American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Multicenter Study
Factors Associated With Nurses' Knowledge of and Perceived Value in Evidence-Based Practices.
Little is known about how the education and specialty certification of intensive care unit nurses influence patients' outcomes. ⋯ Nursing specialty certification was associated with nurses' individual psychosocial beliefs and their perceptions of evidence-based practices in the intensive care unit, whereas education level was not. Supporting nurses in obtaining specialty certification could assist with the adoption of evidence-based practices as a means to improve quality of care in the intensive care unit.
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Multicenter Study
A Team-Based Early Action Protocol to Address Ethical Concerns in the Intensive Care Unit.
Ethical conflicts complicate clinical practice and often compromise communication and teamwork among patients, families, and clinicians. As ethical conflicts escalate, patient and family distress and dissatisfaction with care increase and trust in clinicians erodes, reducing care quality and patient safety. ⋯ When health care teams were encouraged to communicate routinely about goals of care, more patients received needed support and communication barriers were reduced.