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UrduVanderbilt University Medical Center has been approved for $7 million in research funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the effect of breathing tube size on breathing, speaking and swallowing after critical illness.
Tag: Critical Care
Registration Opens for AACN’s NTI 2025
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) invites nurses and other healthcare professionals who provide care for acutely and critically ill patients and their families to its 2025 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) in New Orleans, May 19-21. Media credentials are available.
Cardiogenic Shock Team Cuts Time to Diagnosis by Half
A cardiogenic shock team at a Texas specialty hospital significantly decreased the time from first signs to diagnosis and from the initial transfer request to acceptance for patients being transferred from a referring hospital
Nurses Hone Clinical Skills Through Military-Civilian Partnership
A regional partnership allowed active-duty military critical care nurses to complete rotations of standard 12-hour shifts at a civilian trauma center, enhancing their clinical readiness relevant to both combat medicine and general hospital care.
Beyond the Bundle: Focused Rounds Address CLABSI Risks
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania used nurse-driven central catheter rounds to identify specific areas for improvement, decreasing the CLABSI rate in its cardiac progressive care unit to 0.0.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Announces Board of Directors for Fiscal Year 2025
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses announces its board of directors for fiscal year 2025, with terms effective July 1, 2024. Jennifer Adamski, of Emory University, becomes president of world’s largest specialty nursing organization.
Factors Vary for Mode of Death After Cardiac Arrest
A study from The Ohio State University finds important differences among patients who survive a cardiac arrest to receive hospital care before their death.
Simulation Sessions Help ICU Clinicians Prepare for High-Risk, Infrequent Emergency Procedures
The cardiovascular ICU at the University of Mississippi Medical Center developed a simulation training program to improve clinicians’ ability to recognize clinical signs that would prompt an emergency ICU sternotomy for a postoperative cardiac surgery patient and rehearse the high-risk but infrequent procedure.
Hospital Care Unit Meets Hiring Challenges by Growing Its Own Care Partners
To fill high demand positions, CHLA trainees undergo reskilling, a recent addition to the workforce glossary that refers to employees’ learning of new skills in order to pursue a different role within the same organization.
Mobility May Have Dose-Response Relationship with ICU Patient Outcomes
UC Davis study of data from 8500+ ICU patients finds more out-of-bed mobility interventions for critically ill patients were associated with shorter mechanical ventilation duration and hospital stays, suggesting a dose-response relationship between daily mobility and patient outcomes.
AACN Publishes Standards for Appropriate Staffing in Adult Critical Care
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has published “AACN Standards for Appropriate Staffing in Adult Critical Care,” the specialty’s first, action-oriented staffing standards. The 42-page document establishes seven standards intended to improve some of the many processes that affect appropriate registered nurse staffing.
Nurses Must Advocate Beyond the Bedside
Nurse-legislator offers eight specific steps nurses can take to position themselves as confident advocates ready to engage in policy discussions and influence policymakers. The article is part of a symposium in AACN Advanced Critical Care about political engagement for nurses and advanced practice nurses.
Annals supplement highlights important new evidence readers ‘may have missed’ in 2023
A new supplement published in Annals of Internal Medicine highlights important new evidence published in 2023 that readers may have missed.
Screening Tool Streamlines Requests for Palliative Care Consultations
An initiative at Bon Secours Mercy Health Anderson hospital in Cincinnati demonstrates the potential impact of integrating a simple screening tool at the point of admission to trigger automatic referrals for palliative care consultations for critically ill patients.
Certified Nurses Inspire Others Through Commitment to Excellence
In honor of Certified Nurses Day March 19, critical care, progressive care and advanced practice nurses told AACN why they chose to be certified. More than 138,000 nurses currently hold credentials from AACN Certification Corporation.
New Assessment Tool Supports Onboarding ICU Nurses
AACN Knowledge Assessment Tool helps hospitals better identify knowledge gaps and educational needs of critical care and progressive care nurses during orientation and onboarding. The online assessment randomly generates validated questions in over 10 areas and aligns with AACN’s Essentials of Critical Care Orientation course used by 1,000+ healthcare facilities.
Registration Opens for NTI 2024, AACN’s 50th Conference
Next year, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses will celebrate its 50th National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, May 20-22, in Denver. NTI has become the premier conference for critical and progressive care nursing education. Registration is open, and media credentials are available.
Anxiety Sensitivity ‘What If’ Fears Impact Care for ICU Patients, During and After Hospitalization
Clinicians need to have a better understanding of the potential impact of patients’ anxiety sensitivity, or “fear of fear,” falsely believing that symptoms are the early signs of something bad, such as a heart attack, cognitive decline or social isolation.
Point-of-Care Ultrasonography Offers Clear Benefits, Multiple Applications in Critical Care
Advances in ultrasonography technology have led to increased usage at the point-of-care, with handheld devices offering both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. AACN journal publishes two-part symposium on POCUS use In critical care.
Rapid Telehealth Consults Improve Care for Rural Patients With Stroke
A telestroke program at Essentia Health addressed barriers to rapid diagnosis and intervention for rural patients with stroke symptoms, decreasing door-to-needle time and improving outcomes.
Analysis Reveals Factors Associated With Patients With Sepsis Who Require Mechanical Ventilation
An analysis of 10 years of health data showed that risk factors for needing mechanical ventilation changed for patients with newly diagnosed sepsis as more time passed after onset.
Ultrasound can briefly induce a hibernation-like state in animals
Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have used ultrasound to nudge rodents into an energy-conserving state that mirrors a natural, hibernation-like survival mechanism known as torpor. The technique could help buy precious time for patients in critical care.
Thorough and Ongoing Neurological Assessments Crucial to Care of Patients With Altered Level of Consciousness
Nurses who care for neurologically impaired patients must have the knowledge, skill and time to confidently perform comprehensive neurological assessments to identify changes and evaluate trends that require quick diagnosis and intervention by the multidisciplinary team. Article in Critical Care Nurse provides an overview of methods to assess patients with altered level of consciousness.
Pediatric Early Warning Systems save lives in Latin American hospitals
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and colleagues in Latin America found that early identification of clinical deterioration saves lives, especially in hospitals with the greatest need.
Cannabis use associated with increased risk of surgical complications, according to UTHealth Houston study
People who are regular cannabis users are at an increased risk of experiencing complications before, during, and after surgery, according to a study by researchers with UTHealth Houston published today in JAMA Surgery.
Patients With Alzheimer Disease, Dementia Face 2x Risk of Dying After ICU Discharge
Older adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementia who were admitted to an ICU were much less likely to be discharged home and faced almost twice the risk of dying soon after discharge and within the 12 months afterward.
AACN Publishes Scope and Standards for Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice
An updated version of “AACN Scope and Standards for Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice” is now available. It delineates the acute care CNS scope of practice, standards of practice, and standards of professional performance.
Debriefing After Critical Events Combines Review, Reflection
The PICU bereavement/wellness committee at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago developed a tailored debriefing process to allow time for reflection and communication after critical patient events. The process was designed as a hot debriefing to be completed during the current shift, with all staff members who were involved in the event invited to participate.
MEDIA ADVISORY: AACN’s Critical Care Exposition Showcases Latest Equipment, Devices and More
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses hosts its annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) May 22-24 in Philadelphia. NTI — the world’s largest conference for nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients — includes the Critical Care Exposition, the largest and most comprehensive trade show specifically for progressive care and critical care nurses.
Initiative Improves Alarm Management, Reduces Alarm Fatigue
A Florida hospital’s surgical ICU used the CEASE bundle to improve nurses’ alarm management practices and reduce nurses’ self-reported alarm fatigue, according to a study in Critical Care Nurse.
Dedication to Patients, Profession Drives Nurses to Seek Certification
As part of Certified Nurses Day March 19, a few progressive care, critical care and advanced practice nurses told AACN why they chose to get certified. They are among more than 133,000 nurses who hold AACN Certification Corp. credentials.
Checklist Prompters Support ICU Rounds
New research from UPMC points to the potential for patient-specific checklists as a valid way to effectively translate the latest evidence into clinical practice. The study published in American Journal of Critical Care measured performance on the ABCDEF bundle during rounds.
Initiative Prevents Tracheostomy-Related Pressure Injuries
A New York hospital ICU was able to reduce the incidence of medical device-related pressure injuries following a tracheostomy to zero for four years, according to a study published in AACN Advanced Critical Care. A key part of the new clinical process was a revised procedural kit and documentation, with a foam dressing placed under the tracheostomy flange during insertion.
Decision Guide Clarifies Indicators for Swallowing Consults
ECU Health Medical Center in North Carolina developed a decision guide to provide healthcare teams with specific guidelines to determine which recently extubated patients required further swallowing assessment by an appropriate professional.
Save the Date! Washington, DC to Host ATS 2023
It has been six years since the ATS International Conference was last held in Washington, DC, and the world has changed dramatically. We are excited to welcome you back to the nation’s capital for ATS 2023, when we will engage leaders, as well as emerging scientists and clinicians, in passionate discussions of medical breakthroughs and clinical innovation to meet the needs of patients worldwide.
UCHealth Initiative Reduces Off-Label Pulse Oximeter Placement
A short-term quality improvement initiative at UCHealth in Colorado helped change the culture of pulse oximetry use, reducing the off-label placement of sensors from 15% to less than 1% and reinforcing that different types of pulse oximeters are not interchangeable.
Registration Opens for Premier Critical Care Nursing Conference
Registration is now open for AACN’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), to be held in Philadelphia, May 22-24, 2023. The NTI experience will address nearly 50 clinical and professional development topics and include the largest and most comprehensive trade show expressly for progressive and critical care nurses.
In Their Own Words: Patients, Families Describe Major Medical Treatments
Researchers with University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing analyzed the comments in open-ended responses from a survey about making decisions on major medical treatments to gain insight into the words used by patients and families and how they conceptualize the various treatments.
AACN Research Grants Influence Nursing Practice
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses announces the newest recipients of its annual research grants and invites clinicians and researchers to submit projects online by Oct. 28, 2022, for the next application cycle. AACN will award up to three $50,000 Impact Research Grants in 2023, as well as co-sponsoring the AACN-Sigma Critical Care Grant, with up to $10,000 in funding.
Certain antibiotics are associated with an increased risk of mortality in critically ill patients
Michigan Medicine research suggests that administration of antibiotics with activity against anaerobic bacteria has a profound effect on the gut microbiome and, ultimately, an adverse impact on critically ill patients.
Initiative Reduces Pressure Injuries From Noninvasive Oxygen Delivery Devices
A short-term quality improvement initiative at Nebraska Medicine quickly reduced the incidence of facial pressure injuries and led to institution-wide adoption of different types of noninvasive oxygen delivery devices.
AACN Consensus Statement Addresses Evolving Tele-critical Care Nursing Practice
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has published an update to its landmark standards for tele-critical care nursing practice, offering specific recommendations for the development and enhancement of tele-critical care programs.
Patients’ Families Are A Key Factor in End-of-Life Care at Rural Hospitals
Nurses at critical access hospitals rate family behaviors and attitudes as dominant factors to providing end-of-life care, similar to their counterparts at large, urban medical centers, suggesting that caring for dying patients has much in common regardless of rural or urban location
Preventing Pressure Injuries Among ICU Patients With COVID-19 Requires Extra Vigilance
Patients who are critically ill with COVID-19 are at exceptionally high risk for developing healthcare-associated pressure injuries, especially those related to medical devices, and clinicians must consider additional factors beyond those assessed with common classification tools.
Former army medic turned emergency physician offers training, care during Ukraine war
A former medic in the Austrian military who is now a Michigan emergency physician has traveled to Ukraine to train hundreds of health care providers in trauma care.
AACN Study Underscores Pandemic Damage and the Benefits of Healthy Work Environments
Results from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ national survey of 9,000-plus nurses underscore the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses and the benefits of creating healthy work environments to support nurse staffing, retention and optimal patient care.
Assessing Cognitive Function at Hospital Discharge Helps Identify Post-ICU Needs
Researchers at Montefiore Medical Center found that about 30% of ICU survivors could not complete a simple screening assessment for cognitive impairment at hospital discharge. About 47% of those who were able to complete the assessment scored at a level consistent with severe cognitive impairment.
SBAR Tool Adds Structure to ICU Communication
Duke University Medical Center improved communication and collaboration between nurses and advanced practice providers in an ICU, with a standardized template to guide conversations. The effort also contributed to an improved sense of teamwork and other unexpected positive outcomes.
Donations from Professional Baseball Healthcare Providers Support 80+ Nurses on Path to CCRN, PCCN Certification
More than 80 progressive care and critical care nurses have been awarded scholarships to support their pursuit of CCRN or PCCN specialty nursing certification, thanks to donations to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses from two groups of professional baseball healthcare providers.
Transition to ENFit Connectors Presents Opportunity to Review Feeding Tube Protocols
Variations in practice and outdated protocols related to nasogastric feeding tubes can impact patient safety and lead to complications. U.S. healthcare organizations are currently transitioning to a new type of connectors, which provides an opportune time to review feeding tube insertion and care processes.