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Objective: To explore intensive care unit (ICU) nurses' perceptions of their adherence to pressure injury prevention clinical practice guideline and identify the perceived barriers and facilitators that influence evidence-based pressure injury prevention practices in Chinese tertiary hospitals., Research Methodology/design: This was a multi-site, quantitative, cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire with three sections: participant demographic information, adherence to pressure injury prevention clinical practice guideline, and barriers to and facilitators of pressure injury prevention clinical practice guideline implementation., Setting: Thirty-three adult ICUs in 16 tertiary general hospitals in 5 major cities in Liaoning Province, China., Results: In total, 473 nurses responded to the survey. The mean score for adherence to pressure injury prevention clinical practice guideline was 159.06 ± 20.65, with 65.3 % reporting good adherence. Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that smaller ICU size (β = -0.114, p = 0.012) and having participated in training on pressure injury prevention clinical practice guideline (β = 0.149, p = 0.001) were statistically significantly associated with better adherence. ICU nurses identified the low priority given to pressure injury prevention as the top barrier. The top three facilitators were awareness of evidence-based practice, the current documentation format for pressure injury risk/nursing interventions, and leadership support., Conclusion: ICU nurses' adherence to pressure injury prevention clinical practice guideline was satisfactory, and they reported low-to-moderate barriers and moderate facilitators., Implications for Clinical Practice: Participating in training on pressure injury prevention clinical practice guideline was a predictor of ICU nurses' adherence. Therefore, it is highly recommended that healthcare organisations consider providing training to nurses and address the barriers identified to improve nurses' adherence to evidence-based pressure injury prevention guidelines., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In order to improve the nursing effect of respiratory critical illness, this paper combines the refined nursing method to explore the nursing plan of respiratory critical illness. Moreover, this paper uses the variable control method to explore the effects of nursing management, combines the hospital patient samples to conduct a controlled trial analysis, and conducts sample grouping according to the random grouping method. The patients in the control group are managed by traditional nursing management methods, the patients in the test group are managed by refined nursing management methods, and other conditions are basically the same. In addition, the experiment process variable control is carried out according to the mathematical statistics method, and the reasonable statistics and data processing are carried out. Through the comparison method, we can see that the refined management method proposed in this paper has a good effect in the nursing of respiratory critical illness., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wenjuan Shi et al.)

In order to achieve significant improvements in the evaluation of key indicators such as speed, quality, cost, and service, this paper fundamentally rethinks and completely redesigns the business process, and recreates a new business process. This study combines the particularity of AMI with emergency nursing to construct an in-hospital AMI emergency nursing process to further standardize the AMI rescue work. The implementation of the process helps to clarify the responsibilities and requirements of nurses in the AMI emergency process, reduce the delay time of AMI emergency, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency. In addition, after refactoring the business process, this paper builds an intelligent digital critical illness monitoring system. This system combines the original work flow of the ICU medical staff, optimizes the work flow of the medical staff through computer technology and information technology, and designs and completes the digital intensive nursing system software to run and use in the hospital and obtain significant results., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Zhiying Zhang and Huiju Zhu.)

Background and Purpose: Unique pressures impact trauma intensive care unit (TICU) nurses in their provision of care for severely injured patients. When it becomes clinically obvious that these patients may not survive, TICU nurses must continue life-saving measures while at the same time consider a palliative care consultation. In order to facilitate this referral, TICU nurses need to have the appropriate knowledge, attitude, and confidence in doing so. The purpose of this study is to refine an instrument that aims to support this process., Methods: A convenience sample of 42 respondents completed the Knowledge, Attitudinal, and Experiential Survey on Advance Directive (KAESAD)., Results: Domains with the highest Cronbach's alpha value were "professional attitudes" (α = .995) and "clinical experiences" (α = .999)., Conclusions: Reliability assessments suggest that most domains of the instrument have strong internal consistency, and with a larger sample size, future studies may elucidate how nurse educators can use this instrument to target areas for continuing education., (© Copyright 2021 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

Background and Purpose: Mobilization of critical patients should be precocious and the inclusion of nursing in this task can be decisive in paradigm shift. The purpose of this study was to validate the Portuguese version of the intensive care unit Mobility Scale for nursing use., Methods: Prospective multicenter observational study. Patients' mobility was evaluated by rehabilitation nurses in order to determine interobserver agreement. The validation criteria was tested by determining the correlation between the evaluation results of mobility, strength, and functionality levels at discharge., Results: Good interobserver agreement ( R = 0.98; K = 0.76). Positive correlation with muscle strength ( R = 0.77) and functionality ( R = 0.85) levels at discharge., Conclusions: Based on the correlations observed the scale is a valid instrument for nurses and could be a useful tool for routine use. More research is recommended to make the results more robust., (© Copyright 2021 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

This article discusses the crucial role and dearth of critical care nurses in the United States highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. This challenge of sufficient critical care nursing resources existed before the pandemic, but now concern is heightened by the need for such crucial healthcare providers now and in the future. We present strategies to address the gap, as well as challenges inherent in the suggested approaches. The discussion is relevant as nurse leaders adapt to COVID-19 and other novel challenges in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: As nursing resources is directly related to patient outcomes in the intensive care unit setting, identifying factors related to nursing resources at various levels could contribute to improving those outcomes. This study aims to determine the association of nursing resources with outcomes of intensive care unit patients., Method: This study adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis for Protocols. Chinese electronic Database (Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and international electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) will be searched for all relevant published articles, with no restrictions on the year of publication or language. Study selection, data collection and assessment of study bias will be conducted independently by a pair of independent reviewers. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale tool will be used for the risk of bias assessment. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation system will be used to assess the quality of evidence. The statistical analysis of this meta-analysis will be calculated by Review manager version 5.3., Results: The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal., Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review will provide a high-quality synthesis of latest evidence and provide a basis for assessing the association of nursing resources on patients' outcomes in intensive care units., Trial Registration Number: 10.17605/OSF.IO/9FNEX., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Purpose: This study aimed to explore turnover rates for Korean acute care hospital nurses and identify factors influencing their turnover., Methods: The study was retrospective in nature. Nurse cohort data were obtained from hospital status data from Korea's Health Insurance Review Assessment Service. The observation period was from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016, and data for 96,158 nurses were analyzed. Independent variables included nurses' age and sex and hospital setting, type, ownership, and nurse staffing level. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to estimate survival curves, and factors influencing turnover were analyzed using Cox's proportional hazard regression., Results: The cumulative turnover probability for all nurses was .17, .29, .38, .45, and .50 for the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth years, respectively. The results showed that the longer the career duration, the lower the turnover rates. According to the factors influencing nurse turnover, both nurses' (i.e., sex and career duration) and hospitals' (i.e., hospital setting, type, ownership, and nurse staffing level) characteristics were statistically significant., Conclusion: It should be noted that the turnover rate of nurses with less than three year of career duration and of those with less than one year has been shown to be quite high. Therefore, target populations for acute care hospital nurse turnover should be expanded from new graduate nurses to experienced nurses with less than 3 years of career. Further studies are required to examine the causes of high turnover rates in hospitals that are small and/or have low nurse staffing levels., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Ireland's Sláintecare health plan is placing an increased focus on primary care. A community oncology nursing programme was developed to train community nurses to deliver care in the community. While the initial pilot was proven to be clinically safe, no cost evaluation was carried out. This study aims to compare the costs of providing cancer support services in a day-ward versus in the community., Methods: 183 interventions (40 in day-ward and 143 in community) were timed and costed using healthcare professional salaries and the Human Capital method., Results: From the healthcare provider perspective, the day-ward was a significantly cheaper option by an average of €17.13 (95% CI €13.72 - €20.54, p < 0.001). From the societal perspective, the community option was cheaper by an average of €2.77 (95% CI -€3.02 - €8.55), although this was a non-significant finding. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the community service may be significantly cheaper from the societal perspective., Conclusions: Given the demand for cost-viable options for primary care services, this programme may represent a national option for cancer care in Ireland when viewed from the societal perspective., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in healthcare settings has significant implications for patients and healthcare workers, may amplify local outbreaks, and may place additional burden on already stretched resources. Risk of missed or late diagnosis of COVID-19 was high during the UK's initial 'containment phase', because of strict criteria for testing. The risk remains due to asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic transmission, complicated by challenges faced with laboratory testing. We present a case study of potential nosocomial transmission associated with the first case of COVID-19 at a large acute NHS Trust in South-West London, and we describe the prevailing burden of nosocomial infections., (Crown Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Burnout is a maladaptive response to work-related stress that is associated with negative consequences for patients, clinicians, and the health care system. Critical care nurses are at especially high risk for burnout. Previous studies of burnout have used survey methods that simultaneously measure risk factors and outcomes of burnout, potentially introducing common method bias., Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of burnout and individual and organizational characteristics associated with burnout among critical care nurses across a national integrated health care system using data from an annual survey and methods that avoid common method bias., Methods: A 2017 survey of 2352 critical care nurses from 94 sites. Site-level workplace climate was assessed using 2016 survey data from 2191 critical care nurses., Results: Overall, one-third of nurses reported burnout, which varied significantly across sites. In multilevel analysis, workplace climate was the strongest predictor of burnout (odds ratio [OR], 2.20; 95% CI, 1.50-3.22). Other significant variables were overall hospital quality (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.05-1.99), urban location (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.09-3.42), and nurse tenure (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.44-3.10). In secondary multivariable analyses, workplace climate subthemes of perceptions of workload and staffing, supervisors and senior leadership, culture of teamwork, and patient experience were each significantly associated with burnout., Conclusions: Drivers of burnout are varied, yet interventions frequently target only the individual. Results of this study suggest that in efforts to reduce burnout, emphasis should be placed on improving local workplace climate., (©2020 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

Integration of flexible visitation into a large health system requires concentrated effort. Evaluating impact on patient, family, and staff outcomes is important to facilitate changes and ensure visiting policy success. The medical intensive care unit staff participated in a collaborative quality improvement effort to encourage flexible visitation. The integration of flexible visitation spanned an 18-month period, timed to accompany a transition to a new setting with rooms designed to support visitor presence. This article details these efforts, outcomes, and important gaps for future work evaluating integration of flexible visitation in critical care., Competing Interests: Disclosure Phase 2 data collection was supported by The PCOR-ICU collaborative through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI, 2015) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award, offered by SCCM. https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2015/improving-carecritically-ill-patients-families-through-research., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pupillary light reflex (PLR) has traditionally been assessed using a pen torch (light). Although the terms "brisk" or "sluggish" are often used, it is unclear what characteristics of the PLR result in this description. More recently, automated infrared pupillometry has enabled us to quantify the different components of a PLR., Methods: We conducted a 2-part questionnaire survey of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses. In part 1, nurses were requested to describe the key characteristics that they associate with a brisk or sluggish PLR in free-text responses. In part 2, after an introduction to pupillometry and the different components of a PLR, nurses were asked to rank the relative importance of latency (time taken for pupil to start reacting to light), percentage change (in pupil size after light stimulus), and constriction velocity (rate of constriction after light stimulus) in relation to a pupil being described as "brisk" and "sluggish., Results: Fifty nurses responded. In part 1, "Quick" was the commonest term used (36% of respondents) to describe a brisk PLR, and 72% used "slow" for a sluggish PLR. Most descriptions most closely mapped to features of latency and/or constriction velocity. In part 2, latency was ranked the most important component on pupillometry for describing brisk (32%) and sluggish (34%) PLRs. Constriction velocity was ranked as the most important by 18% (brisk) and 20% (sluggish), whereas 44% (brisk) and 46% (sluggish) ranked percentage change behind the other 2 characteristics., Conclusion: Latency, followed by the constriction velocity, was felt by PICU nurses to be the most important characteristic of the PLR that results in terms "brisk" or "sluggish" being used at the bedside to describe a PLR. We plan to compare these subjective opinions with objective findings from pupillometry.

Background: Medical malpractice data can be used to improve patient safety., Objective: To describe the types of harm events involving nurses that lead to malpractice claims and to compare claims among intensive care units (ICUs), emergency departments, and operating rooms., Methods: Malpractice claims closed between 2007 and 2016 were extracted from a national database. Claims with a nurse as the primary provider were identified and then compared by location of the harm event: ICU, emergency department, or operating room. Multivariable regression was used to determine predictors of claims payment., Results: Of 54 699 claims, 314 involved ICU nurses as the primary provider. The majority (59%) of claims involving ICU nurses resulted in death or permanent injury. The most common allegation of claims involving ICU nurses was failure to monitor (47%), which was higher than among claims against nurses in the emergency department (9%) or the operating room (4%) (P < .001). The most common diagnosis in claims involving ICU nurses was decubitus ulcers (26%). Despite equivalent numbers of defendants per claim, the median indemnity for paid claims involving ICU nurses was higher ($125 000) than that paid for claims originating in the emergency department ($56 799) or operating room ($43 910) (P < .001). In multivariable regression, 2 variables increased the risk of claim payment: ICU location (odds ratio, 1.79 [95% CI, 1.29-2.48]) and permanent injury (odds ratio, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.07-2.09])., Conclusions: Malpractice claims involving ICU nurses were distinct from claims in comparably fast-paced settings. Focusing harm-prevention efforts in the ICU on skin integrity and monitoring of patients would most likely mitigate many highly severe harms involving ICU nurses, which would benefit both patients and nurses., (© 2020 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

Critical thinking affects patient safety in critical situations. Nurses, in particular, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, need to develop their critical thinking skills. The present article seeks to compare the level of critical thinking in medical-surgical and ICU nurses and investigate the factors explaining it. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 medical-surgical and ICU nurses (60 per group). Data were collected using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and analyzed in SPSS-16 using independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and the regression analysis. The mean critical thinking score was 8.68 ± 2.84 in the ICU nurses and 9.12 ± 2.99 in the medical-surgical nurses. No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of the critical thinking score and the scores of its domains. The results of the regression analysis showed that demographic variables explain only 8% of the variations in critical thinking score, as only gender explains nurses' critical thinking score. The results revealed poor critical thinking scores in the nurses working in medical-surgical wards. Investigating the reasons for the poor scores obtained and using educational strategies such as PBL, conceptual map, participation in interdisciplinary rounds, the development of clinical guidelines and participation in continuing education conferences are recommended for developing critical thinking skills in nurses., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric diagnosis in intensive care units and often leads to extended hospital stays and an increased rate of complications. Delirium can be classified as hypoactive, hyperactive, or mixed. Hyperactive delirium is often accompanied by agitation, which is a predictive factor for unplanned extubation. Hypoactive delirium does not include outward agitation; its incidence and relationship to ventilatory outcomes, specifically unplanned extubation and duration of mechanical ventilation, are relatively unexplored., Objective: To determine the occurrence rate of each delirium type in the first 7 days after intensive care unit admission and explore the relationship between delirium type and ventilatory outcomes., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study that enrolled adult patients consecutively admitted to a medical intensive care unit over 12 months. Data were abstracted on patient demographic variables, daily clinical variables (morning and evening delirium, coma, and sedation scores), and outcome variables (unplanned extubation, length of stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation)., Results: We enrolled 171 patients in the study. Hypoactive delirium occurred in up to 44% of patients. Of 25 instances of unplanned extubation, up to 74% of patients had hypoactive delirium. Delirium was not a predictor of unplanned extubation; smoking history, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and failed breathing trials best predicted unplanned extubation (odds ratios = 3.2, 5.2, and 12.6, respectively; P < .05)., Conclusions: Hypoactive delirium is common among intensive care unit patients and may precede unplanned extubation. Patient history and comorbidities remain the strongest predictors of unplanned extubation., (©2020 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

Health care costs in the United States are considerable, and total national cost of preventable adverse events in the United States ranges from billions to trillions of dollars annually. Achieving the highest quality of health services requires delivering care that mitigates the risk of patient adverse events. Pressure injuries are a significant and costly adverse event. Mitigating or eliminating harm from pressure injuries not only improves quality and increases patient safety but also decreases costs of care. The purpose of this article is to pilot a systematic methodology for examining the differences in the cost of care for a subset of patients with and without hospital-acquired pressure injuries in an acute care setting.

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of the presence of a certified nurse specialist in critical care (CNS) as ICU head nurse in an open ICU on clinical outcomes., Methods: The presence of a CNS as ICU head nurse was implemented in practice in April 2017. To evaluate the impact on patient outcomes before and after the implementation, patients were divided into two groups: before (April 2014 to March 2017; 1988 patients) and after (April 2017 to March 2019; 1664 patients). Patients' demographic data were collected from the ICU database., Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of a CNS as ICU head nurse was associated with lower ICU mortality (odds ratio (OR): 0.52, 95% CI: 0.36-0.73, p < .001) and fewer patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU (OR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.15-0.26, p < .001)., Conclusion: CNSs are defined as one type of advanced practice nurses. Having a CNS as a head nurse in the ICU may have helped improve patient outcomes by leveraging these practical skills in nursing management., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Organisational and unit-level context can have a significant impact on implementation of evidence in practice, the latter being particularly important in the complex intensive care context. Evaluating the context may allow modifiable characteristics to be identified and addressed., Objectives: The objective was to examine the relationship between dimensions of the context and research utilisation in one intensive care unit., Methods: This study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey. All registered nurses working in one Australian quaternary referral hospital intensive care unit were surveyed using the Alberta Context Tool and research utilisation instrument. Descriptive statistics were used, and bivariate analysis was undertaken to determine associations among demographic data, dimensions of context, and research utilisation., Results: The survey response rate was 33% (67/205). Most respondents were women with a mean of 8 years of intensive care nursing experience. The dimensions of culture, evaluation, informal interactions, structural/electronic resources, and organisational slack (time and space) were positively correlated with research utilisation., Conclusions: Research utilisation was associated with numerous context dimensions, emphasising their effect on knowledge translation in this setting. Intensive care nurses are in a unique position to impact care delivery and provide evidence-based care to ensure optimal outcomes to patients at high risk of morbidity and mortality. Identified dimensions may be targeted and developed in future strategies to optimise the context for translating evidence into this complex practice environment., (Copyright © 2019 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: According to the perception of nurses in the intensive care unit (ICU), surgical patients need more nursing care, thus requiring higher nursing workloads for these patients than those admitted as clinical patients. However, some study results on the relationship between the type of admission and the nursing workload are considered contradictory., Aims and Objectives: To identify if the type of admission (clinical, emergency surgery or elective surgery) is a predictive factor of the nursing workload required by patients on the first day or throughout their stay in the ICU., Design: This was a quantitative cross-sectional study comprised of a retrospective analysis of clinical records of critical patients., Methods: Data were collected from 1 May 2015 to 30 September 2015 in a hospital located in São Paulo, Brazil. Nursing workload was measured using the Nursing Activities Score. The type of admission and the demographic and clinical variables of the patients were investigated. Multiple linear regression was used to identify nursing workload predictive factors, with 5% significance level., Results: In the analysed sample (n = 211; mean age of 60·3 ± 18·7 years), there was a prevalence of male gender (56·9%). A statistically significant difference (p = 0·025) was found between the type of admission and the nursing workload required for patients on the first ICU day. The Simplified Acute Physiologic Score (p = 0·009) was a predictor of nursing workload on the first day in the ICU, and the Logistic Organ Dysfunction System (p = 0·026) and mortality (p < 0·001) were predictors throughout the ICU stay., Conclusions: The type of admission was not a predictive factor of the nursing workload required by critical patients., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Identifying the predictive factors of nursing workload favours the appropriate staffing of the critical unit by nurses. However, nurses should not consider the type of admission in predicting the nursing workload required by patients in the ICU., (© 2019 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.)

Background: Data on outcomes of critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation at the onset of stroke are limited., Objective: To assess the hospital and long-term functional outcomes of patients with stroke who require mechanical ventilation., Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort study performed from 1994 to 2008 involved adult patients within 7 days of stroke onset and who required intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation., Results: A total of 274 patients requiring mechanical ventilation at the onset of stroke were analyzed. Indications for intubation included coma in 195 patients (71%). The median (interquartile range) score on the Glasgow Coma Scale at admission to the intensive care unit was 6 (3-9). Forty-four patients (16%) had sepsis at intensive care unit admission. The overall hospital mortality rate was 53%. After adjustment for confounders, severity of illness at admission as assessed by the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.10), anisocoria (odds ratio, 5.26; 95% CI, 1.76-15.80), and sepsis at intensive care unit admission (odds ratio, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19-0.85) were associated with outcome. At 1 year, median (interquartile range) modified Rankin Scale score was 6 (2-6). Only 89 patients (32%) exhibited mild to moderate neurologic impairment., Conclusion: In this study, adult patients requiring mechanical ventilation at the onset of stroke experienced high 1-year mortality, with survivors having poor functional status., (©2019 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

The objective of this study was to assess the current practice pattern regarding posthospitalization follow-up of trauma patients among the members of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST). An anonymous online multiple-choice survey of EAST members in 2016 was conducted. Ten questions relating to the follow-up care of injured patients were presented to the Active, Senior, and Associate members of EAST. Data were screened for quantitative concerns prior to analysis. Of the 1,610 members surveyed, 289 responded (18%). Approximately 52% of respondents stated that their institution has a dedicated trauma follow-up clinic where most injured patients are seen after discharge. Less than 20% reported that nontrauma multidisciplinary providers are present in clinics. Most (89.5%) reported that follow-up is a single visit, unless a patient has long-standing issues. Only 3 respondents stated that patients are regularly seen 3+ months out from injury, and a significant minority (17.7%) acknowledged no set follow-up timeline. Only 3.6% of participants indicated that they have a psychologist embedded in the trauma team, and 11.5% reported that no system is currently in place to manage mental health. Despite more than 20 years of literature highlighting the long-term physical and mental health sequelae after trauma, these survey results demonstrate that there is a lack of standardized and multidisciplinary follow-up. Given the improvement in outcomes with the identification and treatment of these sequelae, greater attention should be paid to functional recovery, social and psychological well-being, and chronic pain.

Background and Purpose: Patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are critically ill and suffer from life-threatening sickness of injury. To work in ICU, registered nurses require additional knowledge and skills. While practices regarding the hire of new graduate nurses (NGNs) into settings such as the ICU vary, it is common that NGNs are being hired. However, NGNs in general, are at a higher risk for turnover within the profession as compared to their more experienced colleagues. NGNs in ICU settings may be at higher risk of turnover due to the complexity of the care context. It is of particular importance that the experiences of NGNs in ICU be explored with the intent of identifying what these nurses experience but also to consider how they can be best supported during a period of transition. This manuscript reports the findings from a mixed design study that sought to understand the transition of a cohort of NGNs over a period of 2 years., Methods: This study used both a purposive and convenience sample of NGNs. The qualitative component incorporated Thorne's (2016) interpretive description. Face-to-faceinterviews were completed., Results: Five themes were identified: an emotional transition, a social transition, a transitioning mindset, transitioning through firsts, and transitioning with confidence. Within each theme, there is a distinct difference and elements of transition were evident. Findings demonstrate that the NGNs appeared to be more confident in their skills and in their nursing practice over time. Findings from this study provide important insight into the experiences of NGNs in ICUs., (© Copyright 2019 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

Objective: To synthesize evidence of the safety and effectiveness of phonation in patients with fenestrated tracheostomy tubes., Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were searched. The research question was, "Are fenestrated tracheostomy tubes a safe and effective option to facilitate early phonation in patients undergoing tracheostomy?" Studies of fenestrated tracheostomy tubes were assessed for risk of bias and quality of evidence. Data were abstracted, cross-checked for accuracy, and synthesized., Results: Of the 160 studies identified, 13 met inclusion criteria, including 6 clinical studies (104 patients), 6 case reports (13 patients), and 1 nationwide clinician survey. The primary indications for a tracheostomy were chronic ventilator dependence (83%) and airway protection (17%). Indications for fenestrated tracheostomy included inaudible phonation and poor voice intelligibility. Patients with fenestrated tubes achieved robust voice outcomes. Complications included granulation tissue (6 patients [5%]), malpositioning (1 patient [0.9%]), decreased oxygen saturation (3 patients [2.6%]), increased blood pressure (1 patient [0.9%]), increased peak pressures (2 patients [1.7%]), and air leakage (1 patient [0.9%]); subcutaneous emphysema also occurred frequently. Patient-reported symptoms included shortness of breath (4 patients [3.4%]), anxiety (3 patients [2.6%]), and chest discomfort (1 patient [0.9%])., Conclusions: Fenestrated devices afford benefits for speech and decannulation but carry risks of granulation, aberrant airflow, and acclimation challenges. Findings highlight the need for continued innovation, education, and quality improvement around the use of fenestrated devices., (©2019 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the adoption of primary nursing and to determine the quality of primary nurse-led care in an acute inpatient setting., Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study., Methods: Participants included inpatients (N = 369) and nurses (N = 381). To assess adoption of primary nursing, patient records were analysed and an online survey of nurses was conducted from May-June 2017. To measure quality of nursing care, a structured questionnaire was administered to inpatients., Results: Patients reported high quality of individualized, responsive and proficient care, but lower levels of coordinated care. Most nurses agreed that primary nursing is beneficial for person-centred caring. However, only two-thirds found that it was practiced on their unit and only half of care planning activities were attributable to primary nurses., Conclusion: While perceived as beneficial, adoption of primary nursing in clinical practice remains partial. Hence, primary nursing may not be enough to ensure continuity and coordination of acute care., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Nurses face challenges regarding professional identify. Being unaware of these challenges and not owning positive professional identify leads to a lack of self-confidence. Thus, nurses face problems in interpersonal communication and lose their attachment to their profession. Few studies have engaged with impediments to forming positive professional identity in relation to intensive care nurses., Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impediments to forming positive professional identity in nurses working in intensive care unit., Research Design: In this study, the conventional content analysis method was used in order to obtain the impediments to forming positive professional identities in nurses. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews and 2 focus group interviews from March 2015 to June 2016. Purposive sampling was used and participants were recruited until data saturation was reached; they were then analyzed using the conventional content analysis method., Participants and Research Context: In total, 24 intensive care unit nurses from one hospital in Northern Iran were selected through purposive sampling., Ethical Consideration: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences., Findings: Four main themes of professional identity challenges were extracted from the analysis of the data: neglect of professional status of nursing; distrust of nursing knowledge; unprofessional performance; and low professional attraction., Discussion and Conclusion: Nurses stated that the neglect of the professional status of nursing and distrust of nursing knowledge have always been a hindrance in forming a positive professional identity. They also mentioned that unprofessional performance and low professional attraction are the other influencing factors in this regard. Thus, detecting these factors can guide nurses and their managers towards creating positive professional identity, and as a result, will improve their job satisfaction, professional advancement, and durability.

Aims: To develop and psychometrically test a Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) questionnaire to assess nurses' intention to use physical restraints (PRs) in intubated patients., Design: A psychometric instrument validation study conducted in three phases., Methods: A theory-driven questionnaire was developed. Eight experts validated the content of the preliminary 58-item questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted including 101 critical care nurses to test the reliability of the items. Construct validity and reliability were tested in a cross-sectional study of 12 units from eight hospitals in Spain (N = 354) from October - December 2017. Participants completed the questions based on the TPB, and socio-demographic and professional variables., Results: The instrument comprised 48 items. All the direct and indirect constructs exhibited acceptable reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated satisfactory fit indices for factorial structure according to the TPB. Nurses showed favourable attitudes, low perception of social pressure and modest perception of behaviour control. Perceived behavioural control and attitude were moderately positively correlated with the intention to use restraints, whereas subjective norm revealed the lowest correlation. Overall, the model explained 33% of the variance in intention., Conclusions: The Physical Restraint TPB questionnaire is a 48-item self-reporting theoretically based instrument with acceptable reliability and construct validity to identify nurses' intentions to use PRs in intubated patients., Impact: Unravelling the key determinants of nurses' intentions to use PRs should be examined to tailor quality improvement projects aimed at de-implementing restraints use in practice and to promote safer care., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Rationale: Patients managed at a long-term acute-care hospital (LTACH) for weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation are at risk for profound muscle weakness and disability. Objectives: To investigate effects of prolonged ventilation on survival, muscle function, and its impact on quality of life at 6 and 12 months after LTACH discharge. Methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal study conducted in 315 patients being weaned from prolonged ventilation at an LTACH. Measurements and Main Results: At discharge, 53.7% of patients were detached from the ventilator and 1-year survival was 66.9%. On enrollment, maximum inspiratory pressure (Pi max ) was 41.3 (95% confidence interval, 39.4-43.2) cm H 2 O (53.1% predicted), whereas handgrip strength was 16.4 (95% confidence interval, 14.4-18.7) kPa (21.5% predicted). At discharge, Pi max did not change, whereas handgrip strength increased by 34.8% ( P  < 0.001). Between discharge and 6 months, handgrip strength increased 6.2 times more than did Pi max . Between discharge and 6 months, Katz activities-of-daily-living summary score improved by 64.4%; improvement in Katz summary score was related to improvement in handgrip strength ( r  = -0.51; P  < 0.001). By 12 months, physical summary score and mental summary score of 36-item Short-Form Survey returned to preillness values. When asked, 84.7% of survivors indicated willingness to undergo mechanical ventilation again. Conclusions: Among patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation at an LTACH, 53.7% were detached from the ventilator at discharge and 1-year survival was 66.9%. Respiratory strength was well maintained, whereas peripheral strength was severely impaired throughout hospitalization. Six months after discharge, improvement in muscle function enabled patients to perform daily activities, and 84.7% indicated willingness to undergo mechanical ventilation again.

Background:: Health care is a demanding field, with a high level of responsibility and exposure to emotional and physical danger. High levels of stress may result in depression, anxiety, burnout syndrome, and in extreme cases, post-traumatic stress disorder. The aim of this study was to determine which personal, professional, and organizational variables are associated with greater perceived stress among critical care nurses for purposes of developing integrative solutions to decrease stress in the future., Methods:: We conducted a correlation research survey using a cross-sectional design and an in-person survey method. The questionnaire consisted of 2 parts: (1) socioeconomic, professional, and institutional variables and (2) work stressors. Surveys were conducted between January 1, 2011, and December 1, 2015. Multistage cluster random sampling was utilized for data collection. Inclusion criteria were (1) age ≥18 years, (2) registered nurse, (3) works in the intensive care unit (ICU), and (4) willing and able to complete the survey., Results:: We surveyed 21 767 ICU nurses in Iran and found that male sex, lower levels of peer collaboration, working with a supervisor in the unit, nurse-patient ratios, and working in a surgical ICU were positively associated with greater stress levels. Increasing age and married status were negatively associated with stress. Intensive care unit type (semi-closed vs open), ICU bed number, shift time, working on holidays, education level, and demographic factors including body mass index, and number of children were not significantly associated with stress levels., Conclusion:: As the largest study of its kind, these findings support those found in various European, North, and South American studies. Efforts to decrease workplace stress of ICU nurses by focusing on facilitating peer collaboration, improving resource availability, and staffing ratios are likely to show the greatest impact on stress levels.

Background: Low cardiac output syndrome is a transient constellation of signs and symptoms that indicate the heart's inability to supply sufficient oxygen to tissues and end-organs to meet metabolic demand. Because the term lacks a standard clinical definition, the bedside diagnosis of this syndrome can be difficult., Objective: To evaluate concordance among pediatric cardiac intensive care unit nurses in their identification of low cardiac output syndrome in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery., Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed to 69 pediatric cardiac intensive care unit nurses. The survey described 10 randomly selected patients aged 6 months or younger who had undergone corrective or palliative cardiac surgery at a freestanding children's hospital in a tertiary academic center. For each patient, data were presented corresponding to 5 time points (0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours postoperatively). The respondent was asked to indicate whether the patient had low cardiac output syndrome (yes or no) at each time point on the basis of the data presented., Results: The response rate was 46% (32 of 69 nurses). The overall Fleiss k value was 0.30, indicating fair agreement among raters. When the results were analyzed by years of experience, agreement remained only slight to fair., Conclusions: Regardless of years of experience, nurses have difficulty agreeing on the presence of low cardiac output syndrome. Further research is needed to determine whether the development of objective guidelines could improve recognition and facilitate communication between the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit nurse and the medical team., (©2019 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the intensive care unit nurses' knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention at Guilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS) hospitals, Guilan Province, northern Iran., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 219 nurses working in 14 intensive care units at 11 Guilan hospitals. The questionnaire consisted of three parts of demographic information, nurses' knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of VAP, and the barrier for the implementation of these guidelines., Results: Of the 219 nurses, 171 (response rate 78.1%) participated in this study, and their mean knowledge score was 4.6. There was no significant relation between nurses' knowledge score and their work experience (P = 0.327), education degree (P = 0.189), and their position (P = 0.168)., Conclusion: The level of knowledge regarding VAP prevention seems inadequate in this study. Although having knowledge about the principles of evidence-based care cannot guarantee the implementation of these principles, lack of knowledge may be a potential barrier to adherence to evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of VAP., (© 2016 Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

The study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the tool used to assess nurses' attitudes towards futility, and to explore intensive-care nurses' attitudes towards futility. Principal components analysis revealed that 18item scale was made up of four subdimensions that assess Identifying(beliefs), Decision-Making, Ethical Principles and Law, and Dilemma and Responsibilities related to futile treatments. The internal consistency of the scale was in the acceptable range, with a total Cronbach's alpha value of 0.72. Overall the results of study suggest that scale can be used as a valid and reliable assessment tool to assess nurses' attitudes towards futility.

Background: It is known that job satisfaction has an important impact on efficacy or burnout syndrome of medical personnel. Many studies have concerned job satisfaction among critical care nurses. Not as many have focused on anesthesia nurses working in operating theaters. In Poland, anesthesia and intensive care is a combined specialty for nurses. However, nurses work in an intensive care unit (ICU) or in an operating room (OR), and very rarely in both settings. We would like to compare satisfaction between ICU and OR nurses., Methods: It was a multicenter cross-sectional study. 406 nurses from thirteen hospitals participated in this study. All respondents filled in the questionnaire that contained fifteen Likert-like questions reflecting different aspects of job satisfaction. Demographic data were also collected., Results: We did not find a significant difference between ICU and OR nurses in the overall job satisfaction. Furthermore, the type of hospital did not significantly influence satisfaction of our study participants. The most important factor which differentiated the level of satisfaction among nurses was the region of Poland in which they worked. Interestingly, nurses who worked in ICUs were significantly younger in comparison to their colleagues from ORs., Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that the region of the country in which nurses work might play a very important role in their satisfaction.

Importance: Quality improvement initiatives demonstrate the contribution of reliable nursing care to gains in clinical and safety outcomes in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs); when core care is missed, outcomes can worsen., Objective: To evaluate the association of NICU nurse workload with missed nursing care., Design, Setting, and Participants: A prospective design was used to evaluate associations between shift-level workload of individual nurses and missed care for assigned infants from March 1, 2013, through January 31, 2014, at a 52-bed level IV NICU in a Midwestern academic medical center. A convenience sample of registered nurses who provided direct patient care and completed unit orientation were enrolled. Nurses reported care during each shift for individual infants whose clinical data were extracted from the electronic health record. Data were analyzed from January 1, 2015, through August 13, 2018., Exposures: Workload was assessed each shift with objective measures (infant-to-nurse staffing ratio and infant acuity scores) and a subjective measure (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index [NASA-TLX])., Main Outcomes and Measures: Missed nursing care was measured by self-report of omission of 11 essential care practices. Cross-classified, multilevel logistic regression models were used to estimate associations of workload with missed care., Results: A total of 136 nurses provided reports of shift-level workload and missed nursing care for 418 infants during 332 shifts of 12 hours each. When workload variables were modeled independently, 7 of 12 models demonstrated a significant worsening association of increased infant-to-nurse ratio with odds of missed care (eg, nurses caring for ≥3 infants were 2.51 times more likely to report missing any care during the shift [95% credible interval, 1.81-3.47]), and all 12 models demonstrated a significant worsening association of increased NASA-TLX subjective workload ratings with odds of missed care (eg, each 5-point increase in a nurse's NASA-TLX rating during a shift was associated with a 34% increase in the likelihood of missing a nursing assessment for his or her assigned infant[s] during the same shift [95% credible interval, 1.30-1.39]). When modeling all workload variables jointly, only 4 of 12 models demonstrated significant association of staffing ratios with odds of missed care, whereas the association with NASA-TLX ratings remained significant in all models. Few associations of acuity scores were observed across modeling strategies., Conclusions and Relevance: The workload of NICU nurses is significantly associated with missed nursing care, and subjective workload ratings are particularly important. Subjective workload represents an important aspect of nurse workload that remains largely unmeasured despite high potential for intervention.

Background: No study has examined the stress level and coping strategies among critical care nurses in Saudi Arabia., Objectives: Examine perceived stress and coping behaviors among nurses in intensive care units in Saudi Arabia, and the influence of cop.ing mechanisms on stress., Design: Descriptive cross-sectional., Setting: Two tertiary training hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., Subjects and Methods: Nurses from cardiac, surgery and pediatric intensive care units responded to an online survey. Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) and the Brief COPE Inventory were used as primary research tools. Multivariate methods were used to analyze the data., Main Outcome Measures: Stress levels, coping strategies, and associated factors., Sample Size: 154 nurses., Results: The majority of the respondents reported a moderate level of stress in the past month (87.0%). Mean (SD) scores for nurses working in the cardiac ICU indicated significantly higher levels of stress compared to surgical ICU (18.18 [3.88] vs 6.17 [3.21], P=.025). Belief in religion was the most common coping behavior while the use of substances was the lowest (mean scores [SD] 6.70 [ 1.72] vs 2.22 [0.81]). In the multivariate analysis, behavioral disengagement (P=.016) and self-blame (P less than .001) intensified the PSS-10 score, whereas acceptance (P=.048) reduced the PSS-10 score., Conclusion: The additional knowledge that behavioral disengagement and blaming aggravate stress can serve as the basis in formulating work-related stress reduction strategies among nurses caring for critical patients., Limitations: The use of self-reports, convenience sampling, and selected demographic factors may have limited the scope and generalizability of the findings and induced social desirability bias., Conflict of Interest: None.

Background: Around the world, registered nurses are working increasing amounts of overtime. This is particularly true in critical care environments, which experience unpredictable fluctuations in patient volume and acuity, combined with a need for more specialized nurses., Objective: To explore critical care nurses' reasons for working or not working overtime., Methods: A semistructured interview guide was used to interview 28 frontline nurses from 11 critical care units in Ontario, Canada. Analysis was guided by Thorne's interpretive description methodology., Results: Participants' reasons for working overtime included (1) financial gain (96% of participants); (2) helping and being with colleagues (68%); (3) continuity for nurses and patients (39%); and (4) accelerated career development (39%). Their reasons for not working overtime were (1) feeling tired and tired of being at work (50%); (2) having established plans (71%); and (3) not receiving enough notice (61%)., Conclusions: Findings from this study provide important variations and extension of existing literature on the topic, and appear to be the first reported in Canadian critical care units. Additional research is required to understand administrative decision-making processes that lead to the use of overtime., (©2018 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

After the implementation of a policy differentiating inpatient nursing fees, no study is found in the nursing literature for intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted with cardiovascular (CV) disease exclusively in Korea. This study investigates the relationship between ICU nurse staffing and 30-day mortality using large representative claim database.National Health Insurance Service-Senior (NHIS-Senior) claim database from 2002 to 2013, which was released by the Korean National Health Insurance Service (KNHIS), was used in this study. We included CV disease inpatients as a primary diagnostic code (I20-I25) who had their ICU utilization records from differentiating inpatient nursing fees code, resulting in 17,081 subjectsAfter adjusting for confounders, the hazard ratio (HR) for 30-day mortality after discharge (HR: 1.177; P: .018) and in-hospital 30-day mortality (HR: 1.145; P: .058) were higher in general hospital (GH) than in tertiary hospital (TH). In GH setting, HR for 30-day mortality after discharge (HR: 1.499; P: .010) and in-hospital 30-day mortality (HR: 1.377; P: .042) were higher in grade 7 to 9 than grade 1 to 2, but not in TH setting.This study shows that ICU nurse staffing related to improved mortality risk in GHs. Therefore, adequate nurse staffing to provide safe and high-quality care can be ensured by continuous monitoring and evaluation of nurse staffing.

Objective: The aims of this study are to describe and evaluate the factors associated with missed nursing care in an acute care community hospital., Background: Despite RNs' accountability for high-quality patient care in hospitals, missed nursing care is widespread, jeopardizing patient safety and health system costs. Better understanding of the factors associated with missed nursing care may provide nurse leaders with opportunities for improvement., Methods: Using a cross-sectional correlational study design, 138 RNs were randomly sampled during May-June 2017., Results: The extent of missed nursing care is consistent with other studies, was greater on medical-surgical and telemetry units compared with specialty units, and was negatively associated with staffing/resources, satisfaction with current position, and collegial nurse-physician relationships., Conclusion: Findings suggest urgent nurse leader action and future research.

Background: The US Air Force transports critically ill patients from all over the world, with transport times commonly ranging from 6 to 11 hours. Few outcome measures have been tracked for these patients. Traditional methods to prevent pressure injuries in civilian hospitals are often not feasible in the military transport environment., Objectives: The incidence rate and risk factors are described of en route-related pressure injuries for patients overseen by the Critical Care Air Transport Team., Methods: This retrospective, case-control, medical records review investigated risk factors for pressure injury in patients who developed a pressure injury after their transport flight compared with those with no documented pressure injuries., Results: The pressure injury rate was 4.9%. Between 2008 and 2012, 141 patients in whom pressure injuries developed and who had received care by the team were matched with 141 patients cared for by the team but did not have pressure injury. According to regression analysis, body mass index and 2 or more Critical Care Air Transport Team transports per patient were associated with pressure injury development., Conclusion: Although the pressure injury rate of 4.9% in this cohort of patients is consistent with that reported by civilian critical care units, the rate must be interpreted with caution, because civilian study data frequently represent the entire intensive care unit length of stay. Targeted interventions for patients with increased body mass index and 2 or more critical care air transports per patient may help decrease the development of pressure injury in these patients., (©2018 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.)

Aim: The authors aimed to describe nutrition status and energy-delivery characters in multi-center THAI-SICU study., Material and Methods: Eligible patients admitted in SICU were 1,686 after excluding 563 of 2,249 participants owing to very short stay or non-alive within 24 hours after admission and missing data. The study was a posthoc analysis and multicenter descriptive design. The analytic methods described categorical data in percentage and the continuous data in the median with interquartile range. Variables divided into baseline characteristics and nutrition data before SICU admission, and the pattern of energy delivery in SICU. Statistical significance accepted as a p-value less than 0.05., Results: The average age was 64 (52-76) years with 57% male. The median of serum albumin level at admission (interquartile range, IQR) was 2.8 (2.2-3.4). There was 46 -47 percent of nutrition risk patient. Less than 10 percent of the patient had enteral (EN), parenteral (PN) or their combination before admission. History of weight loss and appetite loss was 27-31 percent. However, seventy percent of the patient could not define the duration of the symptom. EN was initiated early, but the tendency of full feeding was 7-10 days. At that period, supplemental PN was added around 30 percent of total calories. The composition of PN was quite low in these study which contains only 15-16 percent of total calories. The average energy delivery was 20 kcal/kg/day (the recommendation is 25-30 kcal/kg/day)., Conclusion: The patient's nutrition status before SICU admission was at risk of 46-47% and weight loss and appetite loss might unreliable in ICU setting. EN is started early with gradually increase up to 7-10 days. The average total calories requirement is lower than a recommendation.