Critical Care eNewsline Feb. 21

NEWS - Antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia rises across U.S.

EVIDENCE - Patients' families lack information about tele-ICU

ACTION - Register for 'A Slice of AACN NTI'

EVIDENCE - Nurse-driven burn protocol improves outcomes

"Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Nursing: Enhancing Professional Quality of Life,"
by Vidette Todaro-Franceschi

Register for 'A Slice of AACN NTI' by Feb. 25 and save

Register for the fourth annual "A Slice of AACN NTI," April 1-5, MGM Grand, Las Vegas. Nationally recognized faculty from AACN's National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) will share their expertise in high acuity and critical care. Earn up to 14 continuing nursing education (CNE) hours for the preconferences and up to 17.75 CNE hours for the main conference, while attending sessions such as "What's Hot in Sepsis? New Guidelines" and "Advanced ECG Interpretation." The early-bird registration discount ends Feb. 25.

Register for Ethics of Caring conference

Register for the national Ethics of Caring conference, March 21-22, at the Hilton Universal City, Universal City, Calif. The conference features expert speakers, small group breakout sessions and participant discussions to enhance nurses' clinical practice through identifying and addressing ethical issues.

Prepare for heparin label change

Effective May 1, a heparin label change requires manufacturers of Heparin Lock Flush Solution, USP and Heparin Sodium Injection, USP to clearly state the strength of the entire container of medication followed by how much medication is in 1 milliliter (mL). These modifications will eliminate the need to calculate the total amount of heparin medication in a product containing more than 1 mL, which reduces the risk of medication error. Products with both the old and new labels will be available during the transition, creating the potential for errors. Access resource pages from the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Md., and register for a one-hour webinar presented by USP (all times EST): Feb. 22 at 10 a.m., Feb. 26 at noon and Feb. 28 at 4 p.m.

Florida nurses invited to participate in compassion fatigue study

The American Holistic Nurses Association, Topeka, Kan., is sponsoring a study on compassion fatigue in nurses and its effect on perceptions of nursing care, patient safety and nurse retention. Nurses who provide direct patient care and practice in Florida are invited to complete a survey. Participants are also eligible to enter a contest and win a prize. Email research nurse Aleida Drozdowicz with questions.

Patients' families lack information about tele-ICU, study in CCN finds

February's Critical Care Nurse (CCN) contains "Voices of Family Members and Significant Others in the Tele-Intensive Care Unit," which finds that two-thirds of patients' significant others reported they were "uninformed" about the tele-ICU and identified staff as their preferred source of information.

CNE article in CCN finds nurse-driven burn protocol improves outcomes

"Implementation of a Nurse-Driven Burn Resuscitation Protocol: A Quality Improvement Project," a continuing nursing education (CNE) article in February's Critical Care Nurse (CCN), concludes the protocol "improved nurses' awareness and assessment of fluid status during resuscitation and improved patients' outcomes."

No advantage for IPC and graduated compression stockings in selected patients

"Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) to Prevent Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With High Risk of Bleeding Hospitalized in Intensive Care Units: the CIREA1 Randomized Trial," published online Jan. 31 in Intensive Care Medicine, finds that using IPC in addition to graduated compression stockings didn't provide better prevention compared to using graduated compression stockings alone.

Antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia rises across U.S.

The frequency of Klebsiella pneumonia isolates resistant to carbapenems and third-generation cephalosporins has risen across the U.S., and "resistance is emerging among isolates recovered in the outpatient setting," according to "Trends in Resistance to Carbapenems and Third-Generation Cephalosporins Among Clinical Isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae in the United States, 1999-2010" in March's Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The study notes the situation could be "worse than" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

NINR to host Summer Genetics InstituteCelebrate Certified Nurses Day

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) will host the tuition-free Summer Genetics Institute at the National Institutes of Health, June 3-28 in Bethesda, Md. This one-month graduate-level training program provides participants with a foundation in molecular genetics for use in research and clinical practice, and offers eight hours of college credits. Application deadline is 5 p.m. EST, March 18.

Strategies for preventing readmission after colorectal surgery

"A Patient-Centered Early Warning System to Prevent Readmission After Colorectal Surgery: A National Consensus Using the Delphi Method," in February's Journal of the American College of Surgeons, includes expert consensus on discharge warning signs and identifies appropriate action plans.

Practice Alert: Family Presence: Visitation in the Adult ICU

The unrestricted presence and participation of patients' family members and friends has wide-reaching benefits for patients, both medically and psychologically. This AACN Practice Alert outlines administrative and practical considerations for implementing less-restrictive access to the bedside for these "partners in care."

Register for NTI's Chapter Leadership Development Workshop

Healthy work environments (HWEs) are vital to the work of AACN's chapters. Register in advance for NTI's Chapter Leadership Development Workshop (LDW), Sunday, May 19, to learn HWE leadership, strategic planning and succession planning skills. Chapters that attend receive a $435 stipend to help defray attendance costs. LDW is the only preconference with this perk. Register for LDW — class code PC130 — when you register for NTI. If you have already registered for NTI, call Customer Care at (800) 899-2226 to add LDW to your NTI registration.

Dare To

From February's AACN Bold Voices
"Dare to Take on Bullying"— Kathryn Roberts, AACN President 2012-2013