Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing最新文献

Background: Early mobility in the intensive care unit (ICU) is vital to maintaining an older adult patient's performance of activities of daily living, functional mobility, and overall quality of life. Prior studies have shown reduced length of inpatient stay and onset of delirium in patients with early mobilization. Despite these benefits, many ICU patients are often labeled as too sick to participate in therapy and frequently do not receive physical (PT) or occupational therapy (OT) consults until they are considered floor status. This delay in therapy can negatively affect a patient's capacity to participate in his/her self-care, add to the burden on caregivers, and limit disposition options.

Objectives: Our goals were to perform a longitudinal assessment of mobility and self-care among older patients through their medical ICU (MICU) stays and to quantify visits by therapy services to identify areas for improvement in achieving early intervention in this at-risk population.

Method: This was a retrospective quality improvement analysis of a cohort of admissions to the MICU at a large tertiary academic medical center between November 2018 and May 2019. Admission information, PT and OT consult information, Perme Intensive Care Unit Mobility Score, and Modified Barthel Index scores were entered into a quality improvement registry. Inclusion criteria consisted of age older than 65 years and at least 2 distinct visits by PT and/or OT for evaluation. Patients without consults and patients with weekend-only MICU stays were not assessed.

Results: There were 302 MICU patients 65 years or older admitted during the study period. Forty-four percent (132) of these patients received PT/OT consults, and among these, 32% (42) had at least 2 visits to allow comparison of objective scores. Seventy-five percent of patients had improved Perme scores (median, 9.4%; interquartile range, 2.3%-15.6%), and 58% of patients had improved Modified Barthel Index scores (median, 3%; interquartile range, -2% to 13.5%). However, 17% of potential therapy days were missed because of inadequate staffing/time, and 14% were missed because of being sedated or unable to participate.

Conclusions: In our cohort of patients older than 65 years, receipt of therapy in the MICU led to modest improvements in score-assessed mobility and self-care before transfer to floor. Staffing, time constraints, and patient sedation or encephalopathy appeared to interfere most with further potential benefits. In the next phase, we plan to implement strategies to increase PT/OT availability in the MICU and implement a protocol to increase identification and referral of candidates for whom early therapy can prevent loss of mobility and ability to perform self-care.

Background: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic required health care organizations throughout the United States to implement strict visitor restriction policies to mitigate the spread of the virus. These policy changes had a direct impact on family presence (FP) in hospital settings.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to conduct a concept analysis of FP during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Walker and Avant's 8-step method was used.

Results: Four defining attributes of FP during COVID-19 were derived based on a review of the literature: being there or with, seeing is believing, during challenging times, and subjective advocates. The COVID-19 pandemic was the main antecedent of the concept. The consequences and empirical referents were discussed. Model, borderline, and contrary cases were developed.

Conclusion: This concept analysis provided an understanding of the concept of FP during COVID-19, which is imperative to optimizing patient care outcomes, as literature identified a support person or system as an extension of the care team that facilitates successful care management. Whether by advocating for their patients to have a support person present during team rounds, or by stepping in as the patient's main support system in the absence of family, nurses must find a way to do what is best for their patients even during the unprecedented times of a global pandemic.

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is defined as a clinical syndrome of neuromuscular weakness, and a consequence of critical illness, unrelated to any other etiology. It is associated with difficult weaning from the ventilator, prolonged ICU stay, increased mortality, and other important long-term outcomes. Early mobilization is defined as any active exercise in which patients use their muscle strength actively or passively within the first 2 to 5 days of critical illness. Early mobilization can be safely initiated from the first day of admission to the ICU during mechanical ventilation.

Objectives: The purpose of this review is to describe the effects of early mobilization on complications from ICUAW.

Method: This was a literature review. Inclusion criteria were as follows: observational studies and randomized controlled trials conducted with adult patients (aged ≥18 years) admitted to the ICU were included. Studies selected were published in the last 11 years (2010-2021).

Results: Ten articles were included. Early mobilization reduces muscle atrophy, ventilation, length of hospital stay, and ventilator-associated pneumonia and improves patients' responses to inflammation and hyperglycemia.

Discussion: Early mobilization appears to have a significant impact on the prevention of ICUAW and appears to be safe and feasible. The results of this review could be useful for improving the provision of efficient and effective tailored care for ICU patients.

Background: Central line-associated bloodstream infection is a preventable contributor to excess death and excess cost in the health care system. Vasopressor infusion is one of the primary reasons for central line placement. In the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at an academic medical center, there was no standard practice for peripheral versus central infusion of vasopressors.

Objective: The objective of this quality improvement project was to implement an evidence-based, nurse-driven protocol to guide the peripheral infusion of vasopressors. The goal was to reduce central line utilization by 10%.

Methods: Education on the protocol was provided to the MICU nurses, MICU residents, and crisis nurses, followed by a 16-week implementation period. Nursing staff were also surveyed preimplementation and postimplementation of the protocol.

Results: Central line utilization was reduced by 37.9%, and there were no central line-associated bloodstream infections recorded during project implementation. Most of the nursing staff indicated that use of the protocol increased their confidence in administering vasopressors without a central line. No significant extravasation events occurred.

Discussion: Although a causal link between implementation of this protocol and reduction of central line utilization cannot be established, the reduction is clinically meaningful given the known risks of central lines. Increased nursing staff confidence also provides support for continued use of the protocol.

Conclusion: A nurse-driven protocol to guide the peripheral infusion of vasopressors can be effectively implemented into nursing practice.