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Investigating ward nurses' responses to deteriorating patients.
Nicholas Woolfe Loftus1, Duncan Smith2
1Coronary Care Unit, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London.
Nursing Standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
|August 31, 2019
Summary
Recognizing and responding to deteriorating patients is crucial. Effective communication, adequate nurse staffing, and improved knowledge, including
Area of Science:
- Nursing Care
- Patient Safety
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Deteriorating patients often exhibit suboptimal vital signs.
- Failure to recognize these signs can lead to adverse outcomes.
- Current recognition and response systems require improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors influencing ward nurses' responses to deteriorating patients.
- To understand barriers and facilitators in patient deterioration management.
- To inform strategies for enhancing nursing care for deteriorating patients.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
- Searches included multiple electronic databases and hand-searching.
- Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied to select relevant studies.
Main Results:
- Four key themes emerged from nine included studies.
- Themes influencing nurse responses: communication, diurnal/weekend variations, knowledge/attitudes, and staffing levels.
- Communication and knowledge of 'do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation' (DNACPR) orders were significant.
Conclusions:
- Effective communication is vital for improving responses to deteriorating patients.
- Increased nursing staff numbers and senior staff availability enhance care escalation.
- Enhanced knowledge, particularly regarding DNACPR, improves patient outcomes.