Quality of care and resource use among mechanically ventilated patients before and after an intervention to assist nurse-nonvocal patient communication.

Objectives: Implement and test unit-wide patient-nurse assisted communication strategies (SPEACS).

Background: SPEACS improved nurse-patient communication outcomes; effects on patient care quality and resource use are unknown.

Methods: Prospective, randomized stepped-wedge pragmatic trial of 1440 adults ventilated ≥2 days and awake for at least one shift in 6 ICUs at 2 teaching hospitals 2009-2011 with blinded retrospective medical record abstraction.

Main Results: 323/383 (84%) nurses completed training; their communication knowledge (p < .001) and satisfaction and comfort (p < .001) increased. ICU days with physical restraint use (p = .44), heavy sedation (p = .73), pain score documentation (p = .97), presence of ICU-acquired pressure ulcers (p = .78), coma-free days (p = .76), ventilator-free days (p = .83), ICU length of stay (p = .77), hospital length of stay (p = .22), and median costs (p = .07) did not change.

Conclusions: SPEACS improved ICU nurses' knowledge, satisfaction and comfort in communicating with nonvocal MV patients but did not impact patient care quality or resource use.