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UrduA pilot study at Maine Medical Center found that scores on the RAS and SASS sedation scales that were best associated with a patient’s ability to follow at least three commands are higher than the commonly recommended thresholds for each assessment tool.
Tag: Critical Care
Community Health Pioneer McNeal Receives AACN Award
Gloria McNeal, of National University, will receive the 2022 AACN Pioneering Spirit Award in recognition of her efforts to bring healthcare directly to those most in need and introduce telehealth and remote monitoring to critical care.
Critical Care Nurses Develop Toolkit for COVID-19 Conversations
With conversations about COVID-19 vaccinations a likely centerpiece this holiday season, resources from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses can help individuals prepare for potentially challenging discussions with family and friends who are hesitant about the vaccine.
PICU Clinicians Report Moral Distress, Ethical Concerns
During the initial surge of COVID-19 in the United States, pediatric critical care professionals were already experiencing high rates of moral distress as they faced the rapid emergence of complex ethical challenges and the potential impact of COVID-19 on their young patients and their communities.
Hear Us Out Campaign Reports Nurses’ COVID-19 Reality
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses launches Hear Us Out, a nationwide effort to report nurses’ reality from the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and urge those who have yet to be vaccinated to reconsider
COVID-19 Pulmonary, ARDS and Ventilator Resources Now Available in Spanish
A joint effort between the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development has made AACN’s free “COVID-19 Pulmonary, ARDS and Ventilator Resources” online course available in Spanish.
Recursos sobre COVID-19, SDRA y Ventilación Ahora disponible en español
Un esfuerzo conjunto entre la Asociación Americana de Enfermeras de Cuidados Críticos (AACN) y los proyectos financiados por la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID) ha hecho posible que el curso en línea gratuito de la AACN “Recursos sobre COVID-19, SDRA y Ventilación” esté disponible en español.
Patient-Centered Protocols Help Eliminate Excess Opioid Use after Lung Surgery
Lung surgery patients who utilize a comprehensive, evidence-based enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program require fewer opioid prescriptions when discharged and this effect was sustained over the 4-year study period.
AACN Offers Scholarships for CCRN, PCCN Certification Applicants
Contributions from PBATS and MLBTPA fund special scholarships for nurses ready to pursue CCRN or PCCN certification. This is the first time AACN professional development scholarships have been available to support its nursing certification programs.
Growing Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support Affects Clinician Well-Being, Moral Distress
The growing use of mechanical circulatory support may contribute to high levels of moral distress for clinicians who regularly care for ICU patients receiving the aggressive but life-sustaining therapy, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Study finds recent change in EMS transport policy could improve stroke outcomes
A new EMS transport policy implemented in Chicago showed that sending patients suspected of experiencing large vessel occlusion directly to comprehensive stroke centers led to an increase in the use of endovascular therapy, an important treatment for acute ischemic stroke.
Monitoring Burn ICU Patients Requires Alarm Adjustments
The burn ICU at UNC Medical Center refined its alarm management strategy, reducing nonactionable and false alarms from baseline mean of 100+ per bed per day and developing new skin preparation practices to improve monitoring for ICU patients with injured skin.
Proning Team Became Key Part of Massachusetts General’s COVID-19 Care
A designated proning team — composed of about 70 OR nurses, OR assistants and outpatient physical therapists — became a key part of the COVID-19 care provided by Massachusetts General Hospital, responding around-the-clock to patients who needed turning and allowing critical care clinicians to focus on other aspects of care.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Announces Board of Directors for Fiscal Year 2022
Colorado pediatric nurse Beth Wathen is the new president of the board of directors for the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the world’s largest specialty nursing organization.
AACN Certification Corporation Announces Board of Directors for Fiscal Year 2022
AACN Certification Corporation — the credentialing arm of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) offers 15 specialty, subspecialty and advanced practice nursing certification programs. Lisa Falcón, of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, serves as chair of the national board.
Unit Culture, Safety Concerns Among Barriers to Patient Mobility
Research published in American Journal of Critical Care explores the barriers to out-of-bed patient mobility practices as identified by nurses in a medical ICU at Yale New Haven Hospital. In the study, all 105 patients met early mobility criteria, but none were mobilized for out-of-bed activities.
Mount Sinai’s Simulation Teaching and Research Center Earns Four Accreditations From Society for Simulation in Healthcare
Only center in the world with this combination of distinctions
Teamwork saves lives: COVID-19 hospital network shares key findings to improve care
Data sharing among 40 Michigan hospitals about the care and outcomes for thousands of inpatients with COVID-19 has led to reduced variation and findings that could inform care anywhere, including approaches for preventing blood clots and reducing overuse of antibiotics, as well as a risk prediction tool.
Fast-track Extubation Protocol Reduces Ventilation Time
High rates of variability in extubation times among cardiac surgery patients in Duke University Hospital’s cardiothoracic intensive care unit led to a new fast-track extubation protocol and redesigned care processes. As a result, more patients were extubated within six hours after being admitted to the ICU after surgery.
AACN Critical Care Conference Brings Together Thousands of Nurses for Education, Inspiration
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses expects 6,000+ progressive and critical care nurses to attend its virtual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI, #NTI2021) May 24-27.
Disaster Response Planning Requires Critical Care Readiness
Journal article details staffing, space and supply considerations to integrate critical care-specific needs into disaster response planning. The article is part of a symposium in AACN Advanced Critical Care on trauma patient care.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses selects OSU’s Happ as 2021 Distinguished Research Lecturer
Mary Beth Happ, from The Ohio State University College of Nursing, is the 40th recipient of AACN’s Distinguished Research Lecture award. Her research focuses on improving care and communication with communication-impaired patients, families and clinicians in high acuity and critical care settings.
Nurse-Driven Initiative Cuts CAUTI Rates in the ICU
An initiative at UPMC Williamsport used education and practice-related interventions to quickly reduce CAUTI rates and lay the groundwork for hospital-wide implementation with long-term impact. The bundle included a daily checklist and nurse-driven removal protocol for discontinuing indwelling catheter use.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Announces Recipients of 2021 Circle of Excellence Awards
The 18 nurses who receive the Circle of Excellence award from AACN this year demonstrate an exceptional commitment to achieving excellent outcomes in the care of acutely and critically ill patients and their families, with solution-oriented approaches to challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Critical Care Nursing Conference Offers Education, Inspiration, With Online Flexibility
AACN’s National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition will offer a fully immersive, interactive conference experience May 24-27, delivering the education and inspiration critical care nurses deserve and the flexibility they need.
In-Person Reviews of ICU Patient Deaths Led to Care Improvements
Data from five years of in-person rapid mortality reviews of 500+ ICU patient deaths at a Los Angeles hospital not only identified immediate concerns related to patient care but also yielded valuable insights on potentially preventable patient deaths and areas for hospital improvement initiatives.
Roadmap Will Enable Health Professional Societies to Address Critical Care Clinician Burnout
A new paper published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society provides a roadmap that critical care clinicians’ professional societies can use to address burnout. While strongly needed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the roadmap has taken on even greater urgency due to reports of increasing pandemic-related burnout.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recognizes 208 hospital units with Beacon Award for Excellence
More than 200 units from 149 U.S. hospitals earned the AACN Beacon Award for Excellence between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020.
Pauses During CPR, Compression Quality Impact Survival Rates
An analysis of CPR interventions after in-hospital cardiac arrests found that the number of pauses in chest compressions greater than 10 seconds consistently impacted survival rates. The study appears to be the first to assess participants at four milestones during their hospital stay.
Nurses Key to Reducing Stress for Families of ICU Patients
Nurses play a crucial role in helping to reduce the stress experienced by family members of critically ill patients, according to an article in Critical Care Nurse. A review of relevant research studies (2007-2019) found that, regardless of the patient’s age, family members’ stress fell into four main categories.
COVID-19 Preprint Data Rapidly Influenced Critical Care Practice
In a new research letter published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers examine whether preprint data on the use of the corticosteroid dexamethasone influenced clinical practice in treating COVID-19 critical care patients throughout Australia.
AACN CSI Academy Expands to Support Underserved Populations With Grant From Edwards Lifesciences Foundation
A $200,000 grants from Edwards Lifesciences Foundation will support the expansion of the AACN CSI Academy nurse leadership and innovation program to 10 cardiac surgery critical care and/or progressive care units that provide care to a significant proportion of patients from underserved populations, with an emphasis on Black communities.
University of Miami Health System and 4DMedical Launch Research Program Advancing Breakthrough Lung Technology
UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, and 4DMedical recently announced the creation of the Functional Lung Imaging Research Program in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Miller School.
COVID-19 Pandemic Amplifies Need to Integrate Palliative Care Into ICUs
Critical care nurses are ideally positioned to drive full integration of palliative care into the care of all patients who are seriously ill, including patients with COVID-19.
Partnership with Veterans Brings New Medical Devices to Prehospital Settings
Critical care researchers and veterans are bringing devices used to stop hemorrhage bleeds on the battlefield to civilian life.
Mount Sinai Develops Machine Learning Models to Predict Critical Illness and Mortality in COVID-19 Patients
Mount Sinai researchers have developed machine learning models that predict the likelihood of critical events and mortality in COVID-19 patients within clinically relevant time windows.
University of Miami Health System Sarcoidosis Program Recognized as Center of Excellence
With its multidisciplinary approach to patient care, research and education, the University of Miami Sarcoidosis Program has been recognized as one of world’s leading centers for this complex multisystem disorder by the World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Diseases/Foundation of Sarcoidosis Research (WASOG-FSR).
AACN-funded Research Influences Nursing Practice
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses invites clinicians and nurse scientists to submit research projects by Oct. 30, 2020, for the next application cycle, with total available funding of $160,000. The most recent recipients and their projects exemplify AACN’s commitment to nurse-driven research and evidence-based practice.
AACN Launches Micro-Credential for COVID-19 Patient Care
New micro-credential for nurses and other healthcare professionals who provide direct care for critically ill patients with COVID-19 is among the first for clinical care. AACN is the first professional nursing organization to offer a micro-credential.
University of Pittsburgh Trauma Experts Aim to Reduce Deaths by Providing Blood-Clotting Agent
The study found the drug can help the most severely injured trauma patients.
Massachusetts Study Examines Relationships Between Staffing, Sepsis Rates
Sepsis rates at a sample of Massachusetts hospitals were significantly lower with increased nurse staffing and intensivist hours, according to new research published in the October issue of Critical Care Nurse.
Last-resort life support option helped majority of critically ill COVID-19 patients survive, global study shows
It saved lives in past epidemics of lung-damaging viruses. Now, the life-support option known as ECMO appears to be doing the same for many of the critically ill COVID-19 patients who receive it. Patients in a new international study faced a staggeringly high risk of death, as ventilators failed to support their lungs. But after they were placed on ECMO, their actual death rate was less than 40%.
Physicians issue warning about rare neurological condition, expected to appear this fall
Pediatricians Henry David, MD, and Madan Kumar, DO, of the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital warn parents of young children to watch out for symptoms of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare neurological disorder linked to viral infections that can lead to permanent paralysis.
New Version of AACN’s Critical Care Orientation Course Includes Stand-alone and Specialty-focused Options
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has released the latest version of its Essentials of Critical Care Orientation online course. Since its initial launch in 2002, ECCO has been used at more than 1,100 hospitals and healthcare facilities as an integral part of their critical care orientation or to supplement classroom-based education.
Workplace Climate May Drive Nurses’ Perceptions of Burnout
A nationwide survey of critical care nurses points to workplace climate as an important target for efforts to promote clinician well-being and reduce burnout. Overall, one-third of the respondents reported burnout, which mirrors other studies that have found a high prevalence of burnout among critical care nurses.
Outside Looking In: Study Shows Variation in Hospital Visitor & ICU Communication Policies Due to COVID-19
A new study documents how 49 hospitals in a state hit hard by COVID-19 changed their visitor policies and communications with families of intensive care unit patients in the first months of the pandemic — and how those efforts varied. Virtually all hospitals put in place a “no visitors” blanket policy, but 59% of them did allow some exceptions to this rule.
Atrium Health Tele-ICU Evolves to Meet COVID-19 Challenges
Atrium Health’s tele-ICU quickly adjusted its patient-centered focus to include supporting and protecting bedside nurses caring for patients in isolation, as part of the system’s planning and preparations for the pandemic.
Simple Strategies to Increase Positive Emotion Skills
Five-article symposium in AACN journal focuses on promoting well-being and resilience in critical care nursing, including strategies to increase the frequency of positive emotion in daily life.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses announces board of directors for fiscal year 2021
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, announces its board of directors for fiscal year 2021, with terms effective July 1, 2020.
Standardized Curriculum Introduces ICU Nurses to ECMO
Vanderbilt University Medical Center designed and rapidly deployed a curriculum specifically to equip nurses new to ECMO with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to provide proficient and safe care for patients receiving ECMO. The pre-COVID ECMO training proved to be an effective, resource-efficient and pragmatic solution that can be used across different types of ICUs and across institutions.