Optimizing the role of nurses in critical care in weaning patients from the ventilator : a multiple-case study

Abstract:

Background:

Prolonged mechanical ventilation is harmful for patients requiring prompt weaning approaches from an interprofessional team with different and overlapping scopes of practice. Nurses play a key role in interprofessional teams, and optimization of their role can reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation.

Purpose: To understand the role of nurses in critical care in healthcare teams when weaning patients from mechanical ventilation.

Methods: Multiple-case study with concurrent mixed methods data collection was conducted in two critical care units following a pilot study in Québec,

Properties of moral distress experienced by Canadian intensive care unit nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: An interpretive descriptive study

Abstract

Background & Purpose: In response to the multitude of ethical issues that arise in the delivery of care provided in intensive care units (ICUs), nurses working in this setting frequently experience moral distress. The properties of moral distress have been well defined. However, within the context of the coronavirus-disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, less is known about the properties of moral distress experienced by ICU nurses. This subsequently affects the advancement of our knowledge,

CJCCN Volume 35, Number 3, Winter 2024

Implementation of a swallow screening protocol in a tertiary adult intensive care unit: A quality improvement project

Abstract

Background: Post-extubation dysphagia occurs in 3% to 62% of adults who have received invasive mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU). A stepwise approach to identify dysphagia includes a routine swallow screening in patients who are recently extubated followed by a formal assessment by a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP), in the event of a failed swallow screen, has been suggested. This quality improvement project aimed to implement and evaluate a new post-extubation swallow screening process.

A rapid scoping review of barriers and facilitators of implementing delirium prevention practices in adult critical care

Abstract

Background: Delirium is a serious complication of critical care that can have lasting effects on the patient’s life. Much of the work to date about delirium has been focused on identifying delirium risk factors, developing tools for screening and recognizing delirium, and testing interventions to treat those diagnosed with delirium. Despite evidence, implementing known delirium prevention and management strategies remains abysmal. This review aimed to identify and summarize literature reporting on the barriers and facilitators of implementing delirium prevention and management practices in adult critical care.

CJCCN Volume 35, Number 2, Fall 2024

Assessing the impact of creating virtual windows on the incidence of delirium in a surgical intensive care unit: a before and after study

Abstract

Introduction: Delirium is a frequent and important problem in the intensive care unit (ICU), and non-pharmacological means of prevention are limited. The importance of the physical environment in the occurrence of delirium in intensive care has been reported, particularly the presence of windows and daylight. We organized a trial to evaluate if the installation of virtual windows in the form of paintings in rooms without an actual window can limit the occurrence of delirium in ICU patients.

Best Practice in Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Provider Perspectives

Abstract

Background & Purpose: Patients who require Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation (PMV) are a relatively small but complex and vulnerable subset of patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). Significant heterogeneity in practice patterns exists and best practice is largely unknown. The goal of this study is to engage healthcare providers (HCPs) to identify and describe best care practices for patients requiring PMV.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive method was used. Using purposeful sampling,

CJCCN Volume 34, Number 4, Winter 2023

Revising the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses Standards for Critical Care Nursing Practice: A Modified Delphi Protocol

Abstract

Background: Since 1992, the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses (CACCN) has set the Standards of Practice for Canadian critical care nurses. The current Standards were revised in 2017, after undergoing the fifth review since inception. The Association’s practice has been to review the Standards approximately every five years.

Aim: The aim of this protocol is to provide a transparent and replicable process for Standards revision.