Critical Care Setting Issues - Essay Example

Critical Care Setting Issues: Changes in the Future and Analysis The essay aims to address a two-fold objective to wit: (1) to conduct an interview with a senior manager in critical care nursing; and (2) to prepare and highlight on the written report the impact of critical care on the patient population of chosen hospital, problems and concerns facing critical care areas of today, and opportunities and/or changes in the future. Critical Care Setting Issues: Changes in the Future and Analysis Introduction The critical care setting is the most visible department in a healthcare organization where patients require complex assessment, high-intensity therapies and interventions, and continuous monitoring (Criner, Barnette and D’Alonzo, 2010, 227). The complexity of the critical setting predisposes the department to certain issues that need attention for analysis and changes for the immediate future. In addition, the nature of the setting also requires highly-skilled nurses beyond the level of a new graduate and who have appropriate experiences and professional qualifications. To create a clear picture of the critical care environment, an interview has been conducted with Mary Brougham, manager of critical care setting of Brampton Civic Hospital regarding impact of critical care health care, problems and concerns facing critical care setting and opportunities and challenges for change in future. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of critical care on patient population, problems and concerns facing critical care and opportunities or changes in the future. This paper will also include comprehensive analysis of critical care issues. Impact of critical care on the patient population When asked about the impact of critical care on the patient population of Brampton Civic Hospital, Brougham replied “While no patient would wish to need critical care, those who experience the service, and their relatives, should be confident that they have received the best possible care”. Based on Brougham’s statement, it is not merely the knowledge and critical care skills that impact patient population in the hospital but the provision of quality care. Terry & Weaver (2011) stated that many areas in critical care such as patient safety, closed versus open units, and confidentiality and privacy are impacted by regulatory issues that are geared towards the provision of a patient-centered, safe, and quality care (p. 11). Problems and concerns facing critical areas Brougham stated that there are a number of problems and challenges critical areas are facing, among of which include managing high-technology environment and ensuring staff competency in operating the equipment, providing high-quality care to the facility’s sickest patients, and trending to the needs of the staff members working in very stressful environment. Critical care often connotes an image where very ill patients are surrounded by the latest biomedical equipment, monitoring devices, and code carts (Kaplow & Hardin, 2007, 27). This image not only raises the anxiety and stress levels of patients and families but those of the critical nurses as well. In addition, continuous monitoring in the critical care settings heightened the stress level of patients due to environment disruptions in sleep and those members of the critical care units due to staff shortage. Sleep is one of the physiological needs that are essential in effective physical and mental functioning. Studies concerning sleep in the critical care units confirmed that sleep is routinely disturbed in the critical care environments due to sleep history and demographic factors, psychosocial, disease-related, treatment-related, and environmental factors (Kaplow & Hardin, 2007, 57). Sleep disruptions have important implications in patient outcomes as it can produce adverse outcomes that may impair the communication between the patient and the critical care nurse. Staff shortage is another concern because of the growing number of aging population with new and chronic illnesses which may present increasing demand for critical care services (Elliot, Aitken & Chaboyer, 2012, 3). According to Terry & Weaver (2011), the average age of critical care nurses is now mid-40s (p. 13). A few more years, these nurses will soon retire and the critical care setting will be facing problems in terms of who will provide and coordinate critical care. Opportunities and challenges for changes in future Terry and Weaver (2011) identify future challenges for change in the future and include economic challenges, staffing challenges, and educational issues (p. 12). Technological advancement is also a major factor for change in the immediate future and is included in the economic challenges. The increasing diversity, age, mobility of the population, and use of technology challenge critical nurses to dedicate, be heard, and enact change. These economic challenges, together with growing multilingual population, open opportunities to render a culturally-competent and individualized care. The increasing mobility of the current population places the community at risk for infection or diseases; thus, a critical care nurse must know how to perform the dual role of being an educator and clinician. Healthcare professions are opening the opportunities for these nurses to help in local, national, and worldwide efforts to contain disease. Technological advancement is a major challenge and opens opportunities for nurses to grow, learn, and develop professionally without being swallowed by technology and by keeping abreast of the patients and family’s needs for healing touch. Staffing challenges include staff shortage and moral distress. Staff shortage is discussed in the earlier part and the upcoming retirement of the mid-40s nurses will open the opportunities for succeeding and novice nurses to enter the field of critical care. Resolving the challenge of nursing shortage will avoid frequently overworked and stressed critical care nurses. It will also overcome the challenge in moral distress, a situation when the nurse knows the right thing to do but is prevented due to institutional restraints (Terry & Weaver, 2011, 13). Critical care nurses often have lack of perceived or actual personal authority and resources to do what is morally right, added to the need of assisting and monitoring care of nonprofessional nurse extenders. These challenges often lead nurses to decide on leaving the nursing profession, leading to staff shortage. In the near future, critical care nurses will be facing the challenges education of new critical care nurses and graying of nurse educators, improving collegiality among critical care nurses, and mandating continued educational credits (Terry & Weaver, 2011, 14). A novice nurse without sufficient guidance and experience in critical care may find it overwhelming to meet the high levels of demands and responsibilities, leading them to leave nursing and worsened the staff shortage. In addition, nursing leaders are often disappointed to the loss of revenue due to constant reorientation of new nurses. While professional and career opportunities open for newly graduate nurses as critical care nurse and educators retire, educational challenges emerge from lack of sufficient funding and innovative curriculum. Comprehensive analysis of critical care The unprecedented demand for critical care services requires the attention to address possible changes in the future. Being knowledgeable and skillful in critical care setting is a must but the staff should also be able to work with enthusiasm, knowing that they are being enabled to give their best for their patients. Problems in the critical care areas stressed critical care nurses, leading to staff shortages. It is essential that prior to entering the critical care units, nurses must be well-mentored in the nature of the setting. Currently, even where there is physical capacity to provide critical care beds, a shortage in the supply of experienced and trained critical care nurses has led to difficulties delivering services across the country. Focus must be given on newly graduate nurses to receive appropriate and sufficient certifications and trainings in critical care in order to resolve staff shortages. References Criner, G.J., Barnette, R.E. & D’Alonzo, G.E. (2010). Nursing Care in the Intensive Care Unit Setting: The Role of the Nurse in the ICU. Critical Care Study Guide: Text and Review (2nd ed.) (p. 225-238). New York: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. Elliot, D., Aitken, L. & Chaboyer, W. (2012). Scope of Critical Care Practice. ACCCN’s Critical Care Nursing (2nd ed.) (p. 1-78). New South Wales: Elsevier Australia. Kaplow, R. & Hardin, S.R. (2007). Creating a Healing Environment in the ICU. Critical Care Nursing: Synergy for Optimal Outcomes (p. 27-36). Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC. Kaplow, R. & Hardin, S.R. (2007). Sleep Disturbances in the ICU. Critical Care Nursing: Synergy for Optimal Outcomes (p. 53-67). Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC. Terry, C.L. & Weaver, A. (2011). The Critical Care Nurse. Critical Care Nursing Demystified (p. 1-17). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Read More