Interventions by critical care nurses reduce VAP.

Critically ill patients who have been mechanically ventilated longer than 48 hours are at increased risk for developing ventilator-associated pneumonia, a nosocomial infection that is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit. In this article, the care provided by critical care nurses to reduce the risk of this potentially lethal complication is discussed.

Developing leadership skills in critical care nurses: a case scenario--part one.

During a recent CACCN board meeting, directors were challenged with developing an approach to a difficult case scenario. In a situation where inappropriate communication toward a new nurse was observed and reported directly to the charge nurse, participants identified that before responding, the charge nurse should seek out additional information to identify the problems causing the behaviour. Possible core problems included lack of clarity around the roles and responsibilities, plus the lack of training on preceptorship and the principles of effective communication.