AACN Grants: Driving Change in Nursing Through Research

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are the only available treatment option to improve survival and quality of life for patients with advanced heart failure who are not eligible for cardiac transplant. Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent for patients with heart failure and persists after LVAD implantation, which may impact recovery and quality of life. Participants will wear a wristband device, which will provide continuous recording throughout the night to calculate accurate sleep time. The study will examine changes in objective and subjective sleep quality for patients with advanced heart failure, before and after they’ve had an LVAD implanted.

Survivors of critical illness frequently experience new or worsened cognitive, mental health and physical impairments, known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). These ongoing impairments may hinder individuals from returning to work after discharge, with joblessness common among those who were previously employed. This study will explore individual, relationship, community and societal factors and how they interact to help enable or inhibit successful return to work.

Many newly designed critical care units have moved away from a centralized hub to decentralized workstations characterized by individual alcoves between patient rooms. The potential unintended consequences of these unit layouts include increased feelings of isolation and fewer opportunities for collaboration. This study will explore how unit layouts influence nursing teamwork and the work environment.

Sepsis remains the number one cause of death for hospitalized patients worldwide, and survival is critically dependent on early detection and timely intervention. Changes in oxygen consumption serve as a differentiating metabolic measure in critically ill patients with or without a diagnosis of sepsis. The study will use data collected from skin sensors to determine oxygen consumption parameters for patients with sepsis. The findings may help clinicians recognize disrupted metabolism in real time, leading to objective, early recognition and diagnosis of sepsis.

This study will compare the effects of an eight-week mobile health (mHealth) meditation intervention with those of a cardiovascular education intervention on anxiety and stress levels in individuals recovering from their first myocardial infarction. Pamela Barthle, MSN, RN, APRN-CNP, professor of nursing at Augustana University in South Dakota and a PhD student at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, received the grant.

Patients who survive critical illness often experience sleep disturbances and ICU-acquired cognitive impairment. This study seeks to identify the best time of day for cognitive interventions to promote circadian realignment and cognitive function in older ICU survivors. Maya Elias, PhD, RN, a geriatric critical care nurse scientist and an assistant professor at University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, will lead the study. This study builds on prior research funded by the National Institutes of Health, for which she conducted a longitudinal cohort study that examined the effect of rest/activity and sleep/wake cycle disturbances on cognitive impairment in older ICU survivors.

This study seeks to externally validate and modernize a hospital-acquired pressure injury risk-prediction model that uses artificial intelligence via machine learning. Expanding on prior research supported by AACN, the research team will apply data from a nationally recognized individual database to assess the model. If validated, the model could eventually be applied to easily accessible electronic health record data and to support clinical decision-making in real time. The lead researcher is Jenny Alderden, PhD, APRN, CCRN, CCNS, associate professor at Boise State University, Boise, Idaho.

Using a retrospective case-control study, the research team will compare characteristics of critically ill adults who developed medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs) from oxygen delivery devices and NG tubes to those of critically ill adults with similar devices who did not. The analysis will help them identify common risk factors, as well as unique risk factors to determine the best model for predicting MDRPIs and potentially providing new knowledge to enhance prevention protocols. Susan Solmos, MSN, RN, CWCN, a PhD student at University of Nebraska Medical Center, is the principal investigator.