Intensive care medicine

In the acute care setting of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), more than 500,000 patients die nationwide each year in the US (Nowlin, 2004). An increased surge in patient demand for skilled critical care services, caused by an extended life expectancy due to advances in healthcare, has put an enormous strain on critical care. In many cases the availability of technology can make the difference between life and death for a patient. In addition to providing an extra set of eyes to monitor patients, and

Running Head: FAST TRACK CARE Review of Literature The Effect of Fast Track Care on Length of Stay in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery Alisa Ruffner, BSN Fall 2014 University of Tennessee Health Science Center: College of Nursing NSG 819: Evaluation of Practice Introduction Cardiac surgery is among the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, over 575,000 open heart surgeries were performed in 2005. Until

by inattention and either a change in cognition or perceptual disturbances (Allen and Alexander, 2012). Delirium in critical care patients is very common, it actually occurs in 2 out of 3 intensive care patients who are on a ventilator, but often goes undetected because delirium monitoring is considered too time consuming or unreliable (Reade and Finfer, 2014).  Intensive care unit (ICU) patients that have delirium spend more days on a ventilator, remain on sedation longer, have increased chance for

consciousness (LOC) should be carried out during the primary survey of all patients, using the ABCDE approach Cole (2009: 28). Any initial or subsequent reduction in the LOC of the patient may be caused by hypoxia; hypovolaemia; head injury; drug or medicine use; hypoglycaemia; hypothermia or alcohol ingestion (Cole, 2009:44). An assessment of the LOC of the patient is vital for an accurate pain assessment and the administration of analgesia, and the subsequent assessment of its efficacy (Rose, et

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)indevelopedcountriesisprogressively increasing, because of the process of aging of populations (1). Chronic comorbidities often coexist in the elderly population, affecting functionality and thus influencing patient’s outcome (2).Acute exacerbations of COPD with decompensated respiratory acidosis leadtorepeatedhospitaladmissionsandareassociated with high mortality, making it the leading cause of disability and morbidity. An average of 5%–15%

never an event in life that is encouraged or hope for, however when faced with impending end of life circumstances, it can be faced with dignity and decency. Many people associate end-of-life care with treating physical pain and discomfort. While that is an important part, complete end-of-life (EOL) care also includes helping the dying person manage mental and emotional distress. An elder who is nearing the end of life who is alert might understandably feel depressed or anxious. Encourage conversations

and support each other (Kaakinen, Gedaly-Duff, Coehlo, & Harman Hanson, 2010). As a nurse in an ICU you must take care of the patient as well as the family. I will be discussing a time I cared for a patient and the experience I had with their family. I will state the different roles within the family as well as my role as a family healthcare nurse. Working in the ICU, I frequently care for patients who are at their end of life. Every family seems to deal with death of a loved one in different ways

Pressure Ulcers Donna Long Grand Canyon University NRS 433V Introduction to Nursing Research February 11, 2012 Shahin E. S. M., Dassen T., & Halfens R. J. G. (2009). Incidence, prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers in intensive care patients: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Nursing Studies 46: 413–421 Introduction Pressure ulcers refer to damage that occurs to the skin of a patient. Pressure, shear and friction are among the known causes (Shahin,

any type of intensive care unit. It is because of their crucial role in the care of these patients that their troublesome risk of catheter-related bloodstream infections, sometimes referred to as CR-BSIs, has developed into such a problem. There are approximately 80,000 CR-BSIs diagnosed each year in the United States alone. These infections lead to nearly 28,000 patient deaths in intensive care units. Not only is this a dreadful loss of life; it is also incredibly expensive. Extra care and treatment

administration process is complex and allows many opportunities for error, the impact of advancing technology has great promise in improving the safety of infusion-based medications. The study also provides an opportunity to understand how critical care nurses are (or are not) integrating new technology into their practice. This non-blinded, prospective time series study sheds light on the fact that both the technology and the nurse’s performance were the critical factors in the current rates of intravenous