Navigating Symptom Management in Heart Failure: The Crucial Role of the Critical Care Nurse

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-63
Author(s):  
Karen M. Vuckovic ◽  
Rebecca (Schuetz) Bierle ◽  
Catherine J. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Critical Care Nurse ◽  
Symptom Intensity ◽  
High Acuity ◽  
Recognition And Response

High-acuity, progressive care, and critical care nurses often provide care for patients with heart failure during an exacerbation of acute disease or at the end of life. Identifying and managing heart failure symptoms is complex and requires early recognition and early intervention. Because symptoms of heart failure are not disease specific, patients may not respond to them appropriately, resulting in treatment delays. This article reviews the complexities and issues surrounding the patient’s ability to recognize heart failure symptoms and the critical care nurse’s role in facilitating early intervention. It outlines the many barriers to symptom recognition and response, including multimorbidities, age, symptom intensity, symptom escalation, and health literacy. The influence of self-care on heart failure management is also described. The critical care nurse plays a crucial role in teaching heart failure patients to identify and respond appropriately to their symptoms, thus promoting early intervention.

scholarly journals Integrating Palliative Care Into Heart Failure Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. e9-e18
Author(s):  
Rebecca (Schuetz) Bierle ◽  
Karen M. Vuckovic ◽  
Catherine J. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Critical Care Nurse ◽  
Symptom Palliation

Background The World Health Organization defines palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families through the prevention and relief of suffering by assessment and treatment of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual problems. Any patient with chronic debilitating disease, including heart failure, is a candidate for interdisciplinary palliative care to manage their complex physical and psychosocial needs. Clinical Relevance The philosophy of palliative care has evolved to include a vision of holistic care extended to all individuals with serious illness and their families or caregivers that should be integrated throughout the continuum of care, including the acute phase. The critical care nurse will likely encounter patients with heart failure who are receiving or are eligible to receive palliative care at various time points during their illness. Critical care nurses therefore play a pivotal role in symptom palliation affecting the heart failure patient’s quality of life. Purpose To review the models of palliative care and the role that the critical care nurse plays in symptom palliation and preparation of the patient and their family for transition to other levels and settings of care. Content Covered This review addresses the principles and models of palliative care along with how to integrate these principles into all phases of the heart failure disease continuum. Also included are recommendations for palliation of symptoms specific to heart failure patients as well as a discussion of the role of the critical care nurse and the importance of shared decision-making.

Acute renal failure in the newborn

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 84-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
M McCourt
Keyword(s):  
Renal Failure ◽  
Acute Renal Failure ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Supportive Care ◽  
Nursing Care ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Critical Care Nurse

Newborns at risk for acute renal failure require immediate diagnosis and treatment. Supportive care must be provided while the kidney heals and begins functioning again. The critical care nurse plays a vital role in early recognition and treatment of signs and symptoms of acute renal failure. As technology improves, a greater number of acutely ill newborns are surviving. The critical care nurse is managing more neonates with acute renal failure. Expertise in caring for these infants has also improved. Quality nursing care plays a crucial role in preventing complications and improving the prognosis of neonates with renal failure.

Outcomes sensitive to critical care nurse staffing levels: A systematic review

2021 ◽  
pp. 103110
Author(s):  
Pamela J.L. Rae ◽  
Susie Pearce ◽  
P. Jane Greaves ◽  
Chiara Dall'Ora ◽  
Peter Griffiths ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Nurse Staffing ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Critical Care Nurse ◽  
Staffing Levels

Critical Care Nurse Burnout in Veterans Health Administration: Relation to Clinician and Patient Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 435-442
Author(s):  
David C. Mohr ◽  
Lakshmana Swamy ◽  
Edwin S. Wong ◽  
Meredith Mealer ◽  
Marc Moss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Employee Satisfaction ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Critical Care Nurse ◽  
Nurse Burnout

Background Critical care nurses have a burnout rate among the highest of any nursing field. Nurse burnout may impact care quality. Few studies have considered how temporal patterns may influence outcomes. Objective To test a longitudinal model of burnout clusters and associations with patient and clinician outcomes. Methods An observational study analyzed data from annual employee surveys and administrative data on patient outcomes at 111 Veterans Health Administration intensive care units from 2013 through 2017. Site-level burnout rates among critical care nurses were calculated from survey responses about emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Latent trajectory analysis was applied to identify clusters of facilities with similar burnout patterns over 5 years. Regression analysis was used to analyze patient and employee outcomes by burnout cluster and organizational context measures. Outcomes of interest included patient outcomes (30-day standardized mortality rate and observed minus expected length of stay) for 2016 and 2017 and clinician outcomes (intention to leave and employee satisfaction) from 2013 through 2017. Results Longitudinal analysis revealed 3 burnout clusters among the 111 sites: low (n = 37), medium (n = 68), and high (n = 6) burnout. Compared with sites in the low-burnout cluster, those in the high-burnout cluster had longer patient stays, higher employee turnover intention, and lower employee satisfaction in bivariate models but not in multivariate models. Conclusions In this multiyear, multisite study, critical care nurse burnout was associated with key clinician and patient outcomes. Efforts to address burnout among nurses may improve patient and employee outcomes.

Basics of general anesthesia for the critical care nurse

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Kendra Greenberg ◽  
Suzanne Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
General Anesthesia ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Critical Care Nurse

Defining the role of the pediatric critical care nurse practitioner in a tertiary care center

2000 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 2626-2630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shari L. Derengowski ◽  
Sharon Y. Irving ◽  
Pamela V. Koogle ◽  
Robert M. Englander
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Nurse Practitioner ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Tertiary Care Center ◽  
Pediatric Critical Care ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Critical Care Nurse

I Am a Critical Care Nurse

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-92
Author(s):  
Jenna Blind
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Care Nurse ◽  
Critical Care Nurse
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