Continuous verapamil infusion: the nurse\u27s role in monitoring patient outcomes.

The critical care nurse is responsible for initiating and maintaining the newest type of administration of continuous-verapamil intravenous infusion. The nurse\u27s monitoring and evaluation of the desired and adverse effects helps the team to titrate the dosage according to the patient\u27s response

First-year results of a community peripheral vascular screening program at an academic community hospital.

Disease associated with the vascular system, including peripheral arterial disease, poses a serious health problem with incidence growing annually. Recognizing this, several health care organizations across the United States have developed programs for public education and community awareness, and for screening individuals at risk for vascular disease. Lehigh Valley Hospital developed and implemented a screening program that evaluated more than 160 individuals during a 12-month period. Results suggest that screening should be limited to patients at high risk; however, the intrinsic value of patient education and patient peace of mind is worth proceeding with the screening effort because patients reported a positive experience

Sleep disturbances post coronary artery bypass surgery.

The purpose of this study was to describe the nature and frequency of sleep pattern disturbances in patients post coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery. An exploratory design using telephone interviews at one week, one month, three months and six months was used to describe the incidence and nature of sleep disturbances post CABG surgery. Forty-nine patients completed all four measurement times. More than half of the patients reported sleep disturbances at each measurement time. Sleep disturbances during the first month post CABG were reported to be the result of incisional pain, difficulty finding a comfortable position and nocturia. Although less frequent over time, these problems persisted for six months. The authors propose nursing interventions to improve sleep post CABG surgery. Implications for continuing research are discussed

Understanding Nonurgent Pediatric Emergency Department Visits: Using Hospital and Family-Centric Data to Inform System Redesign.

We conducted a mixed-method study to analyze the population and financial impact of emergency department use for pediatric nonurgent problems. Findings from this initial study led to our phase 2 case study, in which we interviewed 23 adults accompanying children younger than 4 years with nonemergent fever. The resulting qualitative analysis revealed that participants were unable to distinguish urgent from nonurgent conditions, perceived access limitations to care, and although they preferred the child\u27s primary care physician, went to the emergency department for care