American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Although it is perceived as essential, documentation of caring behaviors executed by nurses is rarely done. To facilitate what is important to patients and their family members, we need to understand what behaviors are perceived as caring or not caring. ⋯ When patients and family members are asked directly about their experience, valuable insight is gained into what they perceive as caring and what contributes to recovery as perceived by those in crisis and in high-intensity medical settings. Capturing these data is elemental to designing high-quality, safe environments that facilitate healing.
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Radiography is the accepted gold standard for testing feeding tube placement; however, an electromagnetic tube-placement device (ETPD) is sometimes used in lieu of radiography for this purpose. High success rates have been reported when the device was used by well-trained individuals. However, authors previously described 20 cases that occurred between 2007 and 2012 in which clinicians voluntarily reported inability to detect inadvertent tube insertions in the respiratory tract while using an ETPD. ⋯ Many case reports involved clinicians failing to recognize tube misplacements in the respiratory tract while using an ETPD. These reports provide evidence that not all clinicians can use the device effectively to detect malpositioned tubes. Thus, one must continue to question the wisdom of eliminating radiographic confirmation of tube position before starting feedings.
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Mothers whose infants are born with complex congenital heart disease (CCHD) experience stress during their infant's hospitalization in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU). ⋯ Results from this study revealed factors that contribute to the stress of mothers whose infants are born with CCHD and are hospitalized in a PCICU. Nurses are in a critical position to provide education and influence care to reduce maternal stressors in the PCICU, enhance mothers' parental role, and mitigate maternal state anxiety.