Creating a Healthy Work Environment

Starting Now: Implementing the Healthy Work Environment Standards Is More Important Than Ever

Bedside nurse turnover in the United States is 22.5%, representing a national challenge that has been attributed to poor work environments. Poor work environments result in decreased nurse satisfaction and retention as well as poor patient outcomes. Healthy work environments have the opposite effects. To evaluate the impact of implementation of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) healthy work environment framework in an intensive care unit on work environment scores, turnover, and tenure during a 6-year period. A prospective, longitudinal design was used to evaluate implementation of the healthy work environment framework in an intensive care unit in a large academic medical facility. Interventions for each of the 6 healthy work environment standards were carried out. The AACN Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool was used to measure each standard in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. No statistically significant differences were found between cohorts. The score for each healthy work environment standard and the overall score increased significantly from 2017 to 2023. Nurse turnover increased during the COVID-19 pandemic but restabilized within 2 years. Findings from this study suggest that targeted interventions addressing the healthy work environment standards are associated with improved staff satisfaction and reduced turnover. Furthermore, the findings highlight the value of the healthy work environment framework in improving nurse retention.

Opt-out HIV testing in adult critical care units

Implementation of Open Visitation in an Adult Intensive Care Unit: An Evidence-Based Practice Quality Improvement Project.

Unplanned Extubation in Adult Critical Care

Transition to Practice: Onboarding Components for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments.

Background: Physical restraints (PRs) are frequently used in adult critical care units to protect staff and prevent self-harm, despite the fact that they represent significant safety risks. Restraint complications may have an impact on the patient's long- and short-term outcomes. This study aims to examine the recent evidence on the use of PR in adult critical care. Method: This integrative review included the studies published between January 2009 and December 2019 and the literature search was conducted in July 2020. The databases searched included EBSCOhost, Ovid, ProQuest, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect. The keywords included in the search were restraint, critical care, intensive care, ICU, mechanical ventilation, intubation, nursing, and experience. A checklist based on the CASP checklist and the JBI Critical Appraisal Tool was used to assess the methodological quality. Results: The findings were evaluated and summarized into seven key topics after twenty-one publications were found to be evaluated. i) High prevalence of PR application in adult critical care unit; ii) determinants of PR applications; iii) types of PR in adult critical care units; iv) decision maker of PR; v) moral and ethical dilemma in PR application; vi) awareness and guidelines for PR applications; vii) common complications and use of sedation, analgesics, antipsychotic drugs in PR application. Conclusion: The number of days PR is used is related to the risk of an adverse event. In order to standardize nursing practice, ICU nurses require greater training on the ideas of PR use. Evidence-based recommendations will assist critical care nurses in making the best judgments possible concerning the use of PR.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staffing challenges in intensive care units, with increased burnout and moral distress cited as major problems. A healthy work environment is critical to nurses' success and wellbeing. During the pandemic, a survey by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses revealed decreased composite scores in each of the 6 critical elements of a healthy work environment. Hospital units that improved even 1 critical element reported higher job satisfaction. The use of telehealth tools by expert nurses expanded care delivery during the pandemic by improving response to acutely and critically ill patients while supporting hospital-based nurses. All of the critical elements of a healthy work environment are relevant to the tele-critical care nurse's role and challenges. This article describes how tele-critical care nurses were affected by the pandemic and how healthy work environment strategies promoted successful nurse and patient outcomes.

Family engagement in interdisciplinary rounds is a patient- and family-centered approach to critical care that allows family members to be present and participate in information sharing and clinical decision-making with the health care team. However, this approach has not been adopted as standard practice in adult critical care units. Thus, family engagement in care for critically ill patients remains an inconsistent practice. Moreover, it remains an underresearched family-centered care intervention. Research is needed to understand health care professionals' perspectives on feasible ways of integrating family inclusion and engagement into clinical practice flow to potentially shape the future of family engagement in care for critically ill patients. This qualitative exploratory research study aimed to (1) explore and understand the registered nurses' and physicians' perspectives on current practices and feasible approaches to family inclusion and engagement during patient- and family-centered interdisciplinary rounds and (2) identify the facilitators and barriers to implementing this vital practice. A qualitative exploratory research study was conducted to inform the main study, a randomized controlled trial that tested the impact of the Nurse-TECH-Family program during patient- and family-centered interdisciplinary rounds in the intensive care unit. For this focus group study, 7 health care providers working in an adult critical care unit were recruited via email, referrals, and personal contact. The focus group included 4 registered nurses and 3 physicians working in the intensive care unit. It was conducted using structured questions via videoconferencing. The discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A rigorous data analysis method was conducted using Braun and Clarke's constructionist and contextualist approach for thematic analysis. Two essential themes that reflected health care providers' perspectives on current critical care practice and feasible ways of integrating family inclusion and engagement into clinical practice were illuminated. The first theme conveys that rounds are "information-giving" that addresses family members' questions, transparency, shared decision-making, and less uncertainty among family members. The second theme denotes that rounds are a "safe space" for caring and compassion, which helps build trust. The health care providers also identified that the barriers to family engagement in patient- and family-centered interdisciplinary rounds include diverse perceptions and practices of family inclusion and engagement during rounds, difficulty establishing logistics in integrating family engagement in interdisciplinary rounds to clinical practice, and anxiety related to disclosure of information and uncertainty about family response. The identified facilitators are clear, consistent, realistic, and feasible interdisciplinary rounds logistics and information. This qualitative exploratory research study provided a deeper understanding of the registered nurses' and physicians' perspectives on current practices and feasible ways regarding family engagement during patient- and family-centered interdisciplinary and identified barriers to and facilitators for implementing this vital practice. The study's findings informed the researchers in the sampling, design, and plan for the intervention and setting for the randomized controlled trial. The findings can pave the way for a more focused, multifaceted approach and interventions to address family inclusion and engagement during interdisciplinary rounds in the critical care unit. This offers hope for improved patient outcomes and family experiences.

Tracheostomy is a widely used intervention in adult critical care units. There is little evidence to guide clinicians regarding the optimal timing for this procedure. To test whether early vs late tracheostomy would be associated with lower mortality in adult patients requiring mechanical ventilation in critical care units. An open multicentered randomized clinical trial conducted between 2004 and 2011 involving 70 adult general and 2 cardiothoracic critical care units in 13 university and 59 nonuniversity hospitals in the United Kingdom. Of 1032 eligible patients, 909 adult patients breathing with the aid of mechanical ventilation for less than 4 days and identified by the treating physician as likely to require at least 7 more days of mechanical ventilation. Patients were randomized 1:1 to early tracheostomy (within 4 days) or late tracheostomy (after 10 days if still indicated). The primary outcome measure was 30-day mortality and the analysis was by intention to treat. Of the 455 patients assigned to early tracheostomy, 91.9% (95% CI, 89.0%-94.1%) received a tracheostomy and of 454 assigned to late tracheostomy, 44.9% (95% CI, 40.4%-49.5%) received a tracheostomy. All-cause mortality 30 days after randomization was 30.8% (95% CI, 26.7%-35.2%) in the early and 31.5% (95% CI, 27.3%-35.9%) in the late group (absolute risk reduction for early vs late, 0.7%; 95% CI, -5.4% to 6.7%). Two-year mortality was 51.0% (95% CI, 46.4%-55.6%) in the early and 53.7% (95% CI, 49.1%-58.3%) in the late group (P = .74). Median critical care unit length of stay in survivors was 13.0 days in the early and 13.1 days in the late group (P = .74). Tracheostomy-related complications were reported for 6.3% (95% CI, 4.6%-8.5%) of patients (5.5% in the early group, 7.8% in the late group). For patients breathing with the aid of mechanical ventilation treated in adult critical care units in the United Kingdom, tracheostomy within 4 days of critical care admission was not associated with an improvement in 30-day mortality or other important secondary outcomes. The ability of clinicians to predict which patients required extended ventilatory support was limited. isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN28588190.

ObjectivesTo describe the patient demographics, outcomes and trends of admissions with acute severe asthma admitted to adult critical care units in England and Wales.Design10-year, retrospective analysis of a national audit...

PurposeIntensive care unit (ICU) bed availability is key to critical patient care. In many countries, older patients generally account for a significant proportion of hospitalizations and ICU admissions. Therefore, considering the rapidly increasing aging population in South Korea, it is important to establish whether the demand for critical care is currently met by available ICU beds.Materials and MethodsWe evaluated a 9-year trend in ICU bed supply and ICU length of stay in South Korea between 2011 and 2019 in a population-based cross-sectional analysis, using data from the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service and Statistics database. We described the changes in ICU bed rates in adult (≥20 years) and older adult (≥65 years) populations. ICU length of stay was categorized similarly and was used to predict future ICU bed demands.ResultsThe ICU bed rate per 100000 adults increased from 18.5 in 2011 to 19.5 in 2019. In contrast, the ICU bed rate per 100000 older adults decreased from 127.6 in 2011 to 104.0 in 2019. ICU length of stay increased by 43.8% for adults and 55.6% for older adults. In 2019, the regional differences in the ICU bed rate nearly doubled, and the ICU length of stay increased six-fold. The ICU bed occupancy rate in South Korea is expected to rise to 102.7% in 2030.ConclusionThe discrepancy between the demand and supply of ICU beds in South Korea requires urgent action to anticipate future ICU demands.

Using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model to describe critical care nursing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (2020).

Critical illness can sometimes develop within the gastrointestinal (GI) system. This symposium series describes GI illnesses and phenomena seen within the organs of the GI system in hospitalized adults, particularly those who require critical care. The articles present state-of-the-science information for critical care and advanced practice nurses in the area of GI illnesses and their management, including providing nutrition to the critically ill. These topics are covered with a focus on pathophysiology, advanced assessment and evidence-based interventions, and cutting-edge therapies to allow nurses to innovate and strategize the care of patients with these difficult conditions.Patients of all ages can develop liver disease as a result of various illnesses; this liver disease can take the form of acute liver disease, end-stage liver disease (ESLD), or hepatocellular carcinoma. All of these disorders have significant and life-threatening aspects that require advanced knowledge of the disease processes and the application of interventions to thwart progression of the disease. Pryzbyl et al provide a timely update on the newest therapies to treat and, in some cases cure, the chronic form of liver disease and also analyze cutting-edge strategies to manage acute and acute-on-chronic hepatic failure. They review medical management, including when medical management fails and patients with life-threatening ESLD or acute liver failure undergo liver transplantation. Finally, they describe the most up-to-date preoperative and postoperative management strategies and therapies for transplant patients and examine the evidence on trends in liver transplantation, including methods to expand the donor pool as well as guidance and updates on recipient (candidate) selection.1Bloom and Seckel provide an update on the often-controversial topic of feeding tube insertion and care. They present detailed evidence about methods of insertion and recommendations on how to ensure that tubes are correctly placed and safely maintained. This is important information for acute and critical care nurses, as studies have shown a lack of standardization of clinical practice in feeding tube placement verification,2 checking gastric residuals, holding feedings, and other practices related to enteral nutrition management. Bloom and Seckel discuss best practices for enteral nasogastric feeding tube placement and care, with a focus on preventing the complications associated with this intervention.Finally, in the third article of the series, I describe the physiologic response to the infectious and inflammatory conditions of severe acute pancreatitis and fulminant colitis caused by Clostridium difficile. Patients hospitalized in acute care settings carry risk factors for developing either of these conditions, presenting critical care and advanced practice nurses with significant challenges to their identification and treatment. Severe sequelae of these diseases, including sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, correlate with the onset of organ failure and poor outcomes.3 The few interventions available to treat severe acute pancreatitis and fulminant colitis caused by C difficile are, for the most part, supportive in nature, but there are some evidence-based strategies described that may improve outcomes in patients experiencing the most severe form of these diseases and for whom there are few effective solutions. Although some of these strategies are still under investigation, they may prove valuable in improving the care available for these patients.Diseases of the GI tract and of the auxiliary organs of the GI system are highly prevalent, and patients with these diseases are seen in adult acute and critical care units. Despite their prevalence, GI system illnesses are often challenging to recognize. These diseases may be chronic in nature, such as with ESLD or acute-on-chronic liver disease, or may develop rapidly, as with acute liver failure or acute infectious/inflammatory conditions of organs of the GI tract. Critical care and advanced practice nurses are at the forefront in identifying and managing these complex disorders with the most state-of-the science strategies available, many of which are presented in this symposium. In addition, there is a clear need for knowledge and experience in nutrition in critical care and in the safe insertion of feeding tubes and their management. This is another area in which advanced practice nurses can be instrumental in forging needed change and updated standards.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exposed critical care supply shortages worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the association between regional critical care capacity and the incidence of invasive mechanical ventilation following novel COVID-19 during the pandemic in Japan, a country with a limited intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity of a median of 5.1 ICU beds per 100,000 individuals.MethodsThis population-based cohort study used data from the CRoss Icu Searchable Information System database and publicly available databases provided by the Japanese government and Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine. We identified patients recently diagnosed with COVID-19, those who received invasive mechanical ventilation, and those who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) between February 2020 and March 2023. We analyzed the association between regional critical care capacity (ICU beds, high-dependency care unit (HDU) beds, resource-rich ICU beds, and intensivists) and the incidence of invasive mechanical ventilation, ECMO, and risk-adjusted mortality across 47 Japanese prefectures.ResultsAmong the approximately 127 million individuals residing in Japan, 33,189,809 were recently diagnosed with COVID-19, with 12,203 and 1,426 COVID-19 patients on invasive mechanical ventilation and ECMO, respectively, during the study period. Prefecture-level linear regression analysis revealed that the addition of ICU beds, resource-rich ICU beds, and intensivists per 100,000 individuals increased the incidence of IMV by 5.37 (95% confidence interval, 1.99–8.76), 7.27 (1.61–12.9), and 13.12 (3.48–22.76), respectively. However, the number of HDU beds per 100,000 individuals was not statistically significantly associated with the incidence of invasive mechanical ventilation. None of the four indicators of regional critical care capacity was statistically significantly associated with the incidence of ECMO and risk-adjusted mortality.ConclusionsThe results of prefecture-level analyses demonstrate that increased numbers of ICU beds, resource-rich ICU beds, and intensivists are associated with the incidence of invasive mechanical ventilation among patients recently diagnosed with COVID-19 during the pandemic. These findings have important implications for healthcare policymakers, aiding in efficiently allocating critical care resources during crises, particularly in regions with limited ICU bed capacities.Registry and the registration no. of the study/trial The approval date of the registry was August 20, 2020, and the registration no. of the study was lUMIN000041450.