{"title":"Surrogate Decision-Makers' Trust in Health Care Professionals in the Adult Intensive Care Unit: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Caleb Armstrong, Gloria Duke","doi":"10.4037/ccn2025646","DOIUrl":"10.4037/ccn2025646","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Surrogate decision-makers frequently experience negative emotional and physical outcomes due to their decision-making role in the adult intensive care unit. These negative outcomes may be mitigated by high-quality communication, but for this type of communication to occur, surrogate decision-makers must have trust in health care professionals.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore what is known about surrogate decision-makers' trust in health care professionals in the adult intensive care unit setting.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this scoping review, CINAHL, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to March 9, 2024.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 64 articles met the inclusion criteria. Surrogate decision-makers step into their decision-making role with a baseline level of trust in health care professionals, which is then modified by those professionals' behaviors such as technical competence, communication, honesty, benevolence, and interpersonal skills. The surrogate decision-maker's level of trust in health care professionals affects the surrogate's decision-making and behavior in the intensive care unit. A high-quality instrument is needed to measure surrogate decision-maker trust in health care professionals in the adult intensive care unit setting so that future research can focus on validating various trust-building interventions in this population.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Bedside staff members should incorporate the currently available research findings about building trust with surrogate decision-makers into their professional practice. Future research should focus on the development, validation, and dissemination of a new instrument designed specifically to measure surrogate decision-maker trust in health care professionals.</p>","PeriodicalId":10738,"journal":{"name":"Critical care nurse","volume":"45 3","pages":"23-32"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Meaghan Yanaros, Karen Lucas Breda, Katherine A Hinderer
{"title":"Supporting Novice Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Nurses in Rapid Skills Advancement.","authors":"Meaghan Yanaros, Karen Lucas Breda, Katherine A Hinderer","doi":"10.4037/ccn2025808","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2025808","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10738,"journal":{"name":"Critical care nurse","volume":"45 3","pages":"72-74"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emily L Dock, Cynthia Bowers, Carmen Davis, Shilpee Sinha
{"title":"Using a Modified Surprise Question in the Intensive Care Unit for Early Palliative Care.","authors":"Emily L Dock, Cynthia Bowers, Carmen Davis, Shilpee Sinha","doi":"10.4037/ccn2025141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2025141","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patients with critical illness often seek meaningful relationships with members of their care teams. The patient experience can be enhanced through a goals-of-care conversation, an aspect of palliative care that focuses on the patient-clinician relationship. Despite recommendations for early palliative care interventions, no standardized time for generalists to initiate palliative care interventions in the acute care setting has been established.</p><p><strong>Local problem: </strong>An academic hospital identified a need for earlier palliative care interventions for patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit. The aim of this quality improvement project was to improve early palliative care interventions in the intensive care unit by increasing numbers of documented surrogate decision-makers and goals-of-care conversations. Newman's theory of health as expanding consciousness was used as a guide to improve the patient-clinician relationship through communication, early establishment of goals of care, and development of patient-centered care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Recently admitted patients were screened during interprofessional team huddles with a modified surprise question (\"Would you be surprised if this patient died during this hospitalization?\") to identify those who might benefit from an early goals-of-care conversation. The preimplementation group included all admitted patients and the postimplementation group included only patients with a \"no\" on the surprise question.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analysis included 174 patients (139 before implementation, 35 after implementation). In the preimplementation group, 99 patients (71%) had documented surrogate decision-makers and 26 (19%) had documented goals-of-care conversations. In the postimplementation group, 34 patients (97%) had documented surrogate decision-makers and 14 (40%) had documented goals-of-care conversations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Patients screened with the modified surprise question upon admission to the intensive care unit received earlier palliative care interventions, enhancing patient-centered care.</p>","PeriodicalId":10738,"journal":{"name":"Critical care nurse","volume":"45 3","pages":"41-46"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rachel M Sabolish, Hollie K Caldwell, Lauren E Pennartz, Kolene E Bailey, Luiza R Xavier
{"title":"Impact of Guided Interventions on Terminal Extubation: A Pilot Project.","authors":"Rachel M Sabolish, Hollie K Caldwell, Lauren E Pennartz, Kolene E Bailey, Luiza R Xavier","doi":"10.4037/ccn2025828","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2025828","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>After terminal extubation, more than 30% of patients experience a period of persistent dyspnea. Practices regarding terminal extubation at the end of life vary widely, and evidence for practice superiority is lacking. Critical care nurses are often tasked with making intervention decisions.</p><p><strong>Local problem: </strong>At a 368-bed acute care hospital, nurses reported a lack of training on managing end-of-life symptoms associated with terminal extubation and the need for a standardized protocol to guide assessment and interventions. The aim of this study was to examine how use of an evidence-based terminal extubation protocol affects bedside nursing practice and clinician experience.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An interprofessional work group conducted a needs assessment, developed a terminal extubation protocol, provided education, and implemented the protocol. The protocol included the use of the Respiratory Distress Observation Scale as a new tool to evaluate patient distress and specified reassessment frequency, anticipated dose calculation, titration parameters, and steps for weaning. The work group examined the use of continuous infusion, bolus dosing, titration, and interventions before and after protocol implementation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Findings after protocol implementation included an increased reliance on bolus dosing and titration for evolving symptoms, greater use of evidence-based end-of-life medications, improved documentation demonstrating calculation of anticipatory doses, and an average time from start of process to extubation of approximately 21 minutes. Clinicians reported that use of the protocol improved symptom management.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A terminal extubation protocol can provide critical care nurses with an objective tool to guide assessment and interventions. Effective protocol implementation requires strong interprofessional collaboration.</p>","PeriodicalId":10738,"journal":{"name":"Critical care nurse","volume":"45 3","pages":"47-55"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Bra Project: Preventing Wounds in Women After Sternotomy.","authors":"Lauren E Zobec, Cecile B Evans","doi":"10.4037/ccn2025628","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2025628","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Women with large breasts are at risk for wounds after sternotomy.</p><p><strong>Local problem: </strong>Over 12 months, 7 of 110 female patients who underwent sternotomy (6.4%) had 274 additional hospital days related to pressure injuries and sternal dehiscence after sternotomy. The financial burden for the longer stays was more than $751 000. The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to implement a soft, comfortable bra to prevent wounds and sternal dehiscence in female patients after sternotomy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nurses implemented a new bra that reduced wound tension, had stretchable material that could expand for swelling, did not absorb moisture, and was available in a range of sizes to accommodate all women. Staff members measured patients' chest circumference before surgery and dressed patients in the bra in the operating room immediately after surgery. Patients wore the bra for breast support 20 to 24 hours a day for 6 weeks after surgery.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The new bra was used for 82 patients. No patients who wore the bra developed sternal dehiscence or chest pressure wounds. The wound incidence rate decreased from 6.4% to 0%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Female patients undergoing sternotomy should be dressed in a comfortable and appropriately sized bra immediately after surgery and should wear it for 6 weeks. Such a bra can help prevent sternal dehiscence and pressure injuries.</p>","PeriodicalId":10738,"journal":{"name":"Critical care nurse","volume":"45 3","pages":"57-62"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kali Dayton, Sebastian Baum, Ulf Guenther, Hans Christian Hansen, Peter Nydahl
{"title":"An Approach to Manage Agitation.","authors":"Kali Dayton, Sebastian Baum, Ulf Guenther, Hans Christian Hansen, Peter Nydahl","doi":"10.4037/ccn2025246","DOIUrl":"10.4037/ccn2025246","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10738,"journal":{"name":"Critical care nurse","volume":"45 3","pages":"8-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"2025 National Teaching Institute Evidence-Based Solutions Abstracts.","authors":"","doi":"10.4037/ccn2025791","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2025791","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10738,"journal":{"name":"Critical care nurse","volume":"45 2","pages":"e1-e37"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143751514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}