Intersectionality and Inclusive Serious Illness Communication in the Intensive Care Unit.

Serious illness communication can be especially distressing for patients who are critically ill and their loved ones who experience forms of discrimination based on identities such as their race, gender, sexual orientation, and other intersecting identities. In this article, we discuss the concept of intersectionality and its association with serious illness communication, decision-making, and care in the intensive care unit. Additionally, we present relevant concepts from clinical practice and contemporary nursing and health care literature to support critical care nurses in fostering more inclusive serious illness communication in the intensive care unit.

An Exploration of the Supportive Care Needs of Caribbean Families of Critically Ill Adults.

ABSTRACT: Nurses care for patients of diverse cultures. Persons in and from the Caribbean region have specific needs and concerns related to the support they need when a family member is admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). Nurses familiar with Caribbean patient culture can provide these family members with knowledgeable and culturally competent care. However, little research exists about the unique needs of this population. This pilot study explored the nursing support needs of adult Caribbean family members of patients in the ICU.

Promoting End-of-Life Care and Healthcare Worker Well-Being: Implementing the 3 Wishes Project in an Oncology Intensive Care Unit.

This scholarly project implemented the 3 Wishes Project (3WP), which aims to fulfill the final wishes of dying critically ill patients, in a 16-bed tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). The project assessed outcomes through sur.

Increasing the Volume of Delivered Enteral Feeds Using a Volume-Based Feeding Protocol in a Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic malnutrition is a significant burden to patients, clinicians, and health care systems. Compared with well-nourished patients, underfed patients (those who receive less than 80% of their daily energy requirement) have more adverse outcomes related to nutritional status. Volume-based protocols allow for catch-up titrations, are consistently superior to rate-based protocols, and can be implemented in most settings. LOCAL PROBLEM: This project was conducted in an 8-bed neuroscience intensive care unit in which up to 41% of patients who required enteral feeding were underfed. METHODS: This quality improvement clinical practice change project used a before-and-after design to evaluate (1) the effect of implementing a volume-based feeding protocol on the delivery of enteral feeds and (2) the effect of a nutrition-based project on staff members' attitudes regarding nutrition in critical care. The effectiveness of a volume-based feeding titration protocol was compared with that of a rate-based feeding protocol for achieving delivery of at least 80% of prescribed nutrition per 24-hour period. Staff members' attitudes were assessed using a survey before and after the project. RESULTS: During 241 enteral feeding days (n = 40 patients), the percentage of delivered enteral feeding volume and the percentage of days patients received at least 80% of the prescribed volume increased after volume-based feeding was implemented. After project implementation, 74 staff members reported increased emphasis on nutrition delivery in their practice and a higher level of agreement that nutrition is a priority when caring for critically ill patients. CONCLUSIONS: Using a volume-based feeding protocol with supplemental staff education resulted in improved delivery of prescribed enteral feeding.

Nursing care protocol for critical users with tracheostomy under mechanical ventilation.

OBJECTIVES: to develop and assess a nursing care protocol for critically ill users with tracheostomy under mechanical ventilation. METHODS: a methodological study, developed through two phases, guided by the 5W2H management tool: I) target audience characterization and II) technology development. RESULTS: thirty-four nursing professionals participated in this study, who presented educational demands in relation to care for critical users with tracheostomy, with an emphasis on standardizing care through a protocol and carrying out continuing education. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: the creation and validity of new technologies aimed at this purpose enhanced the participation of nursing professionals and their empowerment in the health institution's microsectoral actions and in macrosectoral actions, highlighting the need for public policies that guarantee the conduct of a line of care for users with tracheostomy.

Pressure Injury Prevention in Adult Critically Ill Patients: A Best Practice Implementation Project.

Implementation science is the process of integrating an intervention into practice within an organization or health system and is a useful strategy to improve practice, affect patient outcomes, and promote practice sustainability. In this series, AJN and the journal JBI Evidence Implementation have partnered to deliver examples of how health care facilities from around the world have worked to solve common patient care problems. Through this partnership, we strive to create awareness and share knowledge and experiences by publishing summaries of studies that have appeared in JBI Evidence Implementation. These summaries are designed to provide nursing teams with an overview of the barriers faced and the strategies and resources needed to improve practice and drive change at the unit level. Our goal is to ensure that AJN readers have access to important evidence-based information designed to influence patient outcomes and nursing practice.-Carl A. Kirton, DNP, MBA, RN, ANP, FAAN.

Evaluation of Nurse-Driven Management of Hypoglycemia In Critically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients experience hypoglycemia at nearly 4 times the rate seen in non-ICU counterparts. Although inpatient hypoglycemia management relies on nurse-driven protocols, protocol adherence varies between institutions and units. OBJECTIVE: To compare hypoglycemia management between ICU and non-ICU patients in an institution with high adherence to a hypoglycemia protocol. METHODS: This secondary analysis used retrospective medical record data. Cases were ICU patients aged 18 years or older with at least 1 hypoglycemic event (blood glucose level < 70 mg/dL); non-ICU controls were matched by age within 10 years, sex, and comorbidities. Time from initial hypoglycemic blood glucose level to subsequent blood glucose recheck, number of interventions, time to normoglycemia, and number of spontaneous hypoglycemic events were compared between groups. RESULTS: The sample included 140 ICU patients and 280 non-ICU controls. Median time to blood glucose recheck did not differ significantly between groups (19 minutes for both groups). Difference in mean number of interventions before normoglycemia was statistically but not clinically significant (ICU, 1.12; non-ICU, 1.35; P < .001). Eighty-four percent of ICU patients and 86% of non-ICU patients returned to normoglycemia within 1 hour. Median time to normoglycemia was lower in ICU patients than non-ICU patients (21.5 vs 26 minutes; P = .01). About 25% of patients in both groups experienced a spontaneous hypoglycemic event. CONCLUSION: Adherence to nurse-driven hypoglycemia protocols can be equally effective in ICU and non-ICU patients. Further research is needed to determine protocol adherence barriers and patient characteristics that influence response to hypoglycemia interventions.

Dynamic delirium - Nursing intervention to reduce delirium in patients critically Ill, a randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of a nursing intervention based on the Dynamic Symptom Model (DSM) and scientific evidence versus daily care in reducing the incidence and duration of delirium in intensive care patients. METHOD: We designed the intervention named "DyDel" (By Dynamic Delirium) based on the theoretical approach of the DSM and from scientific evidence. A double-masked clinical trial of parallel groups was developed to test DyDel, with 213 patients older than 18 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) randomized to the study groups. The intervention group received DyDel each shift from day 0 until discharged from the ICU, while the control group received daily care in the ICU. At the same time, all participants were followed to measure primary (incidence and duration of delirium) and secondary outcomes (level of sedation and pain, days of mechanical ventilation, stay in ICU, and physical restriction). RESULTS: Overall, the study population were older than 60 years (60.3 ± 15.2 years), the male gender (59.6 %), and the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (73.7 %) were predominant. Comparing groups of study, the incidence of delirium was lower in the intervention group (5.6 %) than in the control group (14.8 %) (p = 0.037). The intervention group had lower days with delirium (0.07 ± 0.308) than the control group (0.34 ± 1.28) (p = 0.016), lower pain intensity (p = 0.002) and lower days of physical restraints (p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacological care, like the DyDel intervention, includes the family and focuses on the different patient's needs, which can help to reduce the incidence and duration of delirium in patients admitted to adult ICUs. IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: DyDel was non-pharmacological and included the family. The DyDel's activities were focused on physiological, psychological, spiritual, and social needs and the experience and trajectory of delirium. The nurse can give humanized care in the ICU by applying DyDel.

Different nursing interventions on sleep quality among critically ill patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients in intensive care often struggle with disrupted sleep, a prevalent issue in this population. However, the question of which non-pharmacological intervention is most effective in enhancing sleep quality remains unanswered. This study was conducted to comprehensively evaluate and compare the efficacy of various non-pharmacological interventions aimed at improving sleep quality among critically ill individuals. METHODS: We conducted a search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) without language restrictions to identify articles published until July 15, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated various nursing interventions designed to improve sleep quality in critically ill patients were included in this network meta-analysis. All analyses were performed using R software (version 3.4.3) with the "gemtc" package. RESULTS: A total of 2036 patients from 31 RCTs were included in the network meta-analysis, involving 11 different nursing interventions (routine care, relaxation combined with imagery (RI), nursel, music + earplugs + eye masks, music, eye masks, earplugs + eye masks, earplugs, aromatherapy, Warm footbath combined with acupoint exercise (WFA), Virtual reality meditation (VR)). Eye masks and earplugs + eye masks were associated with improved sleep quality compared to routine care intervention (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, eye masks and earplugs + eye masks stand out as the most effective interventions for enhancing sleep quality in critically ill patients. Therefore, critical care nurses should consider incorporating the use of eye masks alone or combining music with eye masks into the sleep care regimen for critically ill patients.

Analysis of the Nursing Effect of Respiratory Critical Illness Based on Refined Nursing Management.

In order to improve the nursing effect of respiratory critical illness, this paper combines the refined nursing method to explore the nursing plan of respiratory critical illness. Moreover, this paper uses the variable control method to explore the effects of nursing management, combines the hospital patient samples to conduct a controlled trial analysis, and conducts sample grouping according to the random grouping method. The patients in the control group are managed by traditional nursing management methods, the patients in the test group are managed by refined nursing management methods, and other conditions are basically the same. In addition, the experiment process variable control is carried out according to the mathematical statistics method, and the reasonable statistics and data processing are carried out. Through the comparison method, we can see that the refined management method proposed in this paper has a good effect in the nursing of respiratory critical illness.

The Impact of Volunteering at a Family Camp for Children and Adolescents With Cancer: The Experience of Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the experience of pediatric ICU (PICU) nurses who volunteered at a camp for families of children and adolescents with cancer. BACKGROUND: PICU nurses are at risk of developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, compassion fatigue, depression, and burnout due to exposure(s) to traumatic events. Spending time with patients, families, and nurse colleagues at camp may reduce the effects of this exposure. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using content analysis. Fifteen nurse participants completed a precamp questionnaire and semistructured focus groups immediately following camp. Individual interviews were conducted 6 months after camp. RESULTS: Three categories emerged: 1) personal factors, changes in the nurses themselves; 2) patient and family factors, changes in how nurses perceived patients and families; and 3) work-related factors, relationships with colleagues. CONCLUSIONS: Supporting PICU nurses to participate with patients, families, and colleagues outside of the hospital may reduce burnout and support nurses' well-being.

CE: Monitoring Adult Patients for Intolerance to Gastric Tube Feedings.

ABSTRACT: Gastric tube feeding is a common and valuable intervention for patients in a variety of care settings. While tube feeding can save the lives of patients for whom oral feeding isn't possible, intolerance to tube feeding is a potential complication. This article discusses risk factors for feeding intolerance; the assessment of signs and symptoms of feeding intolerance; the various means of assessing gastric emptying, including the practice of monitoring gastric residual volume (GRV); the controversy surrounding GRV monitoring in assessing feeding tolerance; and the special considerations for monitoring feeding tolerance in acutely and critically ill adults with coronavirus disease 2019. The author, a nurse researcher with extensive experience in the area of enteral feeding, briefly summarizes recommendations and guidelines for enteral feeding published by national and international health care organizations between 2015 and 2020, and offers her perspective on best nursing practices for monitoring food tolerance in adults.

Baseline Frailty as a Predictor of Survival After Critical Care: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Older Adults Receiving Home Care in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which the degree of baseline frailty, as measured using standardized multidimensional health assessments before hospital admission, predicts survival among older adults after admission to an ICU remains unclear. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is baseline frailty an independent predictor of survival among older adults receiving care in an ICU? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of community-dwelling older adults (age, ≥ 65 years) receiving public home services who were admitted to any ICU in Ontario, Canada, between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2015. All individuals underwent an interRAI Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care (RAI-HC) assessment completed within 180 days of ICU admission. These assessments were linked to hospital discharge abstract records. Patients were categorized using frailty measures each calculated from the RAI-HC: a classification tree version of the Clinical Frailty Scale; the Frailty Index-Acute Care; and the Changes in Health, End-Stage Disease, Signs, and Symptoms Scale. One-year survival models were used to compare their performance. Patients were stratified based on the receipt of mechanical ventilation in the ICU. RESULTS: Of 24,499 individuals admitted to an ICU within 180 days of a RAI-HC assessment, 26.4% (n = 6,467) received mechanical ventilation. Overall, 43.0% (95% CI, 42.4%-43.6%) survived 365 days after ICU admission. In general, among the overall cohort and both mechanical ventilation subgroups, mortality hazards increased with the severity of baseline frailty. Models predicting survival 30, 90, and 365 days after admission to an ICU that adjusted for one of the frailty measures were more discriminant than reference models that adjusted only for age, sex, major clinical category, and area income quintile. INTERPRETATION: Severity of baseline frailty is independently associated with survival after ICU admission and should be considered when determining goals of care and treatment plans for people with critical illness.

Mobilization During Critical Illness: A Higher Level of Mobilization Improves Health Status at 6 Months, a Secondary Analysis of a Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of active mobilization during critical illness on health status in survivors 6 months post ICU admission. DESIGN: Post hoc secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study conducted between November 2013 and March 2015. SETTING: Two tertiary hospital ICU's in Victoria, Australia. PATIENTS: Of 194 eligible patients admitted, mobility data for 186 patients were obtained. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were as per the original trial. INTERVENTIONS: The dosage of mobilization in ICU was measured by: 1) the Intensive Care Mobility Scale where a higher Intensive Care Mobility Scale level was considered a higher intensity of mobilization or 2) the number of active mobilization sessions performed during the ICU stay. The data were extracted from medical records and analyzed against Euro-quality of life-5D-5 Level version answers obtained from phone interviews with survivors 6 months following ICU admission. The primary outcome was change in health status measured by the Euro-quality of life-5D-5 Level utility score, with change in Euro-quality of life-5D-5 Level mobility domain a secondary outcome. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Achieving higher levels of mobilization (as per the Intensive Care Mobility Scale) was independently associated with improved outcomes at 6 months (Euro-quality of life-5D-5 Level utility score unstandardized regression coefficient [ß] 0.022 [95% CI, 0.002-0.042]; p = 0.033; Euro-quality of life-5D-5 Level mobility domain ß = 0.127 [CI, 0.049-0.205]; p = 0.001). Increasing the number of active mobilization sessions was not found to independently influence health status. Illness severity, total comorbidities, and admission diagnosis also independently influenced health status. CONCLUSIONS: In critically ill survivors, achieving higher levels of mobilization, but not increasing the number of active mobilization sessions, improved health status 6 months after ICU admission.

Cardiac Biomarker Abnormalities Are Closely Related to Prognosis in Patients with COVID-19.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is erupting and spreading globally. Cardiovascular complications secondary to the infection have caught notice. This study aims to delineate the relationship of cardiac biomarkers and outcomes in severe cases of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). One hundred forty-eight critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 were enrolled. From these patients, the demographic data, symptoms, cardiac biomarkers, treatments, and clinical outcomes were collected. Data were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Four patients in the non-survivor group were selected, and their cardiac biomarkers were collected and analyzed. Among the 148 patients, the incidence of cardiovascular complications was 19 (12.8%). Five of them were survivors (5.2%), and 14 of them were non-survivors (26.9%). Compared with the survivors, the non-survivors had higher levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I, creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB, myoglobin, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (P < 0.05). The occurrence of cardiovascular events began at 11-15 days after the onset of the disease and reached a peak at 14-20 days. COVID-19 not only is a respiratory disease but also causes damage to the cardiovascular system. Cardiac biomarkers have the potential for early warning and prognostic evaluation in patients with COVID-19. It is recommended that cardiac biomarker monitoring in patients with COVID-19 should be initiated at least from the 11th day of the disease course.

Nurse Leaders' Experiences and Learnings Navigating Through the Chaos of a Pandemic.

This article explores the experiences and learnings of 2 ambulatory care nurse leaders on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic using the theory "navigating through chaos" as a framework.

Necesidades en familiares de pacientes críticos de una institución de IV nivel en Montería, Colombia / Needs in relatives of critical patients of a IV level institution in Monteria, Colombia

OBJETIVO: Determinar las necesidades en familiares de pacientes críticos de una institución de IV nivel en Montería, Colombia. METODOLOGÍA: Investigación descriptiva, transversal con enfoque cuantitativo. Para la recolección de la información se aplicó el Cuestionario de Necesidades de los Familiares de Pacientes de Cuidados Intensivos y una cédula de datos sociodemográficos. RESULTADOS: Las necesidades que se determinaron fueron la información sincera respecto al estado y progreso del paciente y recibir explicación del equipamiento que está utilizándose. La dimensión que presentó mayores necesidades fue la de comunicación. CONCLUSIONES: El familiar de una persona ingresada en un servicio de cuidado intensivo debe ser tomado en cuenta en el proceso de atención

OBJECTIVE: To determine the needs in relatives of critically ill patients of an IV level institution in Montería, Colombia. METHODOLOGY: Descriptive, cross-sectional research with a quantitative approach. For the collection of information, the Questionnaire of Needs of the Relatives of Intensive Care Patients and a sociodemographic data card were applied. RESULTS: The needs that were determined were honest information regarding the state and progress of the patient and receive an explanation of the equipment being used. The dimension that presented the greatest needs was that of communication. CONCLUSIONS: The family of a person admitted to an intensive care service should be taken into account in the care process

Barreiras ao cuidado no final de vida em um serviço de urgência e emergência / Barreras al cuidado al final de la vida en un servicio de urgencia / Barriers to end-of-life care in an emergency service

Objetivo: descrever as barreiras vivenciadas e as estratégias ao seu enfrentamento utilizadas por profissionais de enfermagem para realizar o cuidado a pacientes em final de vida em um serviço de urgência e emergência. Materiais e Métodos: Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva, exploratória, de abordagem qualitativa, conduzida em um serviço de urgência e emergência no sul do Brasil, com um enfermeiro e dois técnicos por turno, totalizando 12 profissionais de enfermagem. Os dados foram produzidos entre maio e junho de 2018, por meio de entrevista semiestruturada e observação simples e, posteriormente, organizados por aproximação temática no programa Ethnograph v6, em sua versão de demonstração e submetidos à análise de conteúdos proposta por Laurence Bardin. Resultados: Foram elaboradas duas categorias: Barreiras aos cuidados às pessoas em final de vida e Estratégias para o enfrentamento das barreiras ao cuidado no final da vida. Os profissionais de enfermagem referiram que, embora o cenário do serviço de urgência e emergência seja adverso devido a fatores limitantes como rotina acelerada, por exemplo, buscam compreender e atender às necessidades dos pacientes dentro dos limites estruturais, de recursos humanos e institucionais. Assim, são realizados cuidados visando o alívio da dor e promoção de seu conforto. Conclusão: evidenciou-se conflito entre o idealizado e o realizado, pois os profissionais elencam aquilo que consideram prioridade para o cuidado no final da vida, mas nem sempre conseguem implementálo. Quando o fim da vida ocorre nos serviços de saúde é necessário movimentos de desconstrução das práticas atuais ofertadas, especialmente nos serviços de urgência e emergência.

Objetivo: describir las barreras experimentadas y las estrategias al su enfrentamiento utilizadas por los profesionales de enfermería para hacer el cuidado a los pacientes al final de la vida en un servicio de urgencia. Materiales y Métodos: investigación con enfoque cualitativo conducida en un servicio de urgencia y emergencia en el sur de Brasil con 12 profesionales de enfermería. Los datos fueron colectados entre mayo y junio de 2018 a través de entrevista semiestructurada y, luego, organizados en el programa Ethnograph, en su versión de demostración, y sometidos al análisis de contenido según Laurence Bardin. Resultados: fueron establecidas dos categorías: Barreras a los cuidados a las personas al final de la vida y Estrategias al enfrentamiento de las barreras al cuidado al final de la vida. Los profesionales de enfermería reportaron que, aunque el servicio de urgencia sea adverso debido a factores limitantes como rutina acelerada, por ejemplo, buscan comprender y atender a las necesidades de los pacientes dentro de los límites estructurales, de recursos humanos e institucionales. De esta forma realizan cuidados visando el alivio del dolor y la promoción de su confort. Conclusión: se concluye que existe confl icto entre lo idealizado y lo realizado puesto que los profesionales eligen aquello que consideran prioridad al cuidado en el final de la vida, si bien ni siempre logran implementarlo. Cuando el fin de la vida ocurre en los servicios de salud es necesario movimientos de desconstrucción de las prácticas actuales ofrecidas, especialmente en los servicios de urgencia.

Objective: to describe the barriers found and the strategies utilized by nursing professionals to face them to perform the care to end-of-life patients in an emergency medical service. Materials and Methods: we conducted a descriptive, exploratory, qualitative approach, in an emergency service in the south of Brazil, with 12 nursing professionals. We produced the data between May and June of 2018, through a semistructured interview and simple observation and, later, organized by the thematic approach in the program Ethnograph v6, in its version of demonstration and submitted to the content analysis proposed by Laurence Bardin. Results: we elaborated two categories: Barriers to care for people in the end-of-life and Strategies for coping with barriers to care at the end of life. Nursing professionals reported that, although the emergency service is adverse due to limiting factors such as an accelerated routine, for example, they seek to understand and meet patients' needs within the structural, human and institutional limits. Thus, care is taken to relieve pain and promote comfort. Conclusion: there was a conflict between the idealized and the realized, because the professionals list what they consider a priority for care at the end of life, but they are not always able to implement it. When the end of life occurs in health services, it is necessary to deconstruct the current practices offered, especially in emergency services.