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Nursing Time (nursing + time)
Selected AbstractsNursing Time Devoted to Medication Administration in Long-Term Care: Clinical, Safety, and Resource ImplicationsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2 2009Mary S. Thomson PhD OBJECTIVES: To quantify the time required for nurses to complete the medication administration process in long-term care (LTC). DESIGN: Time-motion methods were used to time all steps in the medication administration process. SETTING: LTC units that differed according to case mix (physical support, behavioral care, dementia care, and continuing care) in a single facility in Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Regular and temporary nurses who agreed to be observed. MEASUREMENTS: Seven predefined steps, interruptions, and total time required for the medication administration process were timed using a personal digital assistant. RESULTS: One hundred forty-one medication rounds were observed. Total time estimates were standardized to 20 beds to facilitate comparisons. For a single medication administration process, the average total time was 62.0±4.9 minutes per 20 residents on physical support units, 84.0±4.5 minutes per 20 residents on behavioral care units, and 70.0±4.9 minutes per 20 residents on dementia care units. Regular nurses took an average of 68.0±4.9 minutes per 20 residents to complete the medication administration process, and temporary nurses took an average of 90.0±5.4 minutes per 20 residents. On continuing care units, which are organized differently because of the greater severity of residents' needs, the medication administration process took 9.6±3.2 minutes per resident. Interruptions occurred in 79% of observations and accounted for 11.5% of the medication administration process. CONCLUSION: Time requirements for the medication administration process are substantial in LTC and are compounded when nurses are unfamiliar with residents. Interruptions are a major problem, potentially affecting the efficiency, quality, and safety of this process. [source] Treatment of Acute Renal Failure in the Intensive Care Unit: Lower Costs by Intermittent Dialysis Than Continuous Venovenous HemodiafiltrationARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 8 2009Stefan Farese Abstract Intermittent and continuous renal replacement therapies (RRTs) are available for the treatment of acute renal failure (ARF) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Although at present there are no adequately powered survival studies, available data suggest that both methods are equal with respect to patient outcome. Therefore, cost comparison between techniques is important for selecting the modality. Expenditures were prospectively assessed as a secondary end point during a controlled, randomized trial comparing intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) with continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). The outcome of the primary end points of this trial, that is, ICU and in-hospital mortality, has been previously published. One hundred twenty-five patients from a Swiss university hospital ICU were randomized either to CVVHDF or IHD. Out of these, 42 (CVVHDF) and 34 (IHD) were available for cost analysis. Patients' characteristics, delivered dialysis dose, duration of stay in the ICU or hospital, mortality rates, and recovery of renal function were not different between the two groups. Detailed 24-h time and material consumption protocols were available for 369 (CVVHDF) and 195 (IHD) treatment days. The mean daily duration of CVVHDF was 19.5 ± 3.2 h/day, resulting in total expenditures of ,436 ± 21 (21% for human resources and 79% for technical devices). For IHD (mean 3.0 ± 0.4 h/treatment), the costs were lower (,268 ± 26), with a larger proportion for human resources (45%). Nursing time spent for CVVHDF was 113 ± 50 min, and 198 ± 63 min per IHD treatment. Total costs for RRT in ICU patients with ARF were lower when treated with IHD than with CVVHDF, and have to be taken into account for the selection of the method of RRT in ARF on the ICU. [source] Arousal, but not nursing, is necessary to elicit a decreased fear reaction toward humans in rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) pupsDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Péter Pongrácz Abstract Rabbits that are handled at the time of feeding during the first week postpartum show reduced fear of humans later in their lives as compared to unhandled controls. Effective handling has been shown to be confined to a sensitive period. Our study aimed to investigate if feeding itself (provided by a second doe, 6 hr after the standard nursing time) affects the levels of fear of humans later in life. Our results showed that (a) the prenursing state of excitement is only characteristic of the standard nursing and is not elicited by a second feeding 6 hr past the usual nursing time, repeated daily across the first week postpartum; and (b) handling linked to a second feeding 6 hr after the standard nursing does not reduce fear responses toward humans at weaning. We conclude that the aroused state, per se, is essential for the reduction of a rabbit's fear response toward humans provoked by early handling. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 43: 192,199, 2003. [source] The economics and practicality of t-PA vs tunnel catheter replacement for hemodialysisHEMODIALYSIS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2005Cairoli O. Kaiser Permanente Introduction:,Thrombolytic therapy is an important treatment modality for thrombosis-related catheter occlusion. Central venous access devices (CAVDs) are essential tools for the administration of many therapeutic modalities, especially for patients requiring lifetime therapy like hemodialysis. There are several reasons to salvage the occluded catheter. Catheter replacement results in an interruption of therapy delivery. This interruption may result in complications such as life-threatening metabolic and physiologic states. In addition, the patient's future access sites for CAVDs may be affected. The data released in the 2001 Annual Report , ESRD Clinical Performance Measures Project (Department of Health and Human Services, December 2001) shows 17% of prevalent patients were dialyzed with a chronic catheter continuously for 90 days or longer. In the pediatric population the data shows that 31% were dialyzed with a chronic catheter. The most common reasons for catheter placement included: no fistula or graft created (42%) and fistula and graft were maturing, not ready to cannulate (17%). Five percent of patients were not candidates for fistula or graft placement as all sites had been exhausted. Methods:,A short study was done in our medical center to evaluate the results of t-PA vs. changing the tunnel catheter. On an average a catheter costs about $400.00. If you add the cost of specialty personnel such as an interventional radiologist, radiology technician, radiology nurse, and the ancillaries such as the room, sutures, gauze, and tape, the total could reach $2000.00 easily. CathfloÔ Activase® costs around $60.00 for a single dose. T-PA was reconstituted by pharmacy personnel in single vials containing 2 mg/2 ml. Now with Cathflo, vials are stored in the renal clinic's refrigerator and when the need arises, the RN reconstitutes the medication. The RN, using established protocols, will instill Cathflo in the catheter following the volume requirements of the various tunnel catheters. After the t-PA is placed, the patient is sent home with instructions to return to their dialysis center the next day (arrangements are made by the RN as needed). In seventeen patients (17) with tunnel catheter malfunctions due to inadequate flow, not related to placement, t-PA was used. Of those 17 patients 2 were unable to use their catheter on their next dialysis treatment date, yielding an 88% success rate. This compares with clinical trials in which there is an 83% success rate with a dwell time of 4 hours, or an 89% rate on patients having a 2 hour dwell time (t-PA was repeated a second time if flow was not successfully restored. Results:,15/17 patients in our retrospective study showed that Cathflo worked successfully in restoring blood flow. Two catheters needed to be exchanged. The cost savings were significant when we compared the average cost of an exchange ($2000) versus using t-PA ($170 including nursing time). Conclusion:,Cathflo is not just safe and practical to use but also cost effective. [source] Reducing admission times in the endoscopy unitINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 4 2006Deborah Dobree-Carey RGN Pre-procedural admission of outpatients to a day-case endoscopy facility is time-consuming. Collecting and recording routine but necessary information distracts nurses from spending time that could be used to counsel patients. This study assessed whether patients can record some pre-procedural details and whether such self-recording quickens nurse admission times. A new admission document was devised and posted to patients. Patients completed personal/administrative details and information about drugs and allergies and brought the document with them when attending for outpatient endoscopy. Endoscopy nurses anonymously timed 100 admissions, 50 using the new admission form and 50 using the old admission form. Overall, the median (range) time to admit using the old form was 6 (3,15.5) min. Using the new form, the median time to admit was lower at 4 (0.5,10) min. No patient completing the new form reported any particular difficulties. An admission document that patients partially complete at home leads to a faster pre-procedural admission in the endoscopy unit. This allows more nursing time to discuss patients' anxieties and answer patient queries, helps to prevent delays and facilitates increased capacity in the endoscopy unit. [source] School nursing: costs and potential benefitsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 5 2000Linda Cotton RHV School nursing: costs and potential benefits Background. Previous reports that variations in school nursing resources across the UK had no relationship to deprivation; controversy about the changing role of the school nursing service. Objectives. To measure the resources allocated to school nursing, determine whether the variations can be explained by deprivation, and assess whether the allocation of school nursing time to a range of tasks is in line with current evidence and perceptions of changing needs. Study design. Quantitative economic analysis; qualitative descriptive study. Setting. Detailed study of four English districts with diverse characteristics; staffing and service questionnaire and telephone survey of 62 districts. Main measures. Staff resources and their salaries; measures of population and deprivation; activity statistics. Results. There were wide variations in the cost of the school nursing service, but in contrast to previous reports 24% of the variance was explained by deprivation. There were no clear associations with any other social or educational variables. The greatest allocation of time was in routine screening and surveillance tasks. Relatively little time was allocated to other activities such as health promotion, support of special needs or unwell children, or teenage clinics. The expenditure on school nursing is only loosely related to deprivation and the results of this study offer guidance on what districts should spend to achieve equity of provision. Conclusions. The current allocation of resources to school nursing in between districts comparisons is not equitable and the use of school nursing time is out of step with current evidence of need and effectiveness. [source] The impact of pressure ulcer risk assessment on patient outcomes among hospitalised patientsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 13 2009Mohammad Saleh Aims and objectives., To determine whether use of a risk assessment scale reduces nosocomial pressure ulcers. Background., There is contradictory evidence concerning the validity of risk assessment scales. The interaction of education, clinical judgement and use of risk assessment scales has not been fully explored. It is not known which of these is most important, nor whether combining them results in better patient care. Design., Pretest,posttest comparison. Methods., A risk assessment scale namely the Braden was implemented in a group of wards after appropriate education and training of staff in addition to mandatory wound care study days. Another group of staff received the same education programme but did not implement the risk assessment scale and a third group carried on with mandatory study days only. Results., Nosocomial Pressure Ulcer was reduced in all three groups, but the group that implemented the risk assessment scale showed no significant additional improvement. Allowing for age, gender, medical speciality, level of risk and other factors did not explain this lack of improvement. Clinical judgement seemed to be used by nurses to identify patients at high risk to implement appropriate risk reduction strategies such as use of pressure relieving beds. Clinical judgement was not significantly different from the risk assessment scale score in terms of risk evaluation. Conclusions., It is questioned whether the routine use of a risk assessment scale is useful in reducing nosocomial pressure ulcer. It is suggested clinical judgement is as effective as a risk assessment scale in terms of assessing risk (though neither show good sensitivity and specificity) and determining appropriate care. Relevance to clinical practice., Clinical judgement may be as effective as employing a risk assessment scale to assess the risk of pressure ulcers. If this were true it would be simpler and release nursing time for other tasks. [source] Comparison of costs and safety of a suture-mediated closure device with conventional manual compression after coronary artery interventionsCATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, Issue 3 2002Hans Rickli MD Abstract The aim of this study was to assess costs and safety of immediate femoral sheath removal and closure with a suture-mediated closure device (Perclose, Menlo Park, CA) in patients undergoing elective (PCI). A total of 193 patients was prospectively randomized to immediate arterial sheath removal and access site closure with a suture-mediated closure device (SMC; n = 96) or sheath removal 4 hr after PCI followed by manual compression (MC; n = 97). In the SMC group, patients were ambulated 4 hr after elective PCI if hemostasis was achieved. In the MC group, patients were ambulated the day after the procedure. In addition to safety, total direct costs including physician and nursing time, infrastructure, and the device were assessed in both groups. Total direct costs were significantly (all P < 0.001) lower in the SMC group. Successful hemostasis without major complication was achieved in all patients. The time to achieve hemostasis was significantly shorter in the SMC group (7.1 ± 3.4 vs. 22.9 ± 14.0 min; P < 0.01) and 85% of SMC patients were ambulated on the day of intervention. Suture-mediated closure allows a reduction in hospitalization time, leading to significant cost savings due to decreased personnel and infrastructural demands. In addition, the use of SMC is safe and convenient to the patients. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2002;57:297,302. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||