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Stakeholder engagement impacts on the relevance and usability of guidelines. Consequently, guideline developers are advised to engage with a diverse group of stakeholders. One of the most critical and challenging phases of guideline development is determining the guideline scope, and there is currently scant guidance for how stakeholders can be engaged in feasible and ethical ways.

COVID-19 has accelerated the shift to online/blended courses without a suitable educational theoretical framework for nursing educators in Australian universities. The quality of online/blended courses is about the content and [...]

Patient agitation is common in the intensive care unit (ICU), with consequences for both patients and health professionals if not managed effectively. Research indicates that current practices may not be optimal. A comprehensive review of the evidence exploring nurses' experiences of caring for these patients is required to fully understand how nurses can be supported to take on this important role.

Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic has been a lengthy and agonizing journey for critical care healthcare professionals (CCHP) [1]. Stressors such as increased work hours and workload, direct exposure to infected patients, lack of personal protective equipment, and frequent confrontations with morbidity and mortality has taken a toll on an already burnt-out profession [1]. This experience has emanated a range of psychiatric morbidities amongst CCHPs, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders [2]. Action is imperative to prevent conceivable implications on both the organization and society at large, yet there exist minimal individual-focused interventions for such population [1]. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a realist-informed Individualized Psychosocial Intervention (IPI), which was theoretically developed to improve well-being and decrease burn-out symptoms amongst CCHPs.

The aim of this review was to provide a synthesis of research on perceptions of safety and quality of care of patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds during acute and critical illness.

The number of patients requiring admission into intensive care units (ICUs) is increasing worldwide. Concurrently, recruitment and retention of the ICU nursing workforce is becoming a major challenge due to the high intensity environment, heavy workloads, and decreasing nurse wellbeing. Nurse unit managers play a vital role in promoting and supporting ICU nurse wellbeing, yet little is known about perceptions and experiences of this role.

The intensive care nursing workforce plays an essential role in the achievement of positive healthcare outcomes. A growing body of evidence indicates that inadequate nurse staffing and poor skill mix are associated with negative outcomes for patients, and potentially compromises nurses’ ability to maintain the safety of those in their care. In Australia, the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses (ACCCN) has previously published a position statement on intensive care staffing. There was a need for a stronger more evidence based document to support the intensive nursing workforce.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the accuracy and validity of the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) as a tool to identify and manage in a timely manner the deteriorating patient with severe sepsis.MethodsThis was a prospective observational study conducted in five sites of adult patients. Keywords and physiological vital signs data from triage documentation were analysed for the ‘identified’ status compared with confirmed diagnosis of severe sepsis after admission to the intensive care unit. The primary outcome is the accuracy and validity of the ATS Triage scale categories to identify a prespecified severe sepsis population at triage. Secondary outcome measures included time compliance, antimicrobial administration and mortality prediction. Statistical analysis included parameters of diagnostic performance. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to mortality prediction.ResultsOf 1022 patients meeting the criteria for severe sepsis, 995 were triaged through the emergency department, 164 with shock. Only 53% (n=534) were identified at triage. The overall sensitivity of the ATS to identify severe sepsis was 71%. ATS 3 was the most accurate (likelihood ratio positive, 2.45, positive predictive value 0.73) and ATS 2 the most valid (area under the curve 0.567) category. Identified cases were more likely to survive (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.697 to 0.94, p<0.007). The strongest bias-adjusted predictors of mortality were circulatory compromise variable (1.78, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.41, p<0.001), lactate >4 (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.89, p<0.001) and ATS 1 category (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.35, p<0.005).ConclusionsThe ATS and its categories is a sensitive and moderately accurate and valid tool for identifying severe sepsis in a predetermined group, but lacks clinical efficacy and safety without further education or quality improvement strategies targeted to the identification of severe sepsis.

The use of the sepsis bundles in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock has been controversial in the last decade. Clinical studies have reported beneficial, as well as negative results. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the clinical evidence and to evaluate survival effects.

Person-centred non-pharmacological strategies should be used whenever possible to reduce agitation in the intensive care unit due to issues related to an overreliance on physical restraints and psychoactive drugs. However, the effect of non-pharmacological interventions to reduce agitation is unclear.

Secondary brain injury is associated with a reduction in cerebral blood flow, oxygenation and perfusion related to hypotension, hypoxemia and raised intracranial pressure. This has been confirmed on autopsy and is associated with a higher mortality rate, as supported by many studies 1-11. The primary goal of nursing management in severe head trauma is to maintain adequate cerebral perfusion and improve cerebral blood flow in order to prevent cerebral ischaemia and secondary injury to the brain.