Skin integrity preservation using a nurse-constructed silicone adhesive Foley catheter.

Aims: Skin breakdown is common in the intensive care unit (ICU). This pilot evaluation aimed to determine whether a nurse-constructed urinary catheter securement device using a silicone adhesive could reduce the complications of blistering and other skin breakdowns in a high-risk ICU population with Foley catheters.

Design: A prospective, non-randomised performance improvement study using a convenience sample was carried out.

Pneumococcal Vaccination Practices in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Receiving Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibodies After Pharmacy and Nursing Collaboration.

Background: It is recommended that patients taking immunosuppressive anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) receive pneumococcal vaccinations before their first dose to ensure optimal immune response. An initial medication use evaluation reviewed adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pneumococcal immunization recommendations at the study site, and room for improvement was identified. The nursing team implemented workflow changes to increase nursing involvement in vaccination coordination, education, tracking, and administration.

Use of Diaries for Family Members of Intensive Care Unit Patients to Reduce Long-Term PTSD: A Pilot Study.

Many family members whose loved ones stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the hospitalization. A mixed-methods longitudinal randomized trial studying family members of medical ICU (MICU) patients was conducted. Participants were randomized into 2 groups (intervention and control).

Mindfulness for Outpatient Oncology Nurses: A Pilot Study.

This prospective pre-/posttest pilot studied a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention first, to reduce self-reported stress and improve compassion satisfaction; and second, to reduce physiological indices of stress. Even small interventions of MBSR before a shift effectively reduces the physiological indices of stress and may help reduce compassion fatigue and burnout in nurses.

Certification Circle: A Peer Support Model to Increase Certification Among Medical-Surgical Inpatient Nurses.

Professional certifications for nurses lead to improved patient satisfaction, fewer adverse events, and reduced nurse turnover rates. This study describes an initiative to increase professional certification at the medical-surgical service of an academic medical center. The solid organ transplant unit had a certification rate of 2%.

Hospital-Based Research Internship for Nurses: The Value of Academic Librarians as Cofaculty.

With so few nurse scientists, it is important to increase the research activities of nurses. A nurse scientist and a librarian investigated if increasing library skills in a hospital-based research internship increases nurses' scholarship. Library-related content was added throughout the internship; interns were surveyed to measure specific skills.

Essential Oils to Reduce Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if using essential oil products for adult patients reduced the need for antiemetics for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

Design: A prospective and retrospective cross-sectional design using a convenience sample.

Methods: Double blinded to the type of essential oil, subjects randomly selected a nasal inhaler containing peppermint, ginger, or a combination of both.

Patients' Perception of Stressful Events in the Intensive Care Unit After Cardiac Surgery.

Background: Subjecting patients to stress has potentially detrimental effects on their physical and psychological recovery.

Objective: To identify stress-generating experiences that occur in an intensive care unit for patients after cardiac surgery.

Methods: A sample of 16 patients in a 14-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit at a university hospital in upstate New York completed a questionnaire (based on an established survey) asking them to rate 23 experiences on a Likert scale of 0 to 4.

A Quiet Firehouse: Reducing Environmental Stimuli Among Professional On-Duty Firefighters.

Objective: Firehouse alarms are so loud that they cause a systemic response, similar to the flight-or-flight response. The purpose of the study was to reduce firehouse environmental stimuli to improve sleep quality and, thus, reduce cardiac burden.

Methods: The intervention included restricted unnecessary fire alarms, reduced light levels, and regulated temperature in the bunkroom.