Effectiveness of a critical care nursing course: preparing students for practice in critical care

Article Abstract:

Patients in hospital critical care units have special needs that require well trained, highly skilled and knowledgeable nurses. In the past, the nurses selected to work in critical care were those with the most experience. However, advances in technology and rising health care costs have had a great influence on nursing education and health care delivery. Today, many hospitals are hiring new graduates to work in critical care units. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses estimated that 36,000 openings for critical care nurses were available in the 4,500 hospitals in the United States with critical care units. It is predicted that there will be more vacancies in the next two years, and that the current supply of critical care nurses will have to be increased by at least 40 percent to meet the demand. Because of their lack of knowledge and experience, the practice of using new graduates in critical care nursing has caused great concern. The training cost to prepare new graduates for critical care nursing is estimated to be between $7,000 and $10,000 per graduate. To help new graduates prepare for careers in critical care nursing, a new undergraduate course in critical care nursing was developed at an undergraduate college in the Midwest. The course included 14 weeks of lectures and 112 hours of clinical experience in a critical care unit. Eighty-six senior nursing students participated in a study to evaluate the effectiveness of this program. Forty-three of the students were enrolled in the course, while the other 43 students did not participate in the course. After the course was completed, both groups of students were tested for their knowledge in critical care nursing. Those who completed the course were more knowledgeable about critical care nursing and had more self confidence about their nursing abilities than those who did not take the course. Of the students who participated in the course, 80 percent went on to pursue careers in critical care nursing. It is concluded that the education of undergraduate nursing students plays an important role in preparing students for careers in critical care nursing. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Surveys, Study and teaching, Nursing, Nursing students, Intensive care nursing

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Impact of adult critical care hospitalization: perceptions of patients, spouses, children, and nurses

Article Abstract:

Nursing care is focused mainly on the patient, and often, family members of the hospitalized patient receive little attention from the nursing staff. This is despite research showing that the interplay of the family with the patient can be very important in a positive treatment outcome. Families with an adult member who becomes critically ill face many stresses and concerns during this experience. This study examines the various perceptions and misperceptions that the patients, spouses, children, and nurses may experience during these situations and how a better understanding of them can increase the likelihood of positive family involvement in the treatment process. The various people involved in these situations were asked how they felt and what they thought other people involved felt. An questionnaire was given to 9 adult patients, 12 spouses, 11 children, and 12 nurses regarding their own experiences and perceptions of the experiences of other people involved (except for the nurses, who described what they thought the patient experienced and what they thought the patient's family experienced). The results showed that a lack of communication existed regarding how the various family members felt about the situation. Patients often failed to realize the emotional intensity their spouses and children experienced. Children were often not told things or not allowed to visit so as to protect them, although the children appeared nevertheless to have experienced intense feelings of uncertainty and vulnerability. Family members reported disruption of normal home life. Family relationships were reported to change, both positively and negatively. Nurses did not see the experience as emotionally taxing on the family as the family itself did. These results show that critical care hospitalization can exert great stresses within the family unit. Nurses need to be more aware of family interactions and to encourage more open communication so as to make the family's influence on patient care a positive one. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Psychological aspects, Care and treatment, Public opinion, Hospital patients, Family assessment, Critical care medicine

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