: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: As recovery time after oncological surgery can be long, family caregivers often play an important role in the delivery of care after patients' discharge. To prepare carers for this role, we developed a family involvement program (FIP) to enhance their active involvement in post-surgical oncology care during hospitalization. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore family caregivers experience of participating in a FIP. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 family caregivers who participated in the family involvement program. The program is comprised of two main components (1) training and coaching of physicians and nurses; (2) active involvement of family caregivers in fundamental care activities. This active involvement included six activities. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Family caregivers positively valued the program. Active participation in post-surgical care was experienced as an acceptable burden. The program gave participants the ability to simply be present ('being there') which was considered as essential and improved their understanding of care, although family caregivers sometimes experienced emotional moments. Active involvement strengthened existent relationship between the family caregiver and the patient. Participants thought clinical supervision. by nurses is important. CONCLUSIONS: Physical proximity appeared as an essential part of the family involvement program. It helped carers to feel they made a meaningful contribution to their loved ones' wellbeing. Asking families to participate in fundamental care activities in post-surgical oncology care was acceptable, and not over-demanding for caregivers.

Nicotine addiction management following surgery: a quality improvement approach in the post anesthesia care unit.

QUALITY PROBLEM: For smokers, hospital admission is accompanied by forced involuntary nicotine abstinence due to smoke-free site/grounds policies. An audit of patients admitted to our surgical wards revealed that identification of smoking status was inadequate and that nicotine addiction management (NAM) was infrequently offered. The project aimed to enhance both these metrics by initiating NAM in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU). INITIAL ASSESSMENT: Out of 744 patients admitted to our PACU in August 2015, 54% had their smoking status documented. The 200 patients (27%) out of the 744 were smokers and only 50% were offered NAM before discharge. CHOICE OF SOLUTION: PACU unit staff to determine the smoking status of every patient before discharge from the PACU (later changed to OR nursing staff) and, if a patient was identified as a smoker, to offer NRT (patch and mouth spray only) and initiate therapy prior to transfer of the patient to the ward. IMPLEMENTATION: Data about number of patients admitted, presence of documented smoking status, number of identified smokers, and number offered/accepted nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) were collected at baseline and thereafter quarterly. Engaging video education sessions addressed the education gaps highlighted in a needs assessment. Identification of smoking status was made part of preoperative checklist and NRT was made available in post-operative recovery room. RESULTS: These interventions resulted in an increase in screening for tobacco use from 54% at baseline to 95% and the offer of NRT to smokers from 50 to 89%.

A Clinical Nurse Specialist-Directed Initiative to Reduce Postoperative Urinary Retention in Spinal Surgery Patients.

: Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is the inability to void when the bladder is full after surgery. It is a common complication in postoperative patients, especially in patients undergoing spinal surgery. At our institution, patients who were discharged from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) to the inpatient surgical unit typically had bladder distention and a bladder volume of more than 450 mL. In an effort to address this situation, an interprofessional group of advanced practice RNs and physicians formed a team, reviewed the existing literature, examined the PACU nursing practice guideline for evaluating and managing POUR, and devised a quality improvement (QI) project to raise the PACU nursing staff's awareness of the potential for POUR among postoperative patients and to develop an updated nursing practice algorithm for the evaluation and management of POUR in spinal surgery patients. A description of the QI process, including the revised algorithm and pre- and postintervention results, is reported here. In the preintervention group (n = 42), 19 indwelling urinary catheterizations were documented in patient records; no use of intermittent catheterization was documented. In the postintervention group (n = 43), seven indwelling urinary catheterizations were documented in patient records; the use of intermittent catheterization was documented in 11. As a result of our intervention, we decreased the number of indwelling urinary catheters inserted in the PACU, and supported the PACU nursing staff in more frequent and appropriate use of intermittent catheterization in patients undergoing spinal surgery.

Perspective on pain management in the 21st century.

Pain is a predictable consequence of surgery or trauma. Untreated, it is associated with significant physiological, emotional, mental, and economic consequences. Despite the vast amount of current knowledge, uncontrolled postoperative pain is reported by approximately 50% of patients. Thus, techniques for effective acute pain management (APM) represent unmet educational needs. The significance of these unmet needs is reflected in the number of journal and textbook publications dedicated to disseminating research, evidence-based guidelines, and clinical information. Acknowledging the importance of APM, health care accrediting agencies and professional societies have become increasingly focused on ensuring that patients receive prompt and acceptable pain relief.

A didactic and experiential approach to nursing education.

Postanesthesia care unit PACU nursing practice requires in-depth understanding of sedation, analgesia, and anesthetic agents and techniques; physiological and psychological responses to anesthesia; and the vulnerability of patients subjected to anesthesia. This article reviews a pilot program designed to broaden the knowledge base of PACU RNs. Twenty-three RNs completed a self-paced module on anesthetic agents before participating in an anesthesia and surgical observation phase. The nurses then completed evaluations. Results of the evaluations indicated that this approach to learning was rewarding for the participants.

Outpatient surgery care unit work process redesign.

Health care practitioners at all levels within an organization have a professional responsibility to deliver quality patient care. The overall systems operation, as well as customer outcomes, can be enhanced by using redesign and process improvement strategies. This article highlights the implementation of these change strategies as a part of process improvement efforts in the Outpatient Surgery Care Unit (OSCU). OSCU work process redesign was one in a series of 8 redesign efforts in the department of Surgical Services. A summary of the redesign process and its corresponding educational program is provided. Tools used to enhance efficiency and cost savings are also included.

Malignant hyperthermia: a case study.

Malignant hyperthermia continues to be a life-threatening emergency that can occur without warning. With early discharge, this crisis may even occur at home. Perioperative, anesthesia, and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nursing staff need to be educated in the signs, symptoms, treatment, and care of a malignant hyperthermia patient. This is a US government work. There are no restrictions on its use.

The ambulatory surgery unit as a learning experience.

Today's graduate nurses are expected to enter the work environment at increased levels of competence. Skills are expected to be ingrained, and health care administrators expect new graduates to be able to think critically. Nurse educators often are looking for new and creative ways to educate students. The ambulatory surgery setting can provide a plethora of clinical tasks and situations that teach students how to gather information, make judgments, prioritize, handle multiple demands and patients, and perform clinical skills quickly and efficiently. This article describes a pilot project in which eight nursing students learned valuable clinical and critical thinking skills in the fast-paced world of ambulatory care.

Effectiveness of an acute pain service inception in a general hospital.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of an Acute Pain Service (APS) inception on postoperative pain management in a general teaching hospital using pain indicators as performance measures. DESIGN: Open, prospective, nonrandomized, observational study. SETTING: Postanesthesia Care Unit, surgical wards of University Hospital Center of Charleroi. PATIENTS: 1304 patients in the pre-APS inception phase and 671 patients after its implemention who have undergone various types of surgery (orthopedics, gynecology, urology, neurosurgery, stomatology, ear, nose, and throat, ophthalmic, abdominal, vascular-thoracic, plastic, and maxillofacial). INTERVENTIONS: An APS, nurse-based, anesthesiologist-supervised model was devised, based on the concept that postoperative pain relief can be greatly improved by providing in-service training for surgical nursing staff and optimal use of systemic analgesics. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Postoperative pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) every 4 hours for 72 hours in the two phases. Analgesic consumption was registered at the same time. Time-related VAS scores were summarized using several pain indicators. There was an overall improvement in the pain scores after APS inception. The differences were most pronounced, around 50%, in patients undergoing vascular, maxillofacial, gynecologic, and urologic surgeries, and stomatology. Regular administration of paracetamol and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs decreased morphine consumption in the second phase. CONCLUSION: This study validates the benefits of a formal APS, using continuous monitoring of rest pain intensity and analgesic consumption in the postoperative period. Results not only support previous research findings but also offer outcome-based tools to evaluate current practices as compared with desired outcomes.

Practice characteristics of the dual certificant--CPAN/CAPA.

Little information is available regarding the practice of nurses who hold two perianesthesia certification credentials (CPAN/CAPA) and their motivation in achieving a dual certification distinction. Achievement of certification in both areas of perianesthesia nursing is a significant accomplishment. Nurses with dual certification are a valuable asset to the profession, their employer, and the perianesthesia patient. The characteristics of this unique group were surveyed by the American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification, Inc. The findings have implications for nurse managers, educators, and perianesthesia colleagues.

This looks like malignant hyperthermia!

Based on the content of this article, the reader should be able to (1) describe the symptoms of malignant hyperthermia (MH); (2) describe the use of dantrolene in the treatment of MH; (3) explain the history of the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States; (4) list the recommended contents of an MH emergency cart; and (5) explain how to plan a mock MH crisis drill.

Analgesia, sedación y relajación muscular en la Unidad de Terapia Intensiva / Analgesia, sedation and muscular relaxation in the Intensive care unit

Muchos de los pacientes internados en la unidad de terapia intensiva (UTI) requieren analgesia, sedación o relajación muscular (traumatismos graves, quemados, postquirúrgicos, patología coronaria, pancreatitis aguda, etc.) presentando en la mayoría de los casos dolor, ansiedad o sufrimiento. Los tratamientos instituidos para aliviar a estos pacientes, son muchas veces determinados por la tradición, la costumbre, o la conveniencia del médico tratante, que está más preocupado por otros problemas "médicos" del paciente. Los dolores postoperatorio y postraumático son inadecuadamente tratados en un altísimo porcentaje de pacientes, tanto que tres de cada cuatro pacientes, experimentan dolor moderado a severo en los dos primeros días luego de la intervención quirúrgica; y que en uno de ellos persistirá el dolor por más de 72 hs. El control inadecuado del dolor postoperatorio y postraumático tiene como causas principales la ignorancia, la presencia de mitos y la desorganización de los recursos disponibles. En nuestra UTI encontramos estas tres realidades. Para tratar de modificarlas decidimos orientar nuestros esfuerzos en dos sentidos: educación y protocolización. Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica sobre analgesia, sedación y relajación muscular, en la que se incluyen las complicaciones más frecuentes producidas por el dolor, métodos de evaluación y cuantificación de síntomas y terapéuticas, análisis crítico de las diferentes modalidades de administración de fármacos, etc. Asimismo se describen las diferentes drogas analgésicas, sedantes y relajantes musculares existentes en nuestro medio, como también técnicas de analgesia regional utilizables en la UTI. Utilizando como marco teórico dicha revisión, se diseñó un protocolo de trabajo con instrucciones prácticas para el uso racional de las drogas analgésicas, sedantes y relajantes musculares existentes en nuestro medio, como también técnicas de analgesia regional utilizables en la UTI. Se incluyeron apartados especiales sobre valoración del dolor y la sedación, tratamiento de la excitación psicomotriz aguda, esquemas de infusión de drogas, drogas reversoras, secuencia de intubación rápida, etc. En el presente trabajo presentamos la revisión bibliográfica utilizada y el protocolo de trabajo utilizado, durante dos años, en la unidad de terapia intensiva del Hospital General de Agudos "Dr. Cosme Argerich".

The Vancouver sedative recovery scale for children: validation and reliability of scoring based on videotaped instruction.

We originally developed and tested the Vancouver Sedative Recovery Scale (VSRS) to measure recovery from sedation following paediatric open heart surgery and reported excellent clinical inter-observer reliability. We now report a new study using videotape instruction of novice raters and videotaped case examples to determine whether the instruction produces adequate skill with the VSRS. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using videotapes of 16 children across a range of ages (six months to six years), and all levels of sedation (unresponsive to fully awake). Variably randomized subsets of six of the 16 test cases were randomly assigned to be rated by each of 16 video-instructed ICU staff volunteers, according to a balanced incomplete block design, such that every pair of raters assessed two children in common. The validity of the ratings from the video-instructed raters was assessed by comparison with "gold standard" scores from two experts who rated all 16 children clinically as the test cases were videotaped. The experts were in agreement themselves (intraclass correlation of 0.976). The correlation between the novice scores (average of six ratings per video) and the live clinical scores (average of two expert ratings) was 0.977 over the 16 test cases. On average, the mean expert rating was slightly higher, but the difference was negligible. (The differences between the mean ratings of the experts and novices for 13 of the 16 videos are very close to zero, while the other three differences, from technically less good videos, are two standard deviations away from zero). The VSRS, video instruction method and incomplete block design may be of use to other clinicians and investigators.

Caring for the ambulatory surgical patient who has a pacemaker: Part II--Intraoperative hazards and postoperative care.

Based on the content of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) describe the response of a pacemaker to an electromagnetic field; (2) state two sources of myopotential interference; (3) describe the relationship between monopolar and bipolar cautery and the risk of pacemaker function; (4) identify three types of pacemaker failures using an electrocardiogram rhythm strip; and (5) state two considerations when developing a discharge plan for an ambulatory surgical patient with a pacemaker.