Failure to tolerate continuous subcutaneous treprostinil in pediatric pulmonary hypertension patients.

Continuous subcutaneous (SubQ) treprostinil is an effective therapy for pediatric patients diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH). To date, the clinical characteristics and factors associated with failure to tolerate this therapy have not been described. The purpose was to describe patient-reported factors contributing to SubQ treprostinil intolerance in pediatric patients with PH. A retrospective descriptive study was performed at 11 participating sites in the United States and Canada for patients younger than 21 years of age diagnosed with PH who failed treatment to tolerate SubQ treprostinil between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2019. All data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Forty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. The average age at SQ treprostinil initiation, and length of treatment, was 8.6 years and 22.6 months, respectively. The average maximum dose, concentration, and rate were 95.8 ng/kg/min, 6.06 mg/mL, and 0.040 mL/h, respectively. The reasons for failure to tolerate SubQ treprostinil included intractable site pain (73.2%), frequent site changes (56.1%), severe site reactions (53.7%), infections (26.8%), and noncompliance/depression/anxiety (17.1%). Thirty-nine (95.1%) patients transitioned to a prostacyclin therapy with 23 patients transitioning to intravenous prostacyclin, 5 to inhaled prostacyclin, 5 to oral prostacyclin, and 7 to a prostacyclin receptor agonist. A subset of pediatric PH patients failed to tolerate SubQ treprostinil infusions despite advances in SubQ site maintenance and pain management strategies. Intractable site pain, frequent SubQ site changes, and severe localized skin reactions were the most common reasons for failure.

Moving from Vaccine Hesitancy to Acceptance: Engaging Underrepresented Employees in a Pediatric Academic Medical Center.

Underrepresented populations historically underserved by the healthcare system and/or marginalized by systematic policies regionally and nationally were particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. While vaccine hesitancy has been described among hospital employees, the employees' experiences from an underrepresented population cohort have not been reported. We, therefore, sought to understand employees' vaccine experiences, hesitancy, and ways to enhance ongoing COVID-19 vaccine education and communication to build a hospital-wide culture of vaccine acceptance. Methods: We invited interprofessional staff from 5 clinical departments to participate in qualitative focus groups. Guiding questions were used to explore the experiences and perceptions of the staff. Using content analysis, we identified themes and recommendations for improvement. Results: We conducted 5 focus group sessions with over 50 participants. Four themes emerged; "Vaccine Fears Past and Present," "Access to Information," "Worries for Families," and "Our Hospital is a Trusted Name." Participants also provided recommendations for improvement in the messaging around the vaccine rollout. Consideration of how different employees access information, listening to staff needs, and recognizing the role of race and history were critical to engaging and improving the underrepresented employees' vaccine acceptance. Conclusions: Exploring the concerns and fears of the COVID-19 vaccine within groups of underrepresented staff members through qualitative methods was key to understanding their vaccine hesitancy and implementing strategies to move toward vaccine acceptance in the hospital.

Validation of the withdrawal assessment tool-1 (WAT-1) in pediatric cardiovascular patients on an inpatient unit.

PURPOSE: Sedation and analgesia are administered to critically ill patients, which may result in physical dependence and subsequent iatrogenic withdrawal. The Withdrawal Assessment Tool-1 (WAT-1) was developed and validated as an objective measurement of pediatric iatrogenic withdrawal in intensive care units (ICUs), with a WAT-1 score ≥ 3 indicative of withdrawal. This study's objectives were to test interrater reliability and validity of the WAT-1 in pediatric cardiovascular patients in a non-ICU setting. DESIGN AND METHODS: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted on a pediatric cardiac inpatient unit. WAT-1 assessments were performed by the patient's nurse and a blinded expert nurse rater. Intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated, and Kappa statistics were estimated. A two-sample, one-sided test of proportions of weaning (n = 30) and nonweaning (n = 30) patients with a WAT-1 ≥3 were compared. RESULTS: Interrater reliability was low (K = 0.132). The WAT-1 area under the receiver operating curve was 0.764 (95% confidence interval; ± 0.123). There was a significantly higher proportion (50%, p = 0.009) of weaning patients with WAT-1 scores ≥3 compared to the nonweaning patients (10%). The WAT-1 elements of moderate/severe uncoordinated/repetitive movement and loose, watery stools were significantly higher in the weaning population. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Methods to improve interrater reliability warrant further examination. The WAT-1 had good discrimination at identifying withdrawal in cardiovascular patients on an acute cardiac care unit. Frequent nurse re-education may increase accurate tool use. The WAT-1 tool may be used in the management of iatrogenic withdrawal in pediatric cardiovascular patients in a non-ICU setting.

Nurses' perceptions and use of near infrared spectroscopy in paediatric cardiac intensive care.

BACKGROUND: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technology that estimates regional oxygen saturation. Literature demonstrates that NIRS can provide valuable data for clinical staff. However, little research has addressed the nursing care and management of NIRS in the critical care environment. AIMS: To assess nurses' perception around the use of NIRS and current NIRS practice within paediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICUs). STUDY DESIGN: A 53-item cross-sectional electronic survey was developed to assess indications for NIRS, critical value thresholds and interventions, barriers to use, policies and procedures, and nursing perceptions. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize and aggregate data. RESULTS: Among the 28 responding sites (63.6% response rate), usage of NIRS was variable and patient-dependent. Most nurses reported using NIRS in patients with unstable physiology such as post-operative single ventricle (n = 25, 89.3%) and concern for shock (n = 21, 75.0%). Critically low cerebral values varied among respondents from less than 40 (n = 3, 10.7%) to less than 60 (n = 4, 14.3%), with lower critical values permitted for single ventricle physiology: less than 40 (n = 8, 28.6%) to less than 50 (n = 6, 21.4%). Reported barriers to using NIRS included skin breakdown (n = 9, 32.1%), lack of consistency in decision-making among physicians (n = 13, 46.4%), and not using NIRS data when developing a plan of care (n = 11, 39.3%). Most (n = 24, 85.7%) nurses reported that NIRS provided valuable information and was perceived to be beneficial for patients. CONCLUSIONS: NIRS monitoring is a common technology in the care of complex congenital heart disease patients. Most nurses valued this technology, but inconsistencies and practicalities around its use in guiding patient management were found to be problematic. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: NIRS is commonly used in the PCICU and although nurses perceived NIRS to be useful for their practice, the variability in the interpretation of values and inconsistent protocols and decision-making by physicians was challenging.

Use of Music for Newborns After Cardiac Surgery: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Music can benefit the neurodevelopmental and clinical care of newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit. Newborns in the cardiac intensive care unit experience similar stressors to those in the neonatal intensive care unit, but music therapy has not been widely studied in the cardiac intensive care unit population. OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of implementing nurse-led music therapy in a cohort of newborns recovering from cardiac surgery in the cardiac intensive care unit. METHODS: Lullabies were prerecorded and played for 20 minutes, 2 times per day. Bedside nurses recorded several metrics at designated times during the 1 hour surrounding the music therapy and were asked about the ease of initiating the therapy and their perception of any benefit to the newborns. Parents were invited to complete a 9-question Likert survey exploring their perception of and satisfaction with the music therapy. RESULTS: Nurse-led music therapy was initiated in 44 of 50 eligible shifts (88%) for the 8 newborns who successfully completed the study. The newborns' physiological status remained stable throughout the music therapy sessions. None of the newborns experienced adverse events related to music therapy. All nurses (100%) reported that the music therapy was easy to administer. Parents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they were satisfied with the music therapy provided to their newborns. CONCLUSION: Nurse-led music therapy was highly feasible for hemodynamically stable newborns recovering from cardiac surgery. Parents and nursing staff responded positively to the music therapy.

Individualized Family-Centered Developmental Care for Infants With Congenital Heart Disease in the Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Individualized family-centered developmental care (IFDC) is considered the standard of care for premature/medically fragile newborns and their families in intensive care units (ICUs). Such care for infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) varies. OBJECTIVE: The Consortium for Congenital Cardiac Care- Measurement of Nursing Practice (C4-MNP) was surveyed to determine the state of IFDC for infants younger than 6 months with CHD in ICUs. METHODS: An electronic survey was disseminated to 1 nurse at each participating center. The survey included questions on IFDC-related nursing practice, organized in 4 sections: demographics, nursing practice, interdisciplinary practice, and parent support. Data were summarized by using descriptive statistics. Differences in IFDC practices and IFDC-related education were assessed, and practices were compared across 3 clinical scenarios of varying infant acuity by using the χ2 test. RESULTS: The response rate was 66% (25 centers). Most respondents (72%) did not have IFDC guidelines; 63% incorporated IFDC interventions and 67% documented IFDC practices. Only 29% reported that their ICU had a neurodevelopmental team. Significant differences were reported across the 3 clinical scenarios for 11 of 14 IFDC practices. Skin-to-skin holding was provided least often across all levels of acuity. Nurse education related to IFDC was associated with more use of IFDC (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Practices related to IFDC vary among ICUs. Opportunities exist to develop IFDC guidelines for infants with CHD to inform clinical practice and nurse education. Next steps include convening a C4-MNP group to develop guidelines and implement IFDC initiatives for collaborative evaluation.

Parent Perception of Their Role in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION: One way the goal of establishing a partnership with families is accomplished, specific to the pediatric intensive care units, is 24-hour visitation and presence/participation during medical rounds and procedures. Despite the breadth of literature on the positive effect of parent presence, as well as the nearly nationwide adoption of 24-hour pediatric intensive care unit visitation, there is little to no research about how these changes have affected parents' perception of their role in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU). OBJECTIVES/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to explore and better understand the experience of parents in the PCICU within a patient/family-centered care model. METHODS: Using a qualitative descriptive approach, interviews were conducted with parents of children currently admitted as inpatients in the PCICU. Participants were asked broad, open-ended questions and probes to attain qualitative descriptions of their experiences and perceptions of their parental role in the PCICU. The research design for this study was based on naturalistic inquiry and was used to describe rather than interpret parental experiences in their own words. RESULTS: Eleven parents from 7 families were interviewed; parents described their role in terms of 2 main categories, as one who is an advocate and decision maker and one who provides emotional and physical support. Parents valued the expertise of the PCICU team but also shared the significance of the team recognizing their role as parents. Incorporating parents as an integral member of the health care team is a fundamental component to PCICU care. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The role of parents is irreplaceable, particularly in the PCICU. The medical complexity of the intensive care can be a barrier to act as parents resulting in a disruption of family-centered care. Nursing staff avert this disruption through modeling parenting to their child's present circumstances and involvement in normal parenting tasks.

Refinement of the Intensive Care Unit Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes III Acuity Tool.

BACKGROUND: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO) acuity tool quantifies patient acuity in terms of nursing cognitive workload complexity. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to refine the ICU CAMEO II acuity tool. An expert panel of nursing staff from 4 pediatric ICUs convened to refine the CAMEO II across a large, freestanding children's hospital in the United States. METHOD: This study used a modified Delphi technique. RESULTS: Through a series of 4 Delphi rounds, the expert panel identified Domains of Care and nursing care items that were suitable to be collapsed or bundled. The number of Domains of Care decreased from 18 to 10. Each of the expert panel members then completed the ICU CAMEO II tool and the newly revised tool, ICU CAMEO III, on 5 to 10 patients. Sixty completed ICU CAMEO II tools, and ICU CAMEO III tools were available for comparison. The average difference of the 2 tools' total scores was 5 points (minimum, 4; maximum, 7). The level of agreement between the 2 tools by CAMEO Complexity Classification level (I-V) was 90%. DISCUSSION: The ICU CAMEO III acuity tool is a streamlined measure to describe and quantify the acuity of pediatric critical care nursing. Use of this acuity measure will support projection of staffing models, staffing assignments, and benchmarking across pediatric ICUs. Further research is underway to validate the CAMEO III for multisite use.

Steroid Use for Management of Vasoactive Resistant Shock in Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Patients: Experience of the Consortium of Congenital Cardiac Care-Measurement of Nursing Practice.

BACKGROUND: Although a variety of doses and duration of hydrocortisone have been reported as a treatment modality for congenital heart surgery patients with refractory hypotension, there remains a lack of understanding of the clinical use in pediatric cardiac programs. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the current practice of steroid use for refractory hypotension in postoperative congenital heart surgery patients. METHOD: Survey participants were recruited from the Consortium of Congenital Cardiac Care-Measurement of Nursing Practice. The survey focused on 4 areas: diagnosis, intervention, duration of therapy, and clinical decision making. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Among the programs, 24 of 31 (77%) responded, with 21 (95%) using hydrocortisone as a treatment modality. Most, 20 (83%), reported no written clinical guideline for the use of hydrocortisone. Variation in dosing existed as 3 centers (14%) use 50 mg/m2/d, 6 (29%) use 100 mg/m2/d, and 8 (38%) indicated that dosing varies by provider. DISCUSSION: Nearly all centers reported using hydrocortisone for the treatment of hypotension refractory to fluid resuscitation and vasoactive medications. Substantial variation in practice exists in areas of diagnosis, dosing, and duration of hydrocortisone. More research is needed to develop a clinical practice guideline to standardize practice.

Factors Associated With Increased Laboratory Use in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory testing is frequently used to guide postoperative management and contributes to hospital resource utilization; however, there is little evidence identifying patient or clinical factors to inform the appropriate frequency of laboratory testing in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. OBJECTIVES: To examine the factors associated with increased laboratory utilization following pediatric congenital heart surgery. METHODS: For each patient, the total number of tests and types of laboratory tests were recorded. Patients whose number of tests was greater than the 90th percentile were categorized as increased laboratory use. RESULTS: A sample of 250 unique patients and 909 nursing shifts were obtained for patient- and shift-level analyses. The top 10% of patients identified as the high laboratory utilization group (>128 laboratory tests). High-use group reported significantly younger patients and longer bypass time (P < .001). Patients in the highest Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery 1 risk category were 34.7 times more likely to be in high laboratory utilization group (P = .006), independent of age at time of surgery and time on bypass (receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.855). At the shift level, time on bypass (P = .002), age younger than 30 days at surgery (P < .001), 3 to 5 years' registered nurse experience (P < .001), staff precepting (P = .03), and weekday shift status (P = .03) were all independently associated with high laboratory utilization. CONCLUSIONS: There are multiple factors associated with increased laboratory utilization. Recognition of specific patient and nursing factors can be used to impact patient management.

Expanding Hospital Capacity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Family Voice Matters.

During the initial COVID-19 response, this children's hospital reduced its inpatient capacity by 52 beds with double rooms' conversion to single patient occupancy, causing significant capacity constraints. To solve this challenge, the family perspective was engaged to safely redouble patient rooms and expand capacity as clinical activity increased during the COVID-19 response. METHODS: The team conducted qualitative descriptive interviews with parents of children undergoing congenital heart surgery admitted to the inpatient cardiac unit in a 404-bed free-standing children's hospital. A 2-week pilot study utilizing patient-specific inclusion criteria, newly developed patient room guidelines, universal masking, physical distancing, and inpatient room enhancements with parent COVID-19 testing was conducted. RESULTS: Interviews were conducted [pre (n = 7) and post (n = 6)] regarding patient room redoubling. Participants perceived utilization of double rooms as safe with increased protection, including universal masking, physical distancing, room enhancements, and increased bathroom cleaning. However, some families verbalized anxiety regarding visitation restriction to one parent at a time at the bedside. Additional concerns were voiced around the timing of communication about the need to be placed in a double room. In response, visitation increased to 2 parents at bedside and communication of utilization of double rooms was included in preoperative preparations postpilot. Inclusion criteria were expanded to patients of all ages and included full use of shared in-room bathrooms by parents and patients. CONCLUSIONS: Parents perceived patient room redoubling as safe and family centered. Findings from the pilot study were used to scale broad utilization and increase access to care across the institution.

The acuity of pediatric neuroscience nursing using the Inpatient Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO© ) tool.

PURPOSE: The neuroscience nurse must possess advanced knowledge and skills to care for a wide range of unique congenital and acquired neurological diagnoses. For each of these clinical scenarios, the measurement of complexity and acuity of patient care is key to informing staffing models and patient assignments. The Inpatient Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO© ) acuity tool measures patient acuity in terms of nursing cognitive workload complexity. We describe the implementation and evaluation of the Inpatient CAMEO© in a pediatric neuroscience unit in a large free-standing children's hospital in the northeast United States. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a quality improvement approach, the Inpatient CAMEO© was implemented and evaluated over a 12-month period by a neuroscience clinical lead and unit-based ambassadors. Monthly data reports evaluating unit-level completion and the level of acuity (I-V) were generated for unit leadership. Data were further stratified by type of admission to the neuroscience unit. Five categories of patients included neurology medical, epilepsy, neurosurgical, neurooncology, and other, which is defined as nonneurology patients, admitted to unit. RESULTS: The monthly proportion of Inpatient CAMEO© s Classified as III-V ranged from 62.3% to 83.3% with a median of 78.2%. The type of neuroscience admissions varied in level of acuity. Patients identified as neurology (68.7%) and epilepsy (67.5%) had the lowest acuity, patients identified as neurosurgery (82.8%) and other (80.2%) had moderate acuity, and neurooncology (94.5%) had the highest acuity. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Using the Inpatient CAMEO© , the acuity of neuroscience pediatric care was demonstrated to be increased and variable across disease categories. Neurooncology patients were identified as having the highest acuity as compared to other pediatric neuroscience admissions.

Nursing science fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical inquiry is vital to safeguard nursing practice and ensure optimal outcomes for our patients and families. The innovative Nursing Science Fellowship (NSF) was developed to provide structured mentorship for pediatric nurses by nurse scientists to design and conduct clinical inquiry generated from their practice. METHODS: Each fellow is paired with a nurse scientist mentor to receive support for timely project completion. Dedicated mentors guide the immersion of fellows in nursing science by providing them with didactic content detailing the process of clinical inquiry and bi-monthly one-on-one mentorship sessions. Throughout their journey, fellows learn the appropriate method by which to address their clinical inquiry question and complete a scholarly project that contributes to the science of nursing. On a quarterly basis, fellows share their progress and achievements with peers, mentors, and senior leadership. RESULTS: Since 2011, 84 fellows have enrolled in this two-year program. Sixty-two nurses have graduated from the NSF and 22 fellows are currently active. Collectively, the fellows have received 46 grants to support their projects. Twenty-one fellows have received promotions and 22 fellows have furthered their education in a masters, clinical or research doctorate program. There have been 78 external disseminations highlighting their clinical inquiry work, including poster and podium presentations and peer-reviewed published manuscripts. Lastly, there have been 26 new or updated clinical practices implemented across the enterprise as a result of completed projects. CONCLUSIONS: Combined these efforts have ensured a sustained commitment to advancing the science and practice of pediatric nursing.

The Measurement of Pediatric Inpatient Nursing Using the Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO©) Tool.

PURPOSE: Physiologic measurement of patient acuity has been used to predict patient outcomes, length of stay, and resource utilization. To date, these tools are not sufficiently comprehensive to inform nurse staffing assignments and have limited practical application. The Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO©) acuity tool was initially developed and validated to quantify patient acuity in terms of complexity of nursing cognitive workload in pediatric intensive care units (ICU). This article describes development and implementation of the Inpatient CAMEO© in the pediatric inpatient setting. DESIGN AND METHODS: Utilizing a modified Delphi technique, an expert panel convened to scale and implement the Inpatient CAMEO© in the pediatric inpatient units through four Delphi rounds. RESULTS: The expert panel identified care items unique to the pediatric inpatient setting and assigned a cognitive workload scale of 1-5. To consolidate the tool, the panel identified items to be classified as "Standard of Care" and developed a new baseline score for the Inpatient CAMEO©. Expert panel members served as unit-based ambassadors to foster the expansion and implementation of the new Inpatient CAMEO©. CONCLUSIONS: The Inpatient CAMEO© describes and quantifies acuity beyond the intensive care setting. The implementation and use of the Inpatient CAMEO© was accomplished through unit-based ambassadors and the support of leadership. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Quantifying nursing cognitive workload in both direct and indirect care is important to determining nursing assignments and comprehensive staffing models in the pediatric inpatient setting.

Scaling the Measurement of Pediatric Acuity Using the Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO II) Tool.

BACKGROUND: The Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO) acuity tool was developed to quantify patient acuity in terms of nursing cognitive workload complexity. An expert panel including representatives from 4 intensive care units (ICUs) convened to scale and implement the CAMEO II across the ICUs in a large, freestanding children's hospital in the United States. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to scale and implement a standardized acuity measure of pediatric critical care nursing. METHOD: This study used a modified Delphi technique. RESULTS: Through a series of 3 Delphi rounds, the expert panel identified care items not characterized in the original CAMEO and assigned each of these items a cognitive workload scale of 1 to 5. The expert panel identified 4 additional Domains of Care while confirming the original 14 Domains of Care in the first CAMEO version. The panel agreed that a number of care items could be classified as "Standard of Care," reducing items in the CAMEO and generating a baseline score. The panel, serving as ambassadors and unit-based experts, then implemented the refined CAMEO II in each of the 4 ICUs. DISCUSSION: Utilization of the CAMEO II across ICUs provides a standardized measure to describe and quantify the acuity of pediatric critical care nursing. Use of this acuity measure informs projection of staffing models and benchmarking across pediatric ICUs. Further research is needed to validate the CAMEO II for multisite use.

Validation of the Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO II) Acuity Tool for Pediatric Critical Care Nursing.

BACKGROUND: The Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO II) acuity tool was developed to quantify patient acuity in terms of nursing cognitive workload complexity in a large, freestanding children's hospital in the United States. OBJECTIVES: To describe the acuity and complexity of pediatric critical care nursing at a large children's hospital and correlate the CAMEO II with pediatric physiologic measures. METHODS: Construct validation was conducted correlating the CAMEO II to a pediatric classification system and 2 physiologic acuity tools. Descriptive statistics summarized patient characteristics. Construct validity across tools was evaluated using the Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: CAMEO II was described both continuously and as ordinal complexity levels (I-V). Among 235 patients who completed CAMEO II across 4 intensive care units (ICUs), the mean total score was 99.06 (median, 97; range, 59-204). The CAMEO II complexity classification for 235 patients was as follows: I: 22 (9.4%), II: 53 (22.6%), III: 56 (23.8%), IV: 66 (28.1%), and V: 38 (16.2%). Findings from the 235 patients across the 4 ICUs revealed a significant correlation between the CAMEO II and the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-Children (ρ = 0.567, P < .001), CAMEO II and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (ρ = 0.446, P < .001), and the CAMEO II and Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension II (ρ = 0.359, P = .013). DISCUSSION: Utilization of CAMEO II across ICUs provides an opportunity to validate the current complexity of pediatric critical care nursing in a large children's hospital.

The current practice and care of paediatric patients post cardiac catheterisation.

BACKGROUND: Literature is lacking to guide standardised care and assessment practices for paediatric patients post cardiac catheterisation. In response to this gap, we sought to describe the current state of practice in cardiology programmes performing paediatric cardiac catheterisations procedures in the United States of America.Materials and methodsA web-based survey was distributed to the Congenital Cardiovascular Interventional Study Consortium Listserv, with representation from 113 identified institutions. A 36-question survey, including fixed-choice and open-ended questions, was developed and piloted for reliability and validity before distribution. Data were summarised descriptively with count and frequency or median and range. RESULTS: Of the 113 identified institutions, 52% (n=59) responded to the survey. Manual pressure is used to achieve haemostasis by 94.9% of the respondents. Pressure dressings are used by a majority of the facilities and the length of time for bed rest is variable, with the majority using 6 hours for arterial access and 4 hours for venous access. Predominantly, respondents use the time of haemostasis as the start time of bed rest while a third of respondents reported using the time the sheath was removed. CONCLUSION: In this study, variation in a number of post catheterisation care and assessment practices for paediatric patients was noted across cardiology programmes. Information from this assessment identifies key opportunities to collaborate in developing standardised practices for the care and assessment of the paediatric patients post catheterisation.

Building and Sustaining a Culture of Clinical Inquiry in a Pediatric Quaternary Hospital.

The Nurse Executive Committee for Research and Inquiry (NECRI) was established to align clinical inquiry with nursing clinical operations to advance nursing science and improve patient care and outcomes for patients and their families. The authors describe the development, structure, and function of NECRI, outcomes to date, and infrastructure necessary to support a sustainable model.

Pressure injury prevention for paediatric cardiac surgical patients using a nurse-driven standardized clinical assessment and management plan.

BACKGROUND: The description of pressure injury development is limited in children with CHD. Children who develop pressure injuries experience pain and suffering and are at risk for additional morbidity. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to develop a standardized clinical assessment and management plan to describe the development of pressure injury in paediatric cardiac surgical patients and evaluate prevention strategies. METHODS: Using a novel quality improvement initiative, postoperative paediatric cardiac surgical patients were started on a nurse-driven pressure injury prevention standardized clinical assessment and management plan on admission. Data were recorded relevant to nursing assessments and management based on pre-defined targeted data statements and algorithm. Nursing feedback regarding diversions was recorded and analysed. RESULTS: Data on 674 congenital paediatric cardiac surgical patients who met criteria were collected between May, 2011 and June, 2012. In 5918 patient days, a total of 4603 skin assessments were completed by nurses from the cardiac ICU and the cardiac inpatient unit, representing 77% of the expected assessments. The majority (70%, 21/30) of the 30 pressure injuries were medical-device-related and 30% (9/30) were immobility-related. The overall incidence of pressure injury was 4.4%: device-related was 3.1% and immobility-related was 1.3%. Most pressure injuries were Stage 1 (40%), followed by Stage 2 (26.7%), mucosal membrane injury (26.7%), and suspected deep tissue injuries (6.7%). CONCLUSION: A nurse-driven pressure injury prevention standardized clinical assessment and management plan supported a programme-based evaluation of nursing practice and patient outcomes. Review of practices highlighted opportunities to standardise and focus prevention practices and ensure communication of patient vulnerabilities.

The Impact of Critical Care Nursing Certification on Pediatric Patient Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship of nursing and unit characteristics including Critical Care Registered Nurse certification on patient complications for children undergoing congenital heart surgery in free-standing children's hospitals in the United States. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive survey of nursing and organizational characteristics was sent electronically. SETTING: Free-standing children's hospitals in the United States. PATIENTS: Children undergoing congenital heart surgery (congenital cardiac cases). INTERVENTION: Nursing and unit characteristics from children's hospitals were obtained via electronic survey during years 2010 and 2014. Survey data from 2014 were linked with patient-level data age less than 18 years old using the Pediatric Health Information System for years 2013-2014. The Complication Screening Method of Congenital Heart Surgery was used to adjust for baseline patient differences. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among 23 of 43 free-standing children's hospitals (53%) in 2014, the median proportion of nurses with Bachelor of Science in Nursing preparation or higher at each site was 77% and with Critical Care Registered Nurse certification was 24%. Among 12,324 eligible congenital cardiac cases, the rate of complication was 34.4%. The odds of complications significantly decreased as the institutional percentage of nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing increased (odds ratio, 0.83; p = 0.04). The odds of complications also significantly decreased as the institutional percentage of nurses with Critical Care Registered Nurse certification increased (odds ratio, 0.86; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Bachelor of Science in Nursing education and Critical Care Registered Nurse certification significantly impact pediatric patient outcomes. Recognition of nursing and organizational characteristics that are associated with improved pediatric patient outcomes is important to patients, their families, and society. Clinical leaders must commit to facilitating pathways for hiring candidates with Bachelor of Science in Nursing as a minimum to practice in PICUs and supporting a culture of professional certification.