A Quality Improvement Initiative to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the ABCDEF Bundle on Sepsis Outcomes.

Sepsis affects 1.7 million Americans annually and often requires an intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Survivors of ICU can experience long-term negative effects.

Social Support, Self-Efficacy, and Helplessness Following Myocardial Infarctions.

Numerous factors impact patient recovery following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Negative emotional outcomes, such as learned helplessness, are predictors of mortality following AMI, though little is known about these relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between social support and self-efficacy with learned helplessness in individuals post-AMI.

A Quality Improvement Project to Increase Adherence to a Pain, Agitation, and Delirium Protocol in the Intensive Care Unit.

Background: In recent years, the incidence of delirium has grown to epidemic proportions in the intensive care setting with up to 80% of mechanically ventilated patients being affected. This can lead to adverse patient outcomes such as increased lengths of hospital stay, increased mortality rates, and increased long-term cognitive impairment.

Objectives: The objective of this project is to determine whether a quality improvement project can increase adherence to an existing pain, agitation, and delirium (PAD) protocol for enhanced patient outcomes.

Evaluation and Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome in the Primary Care Environment.

Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbon disease (RLS/WED) is a common sensorimotor disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move and is associated with an uncomfortable sensation typically in the lower extremities. Dopaminergic neurotransmission abnormalities, genetics, sleep deprivation, and iron deficiency all play key roles in the pathogenesis of primary RLS. Secondary RLS has been associated with other medical conditions and medication usage.

Immunosuppressive/Autoimmune Disorders.

Autoimmune disorders are a category of diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy cells as a result of a dysfunction of the acquired immune system. Clinical presentation and diagnosis are disease specific and often correspond with the degree of inflammation, as well as the systems involved. Treatment varies based on the specific disease, its stage of presentation, and patient symptoms.

Use of a Virtual Learning Platform for Distance-Based Simulation in an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Curriculum.

Background: Acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) programs that use high-fidelity simulation as a teaching tool need to consider innovative strategies to provide distance-based students with learning experiences that are comparable to those in a simulation laboratory.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to describe the use of virtual simulations in a distance-based ACNP program and student performance in the simulations.

Method: Virtual simulations using iSimulate were integrated into the ACNP course to promote the translation of content into a clinical context and enable students to develop their knowledge and decision-making skills.

Learned Helplessness and Depressive Symptoms Following Myocardial Infarction.

Psychosocial factors are known to impact depressive symptoms across clinical populations. Learned helplessness has the potential of affecting depressive symptoms following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), though little is known about this relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between learned helplessness and depressive symptoms in patients following an AMI.

Technology and monitoring patients at the bedside.

Hospital technology has aggressively improved over the past 50 years. With the primary intent of making health care more efficient and safer, the bedside nurse has been impacted by all of these changes. The growth and utilization of point-of-care testing, automated dispensing systems, electronic medication records, electronic health records, mobile and digital radiography, and computerized provider order entry have continued to foster the growth of Nursing autonomy and the expectation of nurses' critical thinking.

Bee and wasp stings: reactions and anaphylaxis.

This article provides a brief introduction to the history of anaphylaxis and the order Hymenoptera, which is responsible for most reported sting-induced allergic reactions. The anatomic similarities and differences as well as inhabited similarities and differences between bees and wasps are discussed. The various types of allergic reactions and their manifestations are described.