American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are being increasingly integrated into intensive care unit and hospital-based care teams, yet limited information is available on provider to patient ratios. ⋯ Additional information on factors influencing provider to patient ratios and specific components of the roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants will be important to ensure the best utilization of these providers to enable optimal patient care outcomes.
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To test an interventional patient skin integrity bundle, the InSPiRE protocol, for reducing pressure injuries in critically ill patients in an Australian adult intensive care unit. ⋯ The intervention group, receiving the InSPiRE protocol, had a lower cumulative incidence of pressure injuries, and fewer and less severe pressure injuries that developed over time. Systematic and ongoing assessment of the patient's skin and risk for pressure injuries as well as implementation of tailored prevention measures are central to preventing pressure injuries.
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Multicenter Study
Withholding or continuing enteral feedings during repositioning and the incidence of aspiration.
Withholding enteral feedings during repositioning is based on tradition, but available evidence does not support this practice. Although research indicates that withholding of enteral feedings during repositioning contributes to undernourishment, the relationship between continuing enteral feedings during repositioning and the incidence of aspiration has not been determined. ⋯ A research protocol to directly explore the relationship between the incidence of aspiration and withholding or continuing enteral feedings during repositioning is feasible.