Complications of tube thoracostomy in trauma

OBJECTIVE: To assess the complication rate of tube thoracostomy in trauma. To consider whether this rate is high enough to support a selective reduction in the indications for tube thoracostomy in trauma. METHODS: A retrospective case series of all trauma patients who underwent tube thoracostomy during a 12 month period at a large UK teaching hospital with an accident and emergency (A&E) department seeing in excess of 125,000 new patients/year. These patients were identified using the hospital audit department computerised retrieval system supplemented by a hand search of both the data collected for the Major Trauma Outcome Study and the A&E admission unit log book. The notes were assessed with regard to the incidence of complications, which were divided into insertional, infective, and positional. RESULTS: Fifty seven chest drains were placed in 47 patients over the 12 month period. Seven patients who died within 48 hours of drain insertion were excluded. The commonest indications for tube thoracostomy were pneumothorax (54%) and haemothorax (20%); 90% of tubes were placed as a result of blunt trauma. The overall complication rate of the procedure was 30%. There were no insertional complications and only one (2%) major complication, which was empyema thoracis. CONCLUSION: This study reveals no persuasive evidence to support a selective reduction in the indications for tube thoracostomy in trauma. A larger study to confirm or refute these findings must be performed before any change in established safe practice.     

A Review of Procedural Skills Performed by Advanced Practice Providers in Emergency Department and Critical Care Settings

Advanced practice providers (physician assistants and nurse practitioners) are part of the interdisciplinary teams integral to successful care and improved outcomes for acutely ill patients in intensive care units and emergency departments. Between physician shortage and increased complexity of patients with often rapidly deteriorating conditions, the addition of advanced practice providers and expansion of acute care provider roles result in positive outcomes including decreased hospital length of stay, improved continuity of care, decreased hospital costs and increase inpatient, physician and staff nurses job satisfaction. This article attempts to examine the role that advanced practice providers (APPs) play in performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in acute care settings, education provided in physician assistant (PA) and nurse practitioner (NP) programs, and post-graduate training required to achieve competency and comfort in performing procedures. PA and NP training and credentialing often vary at the state level and by practice site. This article aims to collect information on how these roles compare as well as which procedures are actually being performed by advanced practice providers in the emergency department and critical care settings. Considering the healthcare system move towards team-based care, procedures performed by APPs align with the needs of the patient population served and correspond to the procedures done within the teams by physician providers. Independently billing under national provider identifier is cost effective but can be influenced by the current physician reimbursement system or lack of understanding of APP billing process by health care systems. Though there is limited research in this area, this article serves as a starting point to examining the current utilization and utility of APPs performing procedures in the emergency department and critical care settings.     

Evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of approaches to nasogastric tube insertion during trauma care.

BACKGROUND: Numerous invasive, uncomfortable, and discomforting procedures are implemented almost routinely during trauma care. Previous research has shown that trauma care practitioners use comforting strategies during this care. Yet little is known of the effect of these comforting strategies on the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of the caregiver's approach on the efficient and effective completion of a discomforting procedure (nasogastric tube insertion) on conscious patients during trauma care. METHODS: Ethology was used to analyze 32 attempts at nasogastric tube insertion from 193 videotaped trauma cases from 3 level I trauma centers in North America. Both qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques were used. RESULTS: The practitioner's approach was associated with the outcome of the treatment. Overall, practitioners who balanced the technical aspects of the procedure with use of comforting strategies to minimize the patient's discomfort (the blended approach) were most efficient and most effective in completing this procedure. Practitioners who were most attentive to procedural technique (with little respect to patients' discomfort) or who were overly attentive to comforting strategies (termed the technical and affective approaches, respectively) took longer and/or were less successful at completing the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Four patterned, standardized approaches to care were found: technical, affective, blended, and mixed. This study has implications for further research into the effect of the practitioner's approach on the patient's behavioral state in trauma care.     

From new nurse practitioner to primary care provider: bridging the transition through FQHC-based residency training

Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI), a multi-site, federally qualified, health center (FQHC) in Connecticut, implemented a one-year-residency program for new nurse practitioners (NPs) in 2007. This residency program is specifically designed for family nurse practitioners intending to practice as primary care providers in federally qualified health centers. These centers comprise the nation's largest safety net setting; they are commonly referred to as community health centers. Supported in part by the Health Resources Service Administration, health centers are private nonprofit or public organizations serving populations with limited access to healthcare. They are located in designated, high need communities; governed by patient-majority boards of directors; and provide comprehensive, primary healthcare services. The author begins by reviewing the background and context for a nurse practitioner residency program, the importance of NP residency programs, and the recruitment and selection of NP residents. She explains how the residents are trained to a model of care and the content of care. She furthers the discussion by addressing program evaluation and outcomes and costs. Implications for national health policy, clinical practice, and nursing and areas for further research are presented. This article is timely in light of recent recommendations in the Institute of Medicine's 2010 report on the future of nursing recommending the development of residency programs for new, advanced practice registered nurses.     

Gender and the attribution of the nurse practitioner and physician status

The purpose of this study was to discover whether sex-role sterotypes were used to identify members of two professions, nurse practitioners and physicians. Participants reported whether they believed a videotaped health care provider was a physician or a nurse practitioner. Results showed that male providers tended to be identified as physicians, whereas female providers tended to be identified as nurse practitioners. Findings indicate that understanding and enactment of the nurse practitioner and physician roles are still affected by gender issues and that both physicians and nurse practitioners remain subject to the force of sex-role stereotypes.     

Using cost-analysis techniques to measure the value of nurse practitioner care

Nurse practitioners are in a unique position to deliver high-quality care to a variety of populations and are being utilized in many countries worldwide. Although certain aspects of the nurse practitioner role may differ from country to country, limited financial support and competition for access to patients make it incumbent on nurse practitioners to document the cost-effectiveness of their care. Cost analysis, a business tool that can be used by any practitioner in any health care system, was used to examine business practices of an academic-based nurse-managed centre. In order for this tool to be effective, nurse practitioners must become comfortable with using cost-analysis techniques in their practices. Linking outcome data with cost data was found to be one method for explicating the value of nurse practitioner practice. Nurse practitioners must also recognize that they are competing with primary-care physician practices and other primary health-care practices. It is vital for nurse practitioners to document both the quality and the costs of their care in order to compete with physicians and other health care providers, in order to influence policy and other health-care decision makers.     

Advanced practice nursing and the role of the pediatric critical care nurse practitioner

Advanced practice nursing, since its inception in the early 1960s, has constantly changed in an effort to establish standardized core graduate education, specialization of practice, and autonomy, now common in the 1990s. Nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists have followed in the footsteps of the clinical nurse specialist by enhancing their practice through advanced education. Nurses in these advanced areas are graduating from established programs with a master's of science in nursing and a specialty in their chosen field. The pediatric critical care nurse practitioner is one such specialty. This article highlights the results of a national survey that described pediatric critical care nurse practitioner practice over a broad geographic area. With change as a constant, nurses will look to the future of advanced practice roles, which are ever changing, and continue to provide safe, quality care to patients.     

Steering a course towards advanced nurse practitioner: a critical care perspective

Aim: This article is a report of a study of the experiences of expert critical care nurses in their transition to the role of advanced nurse practitioner within an intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Background: The advanced nurse practitioner role was developed to support the ICU team and to undertake many of the roles traditionally associated with junior medical staff in this specialized area. The impetus for this study therefore was generated from the need to explore the role development experiences of trainee advanced nurse practitioners to inform future developments and practice. Methods: This study used grounded theory methodology to conduct and analyse data from 25 participants. The data were collected between March 2010 and August 2010, using interview format. Data collection and analysis was conducted simultaneously using methods associated with grounded theory, theoretical sampling and the constant comparative method. Results: ‘Staying the course to advanced nursing practice’ emerged as the core category, with four related major categories and substantive codes. In conjunction, the substantive theory explaining the essential processes involved comprised of three inextricably linked processes: situational, development and conceptual meaning. The developed conceptual model captures the unique experiences of expert critical care nurses during their transition to confident and competent advanced nurse practitioners. Conclusion: This study provides an account of the role transition from expert critical care nurse to advanced nurse practitioner, specifically the synthesis of expert nursing practice with traditional medical values. The conceptual model has the potential to be utilized as a framework for others embarking upon similar projects, informing advanced nurse practitioner roles within and out with critical care settings.     

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

OBJECTIVE: To describe the development and implementation of a pediatric critical care nurse practitioner role in a tertiary academic pediatric intensive care unit. DATA SOURCES: Selected relevant articles from the literature. DATA EXTRACTION/SYNTHESIS: Over the past two decades, the role of critical care nurse practitioners in neonatal and adult settings has developed. More recently, the role has emerged in the setting of pediatric critical care. Literature to date focuses on implementation of the nurse practitioner role in neonatal and adult critical care units, with limited publications on the role in the pediatric critical care arena. In addition, information on the practice of critical care nurse practitioners in tertiary care centers is lacking. We therefore, sought to describe the design, implementation, scope of practice, and outcomes to date of a pediatric nurse practitioner program in our pediatric critical care unit. CONCLUSIONS: A pediatric critical care nurse practitioner role can be implemented successfully in a tertiary center's pediatric intensive care unit. However, before integration of the pediatric critical care nurse practitioner into the health care team, definition of entry level requirements and the overall role with respect to scope of practice, daily operations, and professional practice is essential. Future endeavors should include evaluation of the impact of the pediatric critical care nurse practitioner on patient outcomes in the tertiary care center.     

Development and implementation of the specialized nurse practitioner role: Use of the PEPPA framework to achieve success

In 2003, amendments to the Nurses' Act in Quebec, Canada, allowed for an expanded nursing role. Specialized nurse practitioners were introduced to the health-care system in 2005. By merging medical knowledge with advanced practice nursing, the specialized nurse practitioner is gaining in popularity and acceptance with staff members and patients. To guide our team through the process, we used the PEPPA (participatory, evidence-based, patient-focused process for guiding the development, implementation, and evaluation of advanced practice nursing) framework. By using a framework specifically designed for the development, implementation, and evaluation of an advanced practice nursing role, we were better prepared for the path that lay ahead. Ultimately, the goal of the implementation of the specialized nurse practitioner role is to improve the quality of care to a specific population of patients, whether it is through individualized clinical follow-up, evidence-based practice, patient teaching, or promoting continuous education for the nurses.     

Complications of tube thoracostomy in trauma

Objective—To assess the complication rate of tube thoracostomy in trauma. To consider whether this rate is high enough to support a selective reduction in the indications for tube thoracostomy in trauma.

Methods—A retrospective case series of all trauma patients who underwent tube thoracostomy during a 12 month period at a large UK teaching hospital with an accident and emergency (A&E) department seeing in excess of 125 000 new patients/year. These patients were identified using the hospital audit department computerised retrieval system supplemented by a hand search of both the data collected for the Major Trauma Outcome Study and the A&E admission unit log book. The notes were assessed with regard to the incidence of complications, which were divided into insertional, infective, and positional.

Results—Fifty seven chest drains were placed in 47 patients over the 12 month period. Seven patients who died within 48 hours of drain insertion were excluded. The commonest indications for tube thoracostomy were pneumothorax (54%) and haemothorax (20%); 90% of tubes were placed as a result of blunt trauma. The overall complication rate of the procedure was 30%. There were no insertional complications and only one (2%) major complication, which was empyema thoracis.

Conclusion—This study reveals no persuasive evidence to support a selective reduction in the indications for tube thoracostomy in trauma. A larger study to confirm or refute these findings must be performed before any change in established safe practice.

     

Communication technology in trauma centers: a national survey

The relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and trauma work coordination has long been recognized. The purpose of the study was to investigate the type and frequency of use of various ICTs to activate and organize trauma teams in level I/II trauma centers. In a cross-sectional survey, questionnaires were mailed to trauma directors and clinicians in 457 trauma centers in the United States. Responses were received from 254 directors and 767 clinicians. Communication with pre-hospital care providers was conducted predominantly via shortwave radio (67.3%). The primary communication methods used to reach trauma surgeons were manual (56.7%) and computerized group page (36.6%). Computerized group page (53.7%) and regular telephone (49.8%) were cited as the most advantageous devices; e-mail (52.3%) and dry erase whiteboard (52.1%) were selected as the least advantageous. Attending surgeons preferred less overhead paging and more cellular phone communication than did emergency medicine physicians and nurses. Cellular phones have become an important part of hospital-field communication. In high-volume trauma centers, there is a need for more accurate methods of communicating with field personnel and among hospital care providers.     

Gastrointestinal manifestations of graft-versus-host disease: diagnosis and management

The number of bone marrow transplantations performed to treat diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and aplastic anemia has been increasing during the past 2 decades. Improvements in histocompatibility testing, transfusion support, conditioning regimens, and antibiotics have dramatically improved survival after transplantation. As more patients survive the acute phase of bone marrow transplantation and leave major medical centers for their homes, healthcare providers across the country are caring for these patients and their transplantation-associated complications. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of the skin, liver, and gastrointestinal tract are complications that patients may experience months after transplantation. As clinicians, advanced practice nurses encounter these patients in clinics, hospitals, and intensive care units, whether it be for specific GVHD-associated problems or other health conditions. This article reviews the current standards of care for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of GVHD of the gastrointestinal tract.     

Educating advanced midwife practitioners: a collaborative venture

AIM: To describe the collaborative development of an MSc course preparing Ireland's first advanced midwife practitioners. BACKGROUND: Ireland has 55 advanced nurse practitioner posts, but, as yet, no advanced midwife practitioners. METHODS: A consultative, collaborative process involving 38 midwives across Ireland generated the philosophy, aims and content of the course. RESULTS: Participants stated that candidates should be committed to the conceptual uniqueness of midwifery; the advanced midwife practitioner role should be clearly defined and supported by the candidate's sponsors; programme content should emphasize normal midwifery, be practice led, and encourage reflective, evidence-based, women-centred care. CONCLUSION: The collaborative process used to develop this programme ensures that it will meet individual students' needs, thus enhancing the education of Ireland's first advanced midwife practitioners. IMPLICATIONS FOR MIDWIFERY MANAGEMENT: The emphasis on normality rather than specialization is a message that could be assimilated by managers in other countries to the benefit of childbearing women across the world.     

Insurers' contracting policies on nurse practitioners as primary care providers: the current landscape and what needs to change

A national survey showed that most insurance companies refuse to credential nurse practitioners as primary care providers in nurse-managed health centers. These prohibitive policies, along with weak federal and state laws, threaten the long-term sustainability of nurse-managed health centers as safety-net health care providers and limit the ability for nurse practitioners to become an accepted primary health care source in the United States. Interviews with national managed care organizations revealed that these companies' current business practice and policies are unlikely to change without regulatory change at state and/or federal levels.     

Respiratory care practitioners as primary providers of neonatal intubation in a community hospital: an analysis

BACKGROUND: Respiratory care practitioners (RCPs) serve as the primary providers of neonatal endotracheal intubation (ETI) in our institution. ETIs are performed by registered respiratory therapists who have completed Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Neonatal Advanced Life Support training and have successfully completed 3 intubations under the direct supervision of a senior therapist. The purpose of this study was to (1) ascertain whether RCPs can successfully provide this type of service with acceptable complications rates and (2) survey the economic impact of this practice on patient charges in our hospital. EVALUATION METHODS: An analysis of each intubation event in which an RCP participated was collected and compiled over a 5-month period (9-94 to 2-95). Calculations were made of the success rate and complications. RESULTS: A total of 38 ETIs were performed by the RCPs. Of these, 37 (97.4%) were performed with < or = 3 attempts; (73.7% with 1 attempt, 15.8% with 2 attempts, and 7.9% with 3 attempts). In only 1 event were more than 3 attempts required. There were no complications observed. CONCLUSION: RCPs can successfully serve as primary providers of neonatal ETI at a Level-II nursery in a community hospital, and this practice may result in a cost reduction.     

Development of a pediatric intensive care unit nurse practitioner program

The use of acute care nurse practitioners in the adult critical care environment is well established. In the last several years, nurse practitioners are being used in the pediatric intensive care unit as well. Consequently, an increasing number of pediatric nurse practitioners have moved from primary care to the acute care environment. The recent development of the national acute care pediatric nurse practitioner certification examination provides validation of the education and standards of care provided by this subset of advanced practice nurses. The authors describe the highly successful pediatric critical care nurse practitioner program and its outcomes in a pediatric intensive care unit.     

Shaping the advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nursing role: a futuristic model

As advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nursing has transitioned from earlier models of practice, elements of clinical specialist and psychiatric nurse practitioner roles are being blended to produce a new type of practitioner. The challenge of preserving mental health expertise while expanding advanced practice primary and primary mental health care competencies is addressed in several nursing education models. At New York University's Division of Nursing, faculty have designed a program around elements identified as essential to the autonomy demanded of the evolving role, knowledge, and skills basic to broad based health care and mental health care delivery with quality patient care outcomes and the competencies necessary for accountability as care providers in a changing health care delivery system. Essential elements, resources to identify them, and strategies to attain them are discussed. Approaches that promote student, clinician, and faculty development and maximize education affirm the specialty's capacity for innovation and the profession's capacity for new direction and futuristic change.