Exploring nurses' experiences of performing basic life support in hospital wards: An inductive thematic analysis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to undertake an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of in-hospital, non-intensive care, ward-based nurses' experiences of real-life CPR events. BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence suggesting that may nurses not be able to successfully perform in a cardiac arrest situation. Reasons include a lack of clear leadership at the arrest, performance anxiety, role confusion and knowledge and skill degradation over time. METHODS: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen ward-based hospital nurses from three hospitals. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and inductive thematic analysis was completed using NVivo 12 software. FINDINGS: Four main themes emerged from data. The main themes are: (1) Not Being able to Perform When it Matters, (2) Working Really Well as a Team, (3) Reflecting on the Experience: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly and (4) Learning to get it Right for Next Time CONCLUSION: Performing BLS is a stressful and anxiety-provoking experience for ward-based nurses. Anxiety levels appear to decrease slightly only when nurses have had at least one previous real-life experience with resuscitation. Current BLS education does not prepare nurses for the complexities of resuscitation. Future BLS education should focus on in-depth scenarios, including interdisciplinary team training and with greater frequency than the current yearly mandatory sessions. Listening to the lived experiences of nurses who have performed BLS has given much needed insight into approaches that educators can use to improve BLS education delivery.

[True and false radiation arteritis]. / Vraies et fausses artérites radiques.

Radiation therapy seldom induces large arteries injuries. When it occurs, their consequences are serious and their treatment is difficult. In six patients, arterial disease followed radiotherapy with cutaneous and subcutaneous fibrosis. Three were located on the carotid arteries and three in the aorto-iliac vessels. In four cases, radiation was the main causal factor; in one case it was one of the contributive factors; in the last case it was nothing else than an association. In all cases, surgical treatment was difficult because the cutaneous, subcutaneous and periarterial fibrosis. Radiation effects induced risks of cutaneous unhealing, anastomotic rupture and arterial infection. The carotid arterial stenosis were cured in one patient by two gore-tex bypass from the aorta to the carotid arteries and in the two others by three venous bypass from the common carotid arteries to the internal carotid arteries. The aorto-iliac obliterations were treated by different methods: one by-pass from the thoracic aorta to the deep femoral arteries, one aorto-bifemoral bifurcation and one medical treatment in a patient with poor condition. All patients have good results several years after treatment.

[Arterial complications of inguinal surgery: value of vein replacement in situ (author's transl)]. / Complications artérielles de la chirurgie inguinale. Intérêt du remplacement veineux in situ.

Two cases of arterial complications after inguinal hernia repair were revealed by a post-operative septic hemorragia and in the other case by a late intermittent claudication complicated by a distal emboly. Both were cured by replacement of the damaged artery with an autologous saphena. Twenty-three similar cases were found in literature. They were discovered either during operation, or post-operatively, or after recovery. In post-operative course, a late diagnosis in some cases lead to amputations or death. Actual treatment is arterial replacement by autologous vena because the length of arterial damagement and good resistance of vena in septic area. Prevention during inguinal hernia repair needs a correct exposure, the use of small needles and widening of the exposure in case of hemorragia.

[Palliative intubation under fibre-endoscopic control in cancer of the esophagus and cardia (24 cases) (author's transl)]. / Intubation palliative par voie endoscopique des cancers oesophagiens. Vingt-quatre cas.

Positioning of the intra-esophageal prothesis under fibre-endoscopic control sets up a simple and effective method as a palliative treatment of dysphagia in patients with esophageal cancers unable to take advantage of curative treatment. It makes the short survival of those patients more comfortable with a low mortality rate. An X-Ray-therapy may be associated.