Critical care nurse
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Patients with alterations in level of consciousness are among the most difficult to assess, so knowledge of how to assess these patients is important for tracking trends and identifying changes. This article discusses methods used to assess patients admitted with an altered level of consciousness and describes the neurological assessment of and potential causes for altered level of consciousness. Identifying and understanding certain examination findings enable faster recognition and intervention for life-threatening neurological events, directly impacting outcomes for neurologically compromised individuals.
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Critical care nurse · Aug 2023
Experiences of Parents of Children With Medical Complexity in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Scoping Review.
Medical advances and decreased mortality rates in the pediatric intensive care unit have increased the number of children surviving illnesses they may not have survived previously. The term child with medical complexity is poorly defined. ⋯ This review is the first to examine the experiences of parents of children with medical complexity in the pediatric intensive care unit. The study was limited by lack of available research and lack of consensus for the definition of child with medical complexity. However, this review describes strategies that nurses may find useful when caring for parents of children with medical complexity.
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Critical care nurse · Aug 2023
Safe Patient Handling and Pressure Injury Prevention for Patients With Delayed Sternal Closure.
Pressure injuries are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and cost. Patients with delayed sternal closure after cardiac surgery are at increased risk of developing pressure injury because of their reduced mobility and inability to undergo complete skin assessment. ⋯ Development of an innovative protocol to safely mobilize patients with delayed sternal closure resulted in improved patient care and increased staff safety.
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Pulmonary artery catheters provide important information about cardiac function, mixed venous oxygenation, and right-sided pressures and potentially provide temporary pacing ability. ⋯ The overall risk of serious complications with right heart catheter placement and manipulation is low and often outweighed by its benefits, specifically pressure monitoring and pacing.
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Critical care nurse · Aug 2023
Protocolization of Analgesia and Sedation Through Smart Technology in Intensive Care: Improving Patient Safety.
The risk of medication errors in intensive care units is high, primarily in the drug administration phase. ⋯ Protocolization and centralization of the preparation of high-alert sedative and analgesic medications for critically ill patients and the administration of these drugs using smart pump technology decrease variability of clinical practice and intercept potentially serious medication errors.