Shift Change: From ICU Nurse to ICU Patient

Alison Cusmano1

  • 1Alison Cusmano works as a sub-investigator for Operation Warp Speed at the Geneva Foundation, Bethesda, MD. Contact author: acusmano@sandiego.edu . Illustration by Janet Hamlin.

A post-childbirth emergency and a new understanding of the comforting presence of nurses.

Related Concept Videos

Planning Nursing Care I01:21

Planning Nursing Care I

The planning phase of the nursing process helps nurses set priorities, outline patient-centered goals and expected outcomes, and tailor nursing interventions to align with the aligned care plan. Through the planning phase, the nurse applies critical thinking skills to align and develop interventions according to the patient's needs. It provides continuity of care allowing patients to receive the maximum benefit from treatment. It serves as a pilot plan for allocating individual staff to a...
4.6K
Endotracheal Intubation II: Nursing Management01:17

Endotracheal Intubation II: Nursing Management

Endotracheal intubation is a critical procedure that can be lifesaving for many patients with respiratory distress or failure. The role of nursing in managing endotracheal tubes is pivotal, as it involves pre-intubation preparation, assisting during the procedure, and post-extubation care.
1. Nursing Care of Patients Before Intubation
Before the endotracheal intubation procedure, nurses play an essential role in ensuring the process goes smoothly. The nurses must be familiar with intubation...
1.0K
Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I01:21

Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I

An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care.
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...
1.7K
Hospitals-II00:59

Hospitals-II

Hospitals provide inpatient and outpatient services. Inpatient services provide care to patients that stay in the hospital for an extended period, ranging from days to months. Examples of inpatient services include intensive care units, hospital wards, or surgeries. Outpatient services provide care to patients who come to a hospital for a diagnostic or treatment but do not stay overnight —for example, diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, or health education.
Nurses that work in...
816
SBAR I: Understanding the Concept01:29

SBAR I: Understanding the Concept

Effective communication among healthcare professionals during hand-off reporting is essential to delivering safe and continuous patient care. Common professional interactions include reports to healthcare team members, hand-off, and transfer reports. Nurses routinely report information to other healthcare team members and also urgently contact healthcare providers to report changes in patient status.
Standardized methods of communication have been developed to ensure that information is...
4.7K
Cardiac Catheterization IV: Nursing Management01:26

Cardiac Catheterization IV: Nursing Management

Nursing responsibilities before cardiac catheterization include:Assess for allergies and establish baseline health status.Before cardiac catheterization, assess the patient for allergies to contrast dye. Perform a comprehensive baseline assessment, including vital signs, heart and breath sounds, and a neurovascular assessment of the extremities, noting distal pulses, skin color, and temperature. Instruct the patient to fast for 8-12 hours before the procedure. Evaluate baseline laboratory...
119