American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
-
Disinfection of frequently touched surfaces in the hospital is critical for providing safe care. Because of their complex intricate surfaces, blood pressure cuffs and electrocardiographic telemetry leads may be harder than other equipment to disinfect. ⋯ Wipes with 0.5% hydrogen peroxide adequately disinfect blood pressure cuffs but not telemetry leads.
-
Many alcohol withdrawal scoring tools are used in hospitalized patients to assess the severity of alcohol withdrawal and guide treatment. The revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment (CIWA-Ar) and the modified Minnesota Detoxification Scale (mMINDS) are commonly used but have never been correlated. ⋯ The correlation between the CIWA-Ar and mMINDS tools is strong and appears to be most robust in patients with CIWA-Ar scores of 10 or less.
-
Delirium poses increased morbidity and mortality risks for hospitalized patients. Underrecognition by health care providers contributes to poor outcomes for patients. Little has been published about methods used to teach health care providers how to screen for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU). ⋯ The educational intervention provided for these nurses further validated published reports of the benefits of an educational program about delirium. The content of the educational intervention should be targeted for the setting, the risk factors for the patient population in question, and the specific delirium screening tool used.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Collecting Nursing Research Data 24 Hours a Day: Challenges, Lessons, and Recommendations.
Research on many routine nursing interventions requires data collection around the clock each day (24/7). Strategies for implementing and coordinating a study 24/7 are not discussed in the literature, and best practices are needed. ⋯ A nursing clinical trial that requires interventions on a 24/7 basis can be done with thorough planning, staffing, and continuous quality improvement activities.