An interprofessional multicomponent intervention to improve end-of-life care in intensive care: A before-and-after study.

Background: The provision of end-of-life care (EOLC) is an ongoing component of practice in intensive care units (ICUs). Interdisciplinary, multicomponent interventions may enhance the quality of EOLC for patients and the experience of family members and ICU clinicians during this period.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of a multicomponent intervention on EOLC practices in the ICU and family members' and clinicians' perceptions of EOLC.

The Urban Hospitalisation Experience of Rural People: A Scoping Review.

Background: Hospitalisation is often typically a stressful experience, but in the face of admission into hospital at a distance from home, the experience can be particularly anxiety-provoking.

Aim(s): To describe the urban hospitalisation experiences of rural patients and their relatives who have travelled and relocated for treatment and determine the scope and coverage of the literature on this issue.

Design: The review utilises a scoping review method.

"You need to be supported": An integrative review of nurses' experiences after death in neonatal and paediatric intensive care.

Background: The death of a child can have a profound impact on critical care nurses, shaping their professional practice and personal lives in diverse, enduring ways. Whilst end-of-life care is recognised as a core component of critical care nursing practice and a research priority, evidence about nurses' experiences after death in neonatal and paediatric intensive care is poorly understood.

Research Question: What is the experience of the nurse after death of a patient in neonatal and/or paediatric intensive care?

Method: Following registration with Open Science Framework, an integrative review of the empirical literature was undertaken.

Feasibility of implementing a communication board to improve communication interactions of mechanically ventilated patients in intensive care units at one Sri Lankan hospital - A pilot randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a communication board in intensive care units in terms of participant recruitment and retention, intervention fidelity, and ability to collect patient outcome data.

Design: A prospective, two-arm, unblinded, pilot randomised controlled trial.

Research Methodology: Adult, conscious, mechanically ventilated intensive care patients were recruited between August and November 2023.

The role of critical care nurses in organ and tissue donation: A position statement of the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses.

Introduction: Australian organ and tissue donation rates are low compared to other countries. Acknowledging that donation practices vary across Australia, the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses supported the development of a position statement to explicate critical care nurses' role in supporting organ and tissue donation. Several Australian peak professional organisations provide guidance to inform and support organ and tissue donation.

Facilitators, barriers and acceptability of implementing a communication board in Sri Lankan intensive care units: A qualitative descriptive study.

Objectives: To explore patients' and nurses' views of potential facilitators, barriers, and prospective acceptability of implementing a communication board in Sri Lankan intensive care units.

Design: A qualitative, descriptive study.

Research Methodology: Eight patients who received mechanical ventilation and nine nurses who worked in adult medical and surgical intensive care units were purposively selected.

The epidemiology of dying within 48 hours of presentation to emergency departments: a retrospective cohort study of older people across Australia and New Zealand.

Background: Emergency department (ED) clinicians are more frequently providing care, including end-of-life care, to older people.

Objectives: To estimate the need for ED end-of-life care for people aged ≥65 years, describe characteristics of those dying within 48 hours of ED presentation and compare those dying in ED with those dying elsewhere.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study analysing data from 177 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand.

The impact of COVID-19 on the provision of bereavement support in Australian intensive care units: A national survey.

Background: Bereavement support is a vital part of caring for families when a patient dies in the intensive care unit (ICU). Previous research has demonstrated that while many ICUs provide some informal aspects of bereavement care, formalised follow-up programmes are uncommon. The impacts of COVID-19 on ICU-based bereavement support are currently unknown.

Identity Disclosure Between Donor Family Members and Organ Transplant Recipients: A Description and Synthesis of Australian Laws and Guidelines.

Introduction: The disclosure of information that identifies deceased organ donors and/or organ transplant recipients by organ donation agencies and transplant centres is regulated in Australia by state and territory legislation, yet a significant number of donor family members and transplant recipients independently establish contact with each other.

Aim: To describe and synthesize Australian laws and guidelines on the disclosure of identifying information.

Method: Legislation and guidelines relevant to organ donation and transplantation were obtained following a search of government and DonateLife network websites.

End-of-life care: A retrospective cohort study of older people who died within 48 hours of presentation to the emergency department.

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of, and care provided to, older people who died within 48 h of ED presentation.

Methods: A descriptive retrospective cohort study of people 65 years and older presenting to two EDs in Queensland, Australia, between April 2018 and March 2019. Data from electronic medical records were collected and analysed.

Advanced clinicians' experience of participation in an escape room scenario designed to consolidate crisis resource management principles: An exploratory pilot study.

Background: Intensive care outreach nurses are required to work as part of an ad hoc team to review and manage patients who are deteriorating outside of critical care environments. Nontechnical skills, such as those encompassed by crisis resource management principles, are essential when working in these situations. Used commercially for entertainment, escape rooms have recently been utilised by clinical educators to teach both technical and nontechnical skills.

The assessment of undergraduate bachelor of nursing students in the collaborative clusters education model: A qualitative descriptive design.

Background: Worldwide, undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing students are required to complete experiential learning placements in health care settings as part of the curriculum. There are a variety of facilitation models that support student learning and assessment on clinical placement. As workforce pressures increase globally, innovative approaches to clinical facilitation are required.

Augmentative and alternative communication tools for mechanically ventilated patients in intensive care units: A scoping review.

Objectives: The aim of this scoping review was to understand the extent and type of evidence on augmentative and alternative communication tools used with mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit.

Review Method Used: This scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework, followed by PAGER (Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence for practice and Research recommendations) framework to provide a structured approach to analysis of reviews.

Data Sources: In December 2021, six electronic databases-CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, Medline (Ebscohost), PyscINFO, and Web of Science-were searched.

The effect of the ABCDE/ABCDEF bundle on delirium, functional outcomes, and quality of life in critically ill patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The effect of the ABCDEF bundle (Assess, prevent, and manage pain; Both spontaneous awakening and spontaneous breathing trials; Choice of analgesia and sedation; Delirium: assess, prevent, and manage; Early mobility and exercise; and Family engagement and empowerment) on patient outcomes such as delirium is potentially optimised when the bundle is implemented in its entirety.

Objective: To systematically synthesise the evidence on the effectiveness of the ABCDEF bundle delivered in its entirety on delirium, function, and quality of life in adult intensive care unit patients.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

"Time and life is fragile": An integrative review of nurses' experiences after patient death in adult critical care.

Introduction: Providing bereavement support and care to families is an aspect of critical care nursing practice that can be rewarding, yet emotionally and psychologically challenging. Whilst significant research has focused on end-of-life care in critical care, less is known about nurses' experiences after patient death.

Aim: The aim of this study was to synthesise research evidence on the experience of registered nurses after patient death in adult critical care.

Fostering positive emotions, psychological well-being, and productive relationships in the intensive care unit: A before-and-after study.

Background: Intensive care units (ICUs) are emotionally demanding workplaces. Exposure to stress can negatively impact ICU staff members' emotional resilience, health, and capacity to provide care. Despite recognition of the benefits of promoting "healthy workplaces", there are limited interventional studies aimed at improving the well-being of ICU staff.

Dying in intensive care: An analysis of the perspectives of families and clinicians on end-of-life care.

Background: Despite a growing body of research into end-of-life care (EOLC) in intensive care units (ICUs), few studies have concurrently explored the perspectives of families and clinicians.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of high-quality EOLC in the ICU from family and clinician perspectives and by examining the care documented in medical records.

Methods: A convergent mixed-methods study incorporating electronic health record audits (n = 20), structured interview surveys with families (n = 20), clinician surveys (n = 189), and focus groups (n = 10) was undertaken at a 30-bed, level 3 ICU at a metropolitan public adult teaching hospital in Australia.

Animal-assisted activities in the intensive care unit: A scoping review.

Background: Animal-assisted activities have demonstrated benefits for patients and clinicians in acute care settings. However, concern exists regarding the use of animal-assisted activities in intensive care settings.

Aim: To synthesise research evidence on animal-assisted activities in intensive care units.

The end-of-life care practices of emergency care nurses and the factors that influence these practices: An integrative review.

Introduction: Due to philosophical tensions between end-of-life care and emergency care, nurses in the emergency department face challenges in the provision of end-of-life care. The purpose of this integrative review was to synthesise evidence of the end-of-life care practices of emergency care nurses and the factors that influence these practices.

Methods: For this integrative review, CINAHL, Embase, and MEDLINE databases were systematically searched in April 2020.

Barriers and enablers to embedding fundamental nursing care for older patients-Implications of a mixed methods study for nursing leadership.

Aims: To understand the enablers and barriers for delivering fundamental care to hospitalized older patients.

Design: Explanatory sequential mixed methods design, with qualitative data used to elaborate quantitative results.

Methods: Set in one medical and one surgical unit of a tertiary hospital in southeast Queensland, Australia.

Identity disclosure between donor families and organ transplant recipients: an integrative review of the international literature.

Anonymity of deceased organ donation is a legal requirement in many international jurisdictions where legislation prohibits health professionals from disclosing identifiable information about donors, recipients or their families. Written correspondence between donor families and transplant recipients that is coordinated by healthcare professionals must remain anonymous. Internationally, an increasing number of donor families and transplant recipients have advocated for law reform and policy amendment to enable the exchange of identifiable written correspondence and/or face-to-face meetings.

End-of-life care in emergency departments: A national cross-sectional survey of emergency care nurses.

Background: An ageing population and increasing chronicity of illness will likely contribute to increasing presentations to the emergency department (ED) by patients at the end-of-life (EOL). This study aimed to identify the self-reported EOL care practices of emergency care nurses and the factors influencing EOL care.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to Australian emergency care nurses in August, 2020.