Effective handovers on escalation of care for the deteriorating patient.

Evidence suggests that improvements in clinical practice are required to ensure that deteriorating patients are rapidly identified and assessed in a systematic manner. The important step of escalating care involves a detailed handover to the most appropriate colleague so that interventions can be put in place to reverse or optimise the patient's condition. However, multiple issues can hinder this handover process, including a lack of confidence among nurses and suboptimal team dynamics or cultures.

Use of dexmedetomidine infusion as a sedative drug for patients in the intensive care unit.

The administration of sedatives may present several challenges for critical care nurses. Evidence-based practice requires critical care nurses to remain up to date with developments in sedation management and ensure safe and effective use of sedative agents in their practice. Dexmedetomidine is a sedative drug that has been increasingly used in the intensive care setting in recent years.