[The Intentions Affecting the Medical Decision-Making Behavior of Surrogate Decision Makers of Critically Ill Patients and Related Factors].

Background: The severity of diseases and high mortality rates that typify the intensive care unit often make it difficult for surrogate decision makers to make decisions for critically ill patients regarding whether to continue medical treatments or to accept palliative care.

Purpose: To explore the behavioral intentions that underlie the medical decisions of surrogate decision makers of critically ill patients and the related factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional, correlation study design was used.

[Enhancing nurse implementation of oral healthcare in an intensive care unit].

Background: Oral health professionals identified inadequate levels of patient oral health in our intensive care unit (ICU). A post-review analysis of collected data and field observation notes concluded that this problem resulted from several factors including: (1) Failure of ICU nurses to follow mouth care standards; (2) lack of oral injury care procedures; (3) lack of oral injury consultation procedures; (4) lack of oral care monitoring; (5) substandard oral care assistive devices.

Purpose: The authors designed this project to raise general nursing staff knowledge of oral hygiene standards and increase the ability of nurses to implement proper oral healthcare.