{"title":"A new dimension of the PACU: the dilemma of the ICU overflow patient.","authors":"M S Johannes","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the increase in the number of critically ill patients needing extended periods of time in the ICU and the subsequent shortage of ICU beds, hospitals have examined ways to use the PACU as an alternative for the short-term critically ill patient. This article identifies common problems encountered by the PACU staff, and the author suggests criteria for establishing and implementing guidelines for successful integration of these short-term critically ill patients without losing sight of the PACU's goals and compromising patient care. The criteria for establishing guidelines were based on the personal experience of the author in developing a program for ICU overflow patients, as well as from experiences of other PACU nurses working in PACUs where successful guidelines currently are used.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 5","pages":"297-300"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18809828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Building bridges to the future.","authors":"P Muller-Smith","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although it is important to stay current on the issues that are facing managers as health care undergoes reform, it is equally important to be aware of the emotional impact these changes are having on those involved. Knowing how to manage the personal impact of change is a major step toward leading your staff through the \"white water\" of change.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 5","pages":"308-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18809831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Epidural diet regimen.","authors":"J Wenrich","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Continuous quality improvement presents many avenues for change. We decided to evaluate the number of complaints of nausea and vomiting from patients receiving preservative-free (PF) epidural morphine reinjections. A systematic study of this problem involved a survey of all patients receiving epidural pain management. Staff from the Department of Anesthesia and pain management nurses monitored the results, and after 2 months recommendations were made to change the diet of these patients for the first 24-hour postoperative period. Only those patients who received PF epidural morphine reinjections had problems with nausea and vomiting. Therefore, only these patients were started on the epidural diet regimen. After several modifications of the diet, we found that there were 80% less complaints of nausea and vomiting in patients adhering to this diet plan while receiving PF epidural morphine.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 5","pages":"283-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18809826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Intercostal nerve block.","authors":"K Litwack","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The intercostal nerve block is an effective and relatively safe intervention for postoperative pain control after upper abdominal and thoracic surgery. It may be done in the operating room or in the PACU. Understanding the mechanics of the technique can help to improve care of patients receiving this intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 5","pages":"301-2"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18809829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reading research critically: threats to internal validity.","authors":"M Giuffre","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Internal validity refers to the extent to which it is possible to attribute the change in the dependent or outcome variable in a study to manipulation in the independent variable. This article will discuss the frequent threats to internal validity and how to recognize them.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 5","pages":"303-7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18809830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Postoperative administration of aerosolized medications: Part I--The basics.","authors":"R A Marley","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Based on the content of this article, the reader should be able to (1) describe the advantages and disadvantages of instituting drug delivery using the inhalation route; (2) verbalize factors that impact on aerosol deposition within the lung; (3) list the various types of aerosol-generating devices; (4) describe the benefits of incorporating a spacer device with the metered dose inhaler; and (5) identify and be familiar with the major categories of aerosolizable agents.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 5","pages":"285-93; quiz 294-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18809827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reengineering: breaking tradition.","authors":"D Geuder","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increased use of technology and standards of care have turned the PACU into a high-technology, costly environment that is intensive care-like in character. The use of new-generation anesthetics and reversal and pain control agents has added significantly to the escalation of actual costs while decreasing length of stay. PACU managers are being called on to justify this high-dollar real estate with diminishing productivity statistics. The concept of reengineering is applied to these challenges as a management tool to break traditions to respond to the changing environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 4","pages":"244-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19058245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M S Heffline, M L Clark, V D Hooper, M Mamaril, K M Miller, S Norris, E L Poole, S Summers, S Younger
{"title":"Research priorities for all phases of postanesthesia nursing: a survey by ASPAN.","authors":"M S Heffline, M L Clark, V D Hooper, M Mamaril, K M Miller, S Norris, E L Poole, S Summers, S Younger","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This ASPAN survey was conducted by Research Committee members regarding the future of research for postanesthesia nursing and asked this question: What do postanesthesia nurses view as priorities for postanesthesia nursing research in various phases of practice? The design for the study was the Delphi technique, which uses a multiple, sequential survey to reach consensus among a group of experts. Four rounds of questionnaires were used to survey volunteer participants (N = 54). The group of experts remained stable (N = 41) for rounds 2 through 4. Findings from the survey indicated several areas of priorities for postanesthesia nursing. Of the top 10 ranked statements, 4 related to discharge criteria. Another high-priority area identified was pain management, with 5 statements pertaining to this subject being ranked in the top 10. Based on this small sample of postanesthesia nurses, this study provides a beginning step for prioritizing areas of research necessary to expand the body of knowledge for postanesthesia nursing.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 4","pages":"204-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19058353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Old enemies practice teamwork.","authors":"A Allen","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In their book, Ecocide in the U.S.S.R., Murray Feshbach, a specialist on Soviet health and population, and Alfred Friendly, Jr, a former Moscow bureau chief for Newsweek, warn of the dangers of ignoring ecological consequences of our actions. The book details the enormous price in human health and natural resources exacted from the Russian people by its leaders and its system. Feshbach and Friendly relate how the country has for so long systematically poisoned its land, air, water, and people. This article is about a group of Americans who experienced the shocking extent of health problems that exist in Russia and the sorry state of health care endured by the Russian people. This group of medical and nursing personnel and other volunteers are working with the citizens of Zelenograd, Moscow, Russia, to help rebuild the long-neglected health care system and to improve the education of health care providers.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 4","pages":"247-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19058246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"CAPA: your practice, your certification.","authors":"S J Fetzer-Fowler, B Putrycus","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Certification is a process that validates knowledge in a particular area of clinical practice. The process involved in identifying the need for ambulatory certification and the process involved in constructing and validating a new examination are described. Being certified shows your experience in a nursing specialty to your peers and the public.</p>","PeriodicalId":77223,"journal":{"name":"Journal of post anesthesia nursing","volume":"9 4","pages":"250-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1994-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19058247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}