Critical Care Newsline — October 18, 2012

Critical Care Newsline, the electronic newsletter from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, contains information selected just for you by our clinical practice experts. Each issue includes links to resources, research abstracts (individual sites may require registration and a fee to access complete articles) and websites that will inform you on issues affecting nurses and the nursing profession.

Oct. 18, 2012

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1. NTI Reserve hotel room for NTI, May 18-23, in Boston
2. EVIDENCE Current approaches to diagnosis of bacterial and fungal bloodstream infections
3. EVIDENCE Multistate Meningitis Outbreak Investigation: Information and Guidance for Clinicians
4. NTI Give the gift of learning
5. EVIDENCE Article in CCN focuses on coagulopathy in the ICU
6. CNE ARTICLE Nurses instrumental in reducing PCI complications, per article in CCN
7. RESOURCE AACN offers RSS feeds
8. EVIDENCE PACs common in people 50 and older, study says
9. PRACTICE ALERT Prevention of Aspiration
10. CALL TO ACTION Don’t miss out on AACN research grants
11. NEW IN BOOKSTORE Learn the power of ‘Influencing Up’
12. CLINICAL PRACTICE RESOURCES
13. AACN RESOURCES Find jobs at NursePath.com
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1. NTI Reserve hotel room for NTI, May 18-23, in Boston
The annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) takes place in Boston, May 18-23, 2013. AACN Housing is now accepting reservations for hotel rooms. Discounted rates are available until April 2, but early booking is strongly advised to ensure the best selection. Register online or call (800) 340-1840.

2. EVIDENCE Current approaches to diagnosis of bacterial and fungal bloodstream infections
“Current Approaches to the Diagnosis of Bacterial and Fungal Bloodstream Infections in the Intensive Care Unit,” published online Oct. 3 by Critical Care Medicine, discusses nucleic acid amplification tests and mass spectroscopy, which help “clinical laboratories to detect and identify organisms from blood cultures substantially faster than conventional systems.”

3. EVIDENCE Multistate Meningitis Outbreak Investigation: Information and Guidance for Clinicians
Subject matter experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, discussed the current epidemiology of the fungal meningitis outbreak, described the clinical presentation and features of fungal meningitis and reviewed the CDC’s recommended treatment guidance. Access the recorded audio and transcript of the call, which took place Oct. 10.

4. NTI Give the gift of learning
Plan for the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) — Saturday, May 18 through Thursday, May 23, 2013, in Boston, with an AACN gift certificate. Give a nurse colleague access to NTI’s essential knowledge, resources and networking opportunities.

5. EVIDENCE Article in CCN focuses on coagulopathy in the ICU
“Coagulopathy in the Intensive Care Unit,” in October’s Critical Care Nurse (CCN), describes the effects of critical illness on hemostasis and the inflammatory-immune response, reviews clinical signs and symptoms of coagulopathy and discusses relevant clinical practice guidelines.

6. CNE ARTICLE Nurses instrumental in reducing PCI complications, per article in CCN
October’s Critical Care Nurse (CCN) includes “Managing Risk of Complications at Femoral Vascular Access Sites in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention,” which discusses how nurses can use their knowledge of risk factors to reduce risks and identify complications early in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome or non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction.

7. RESOURCE AACN offers RSS feeds
AACN’s RSS feeds automatically deliver important critical care and high acuity nursing information directly to you, keeping you up-to-date on the latest news, evidence-based practices, clinical resources and peer-reviewed articles. RSS gathers online information in one convenient place, eliminating the need to search the Web for content. AACN’s RSS subscriptions currently include a general AACN news feed plus feeds for American Journal of Critical Care and Critical Care Nurse. Learn more and subscribe.

8. EVIDENCE PACs common in people 50 and older, study says
Premature atrial contractions (PACs) are common in people ages 50 and older, and frequency is associated with age, height, history of cardiovascular disease, natriuretic peptide levels, physical activity and HDL cholesterol, according to “Premature Atrial Contractions in the General Population: Frequency and Risk Factors,” published online Oct. 9 by Circulation.

9. PRACTICE ALERT Prevention of Aspiration
Critically ill patients, especially those who are tube-fed, may experience micro-aspirations, which greatly increase the risk for pneumonia and other complications. This AACN Practice Alert offers a checklist for aspiration prevention, including head-of-bed elevation, assessment of sedation levels and feeding-tube placement.

10. CALL TO ACTION Don’t miss out on AACN research grants
AACN invites clinicians and researchers to apply for its research grants, which range from $10,000 to $50,000. They fund priority projects that address gaps in clinical research and support the translation of these findings to bedside nurses. Applications must be submitted online by Thursday, Nov. 1. Learn more and get started.

11. NEW IN BOOKSTORE Learn the power of ‘Influencing Up’
Having trouble communicating with your boss? Want to sell senior management on a project? Take some tips from “Influencing Up,” a new book full of practical advice for turning your relationship with your boss into a partnership that benefits both of you. Access other books and resources in AACN’s Online Bookstore.

12. CLINICAL PRACTICE RESOURCES
Patient safety
Download “Medications at Transitions and Clinical Handoffs (MATCH) Toolkit for Medication Reconciliation,” a free toolkit from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Md., that features a comprehensive work plan with procedural guidelines and flowcharts, modifiable templates, pilot-test recommendations and other resources. The toolkit is also available through email or by calling (800) 358-9295.

Evidence
The Canadian C-spine rule “appears to have better diagnostic accuracy” than the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) in assessing the need for cervical spine imaging in patients with blunt trauma, according to “Accuracy of the Canadian C-Spine Rule and NEXUS to Screen for Clinically Important Cervical Spine Injury in Patients Following Blunt Trauma: A Systematic Review,” which includes 15 studies of “modest methodologic quality” and was published online Oct. 9 by the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Resources
On Oct. 10, The Joint Commission, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., released “Speak Up: What You Need to Know About Your Serious Illness and Palliative Care,” the latest topic in its Speak Up educational campaign.

Access the new TeamSTEPPS Enhancing Safety for Patients With Limited English Proficiency Module and accompanying guide, “Improving Patient Safety Systems for Patients With Limited English Proficiency: A Hospital Guide,” from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Md. The module, which includes slide presentations with videos, handouts and train-the-trainer materials, can augment an existing TeamSTEPPS program or be implemented independently.

13. AACN RESOURCES
Find jobs at NursePath.com
Are you a recent graduate? Or are you a mid- or senior-career acute or critical care nurse looking to change jobs or locations? Visit NursePath.com, AACN’s online career site, to find employment opportunities in high acuity and critical care across the U.S.

Notable Quote
“Do not make exercise a drudgery. Schedule regular exercise that you enjoy.” Gary Scholar, “Fit Nurse: Your Total Plan for Getting Fit and Living Well.”

Dare To
From October’s AACN Bold Voices
“Dare to Compete” — Kathryn Roberts, AACN President 2012-2013
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