Sleep disturbances and sedation practices in the intensive care unit--a postal survey in the Netherlands

Promoting sleep in hospitals: An integrative review of nurses' attitudes, knowledge and practices

AIMS

To explore nurses' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to improving hospitalized patients' sleep.

DESIGN

Integrative review.

DATA SOURCES

We searched CINAHL, PubMed and PsycInfo electronically including a manual search of references listed within the relevant studies. Original, peer-reviewed studies published in English between 2000 and 2022 evaluating nurses' sleep knowledge, attitudes, or practices to improve inpatients' sleep were reviewed.

REVIEW METHODS

This review was guided by Whittemore and Knafl method and followed PRISMA guidelines to search the literature. Fifteen articles reporting nurses' sleep knowledge, attitudes or practices to improve inpatients' sleep were included. The quality appraisal was done using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool version 2018.

RESULTS

Inadequate training of nurses regarding sleep hygiene and insufficiency in sleep-promoting practices were apparent. Most studies reported that nurses hold positive attitudes about sleep. The acuity of patients' health conditions affected their perception of sleep priorities. Lack of organizational sleep policies/protocols and coworkers' attitudes negatively impacted nurses' motivation to implement sleep hygiene interventions. Interventions reported in the studies were reducing noise and nursing interventions at night, using a clock for time orientation, earplugs, reducing light, keeping patients awake during the daytime, maintaining comfortable room temperature and managing patients' stress. These practices were hindered by poor knowledge, negative attitudes, patients' acuity and lack of sleep assessment tools.

CONCLUSION

It is essential to support nursing practice to improve patients' sleep in hospitals through interventions that target nurses' knowledge, attitudes and confidence towards implementing sleep hygiene interventions to improve patients' sleep and, consequently, their health outcomes during hospitalization.

IMPACT

This integrative review explored nurses' knowledge, attitudes and practices to improve patients' sleep during hospitalization. It revealed that expanding nurses' sleep knowledge and empowering them to implement sleep promotion practices are needed. Nursing educators and leaders need to be involved.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

This paper is an integrative review and does not include patient or public contribution.

What are the perceptions of intensive care staff about their sedation practices when caring for a mechanically ventilated patient?: A systematic mixed-methods review

Background

Sedation is used alongside mechanical ventilation for patients in intensive care units internationally; its use is complex and multifaceted. Existing evidence shows that the ways health care professionals use sedation significantly impacts patient outcomes, including how long someone spends on a ventilator, length of stay in intensive care and recovery.

Objective

Our study aimed to systematically review and synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence about how intensive care staff perceive sedation practices when looking after sedated and mechanically ventilated patients.

Design

We performed a systematic integrated mixed-methods literature review collecting qualitative and quantitative studies according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies were included if they were published from 2009 and focused on perceptions of staff working in general adult intensive care units and caring for mechanically ventilated patients.

Settings

General adult intensive care units.

Participants

Health care professionals working in adult intensive care units.

Methods

Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal was undertaken by SV. Screening for inclusion and quality issues were reviewed by TR, TM and JS. The following databases: Embase, BNI, PubMed, Scopus, AMED, CINAHL, ASSIA, The Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. We used an assessment tool called the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The studies were assessed and analysed by transforming the qualitative and quantitative data into 'text-in-context' statements. The statements were then synthesized using thematic analysis.

Results

Eighteen studies were included from ten countries, fourteen quantitative and four qualitative. Three overarching themes were identified: 'Variation in Decision Making', 'Challenges in Decision Making' and 'Thinking Outside the Box'. Existing studies revealed that there is considerable variation in most aspects of perceived sedation practice. Staff face challenges with interprofessional collaboration and sedation practice, and there are barriers to using sedation protocols and light sedation. There is also evidence that there is a need for health care professionals to develop coping strategies to help them facilitate lighter sedation.

Conclusions

A review of a decade of evidence shows that variation in decision making and challenges in decision making should be addressed to improve the care of the sedated and ventilated patient, and improve the caregiving experience for staff. Staff continue to require support with sedation practice, especially in light sedation. Research should now focus on how to help staff cope with looking after lightly sedated patients. In addition, future studies should focus on exploring sedation practices using qualitative methods as there is a dearth of qualitative evidence.

Tweetable abstract

Staff perceive a range of complex challenges that explain some of the variability in sedation practice for the ventilated patient in ICU.

Sleep Deprivation Etiologies Among Patients in the Intensive Care Unit: Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Sleep deprivation among patients is a common problem in the intensive care unit (ICU). Studies have tried to find the etiologies of sleep deprivation. Poor sleep quality in the ICU has effects such as delirium, weakening the wound healing, and anxiety. Researches have concluded that the etiologies for sleep deprivation are multifactorial.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this review is to discuss the etiologies of sleep deprivation among ICU patients. This review also aims to discuss effects of sleep deprivations and provide implications for promoting sleep quality in the ICU.

METHODS

For this literature review, ProQuest, MEDLINE, and Up To Date were used to find articles about sleep deprivation among ICU patients. The search was narrowed to articles between 2008 and 2019. A total of 23 articles were included that were found to match the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Findings indicated that sleep deprivations etiologies among ICU patients can be environmental and nonenvironmental. Sensory overload, sensory deprivation, and patients' care activities are environmental etiologies for sleep deprivation. The nonenvironmental factors include pharmacological, physical, and psychological factors.

DISCUSSION

Sleep deprivation etiologies are multifactorial and have several effects on ICU patients. Sleep protocol and staff training should be introduced to reduce unnecessary interventions by ICU staff. Tele-ICU monitoring can also be introduced to reduce unnecessary interventions where clinicians can monitor patients remotely and therefore enhance sleep in the ICU. During their stay in the ICU, patients can be instructed to wear earplugs and also have aromatherapy massage to reduce stress and enhance sleep quality. More research on the physical pain and the psychological factors using objective methods should be conducted in the future.

Nurses' autonomy in sleep management improves patients' sleep quality: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The current literature indicates that intensive care (ICU) patients' sleep quality is generally poor, which is associated with serious physical and psychological consequences.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To describe the practices nurses use to provide good-quality sleep to adult ICU patients and assess nurses' perceptions of patients' sleep quality and nurses' professional autonomy in sleep management.

DESIGN

A descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A total of 232 ICU nurses from four hospitals in Poland were recruited. Data were collected between May and August 2019 using a previously developed questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests.

RESULTS

A total of 119 nurses took part in the study (response rate: 51%). On average, nurses rated patients' sleep quality as moderate (4.44 ± 2.23, scale 0-10). Most of the respondents (95.8%) said they did not use any sleep protocol. Various strategies to improve patients' sleep were used sporadically (2.64 ± 1.55, scale 1-5). The use of sleep quality assessment methods was positively correlated with patients' sleep quality (rho = 0.22, P = .02). Nurses' professional autonomy regarding sleep management was assessed as average (4.34 ± 2.43, scale 0-10) and was correlated with the patients' sleep quality (rho = 0.25, P < .01). Nurses who rated their autonomy in patients' sleep management more highly (rho = 0.29, P < .01) and more often influenced patients' sleep decisions (rho = 0.24, P < .01) used more methods to improve patients' sleep.

CONCLUSIONS

Strengthening the professional autonomy of ICU nurses and creating a reliable sleep assessment and improvement tool, which would describe strategies nurses can implement independently could increase sleep quality among ICU patients.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Addressing organizational problems, which hamper the patients' sleep management by ICU nurses could result in using more strategies to provide good-quality sleep to ICU patients. There is a need for clinical guidelines regarding patients' sleep management to help educate and guide nurses how to independently use sleep improvement methods.

Clinical practices to promote sleep in the ICU: A multinational survey

PURPOSE

To describe sleep assessment and strategies to promote sleep in adult ICUs in ten countries.

METHODS

Multicenter, self-administered survey sent to nurse managers.

RESULTS

Response rate was 66% with 522 ICUs providing data. 'Lying quietly with closed eyes' was the characteristic most frequently perceived as indicative of sleep by >60% of responding ICUs in all countries except Italy. Few ICUs (9%) had a protocol for sleep management or used sleep questionnaires (1%). Compared to ICUs in Northern Europe, those in central Europe were more likely to have a sleep promoting protocol (p < 0.001), and to want to implement a protocol (p < 0.001). In >80% of responding ICUs, the most common non-pharmacological sleep-promoting interventions were reducing ICU staff noise, light, and nurse interventions at night; only 18% used earplugs frequently. Approximately 50% of ICUs reported sleep medication selection and assessment of effect were performed by physicians and nurses collaboratively. A multivariable model identified perceived nursing influence on sleep decision-making was associated with asking patients or family about sleep preferences (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

We found variation in sleep promotion interventions across European regions with few ICUs using sleep assessment questionnaires or sleep promoting protocols. However, many ICUs perceive implementation of sleep protocols important, particularly those in central Europe.

Nursing Interactions With Intensive Care Unit Patients Affected by Sleep Deprivation: An Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) often experience sleep deprivation due to different factors. Its consequences are damaging both physiologically and psychologically. This study focuses particularly on nursing interactions as the main factor involved in sleep deprivation issues.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to examine the frequency, pattern, and types of nocturnal care interactions with patients in the respiratory and cardiology ICUs; analyze the relationship between these interactions and patients' variables (age, sex, recovery diagnosis, and acuity of care); and analyze the differences in patterns of nocturnal care interactions among the units.

METHODS

This is an observational retrospective study that analyzes the frequency, pattern, and types of nocturnal care interactions with patients between 7 PM and 6 AM recording data in the activity data sheets.

RESULTS

Data consisted of 93 data assessment sheets. The mean number of care interactions per night was 18.65 (SD, 3.71). In both ICUs, interactions were most frequent at 7 PM, 10 PM, and 6 AM. Only 8 uninterrupted sleep periods occurred. Frequency of interactions correlated significantly with patients' acuity scores and the number of nurse interventions in both ICUs.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients in ICUs have fragmented sleep patterns. This study underlines the need to develop new management approaches to promote and maintain sleep.

Early illness experiences related to unexpected heart surgery: A qualitative descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Most studies on patients' experiences following emergency cardiac surgery focus on evaluation of patients after their discharge. Few studies have evaluated patients' experiences after being transferred from intensive care and before being discharged.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe patients' experiences in the early stages of recovery following emergency heart surgery.

METHODS

For this exploratory qualitative descriptive study, 13 patients were recruited from a medical centre in northern Taiwan. Participants had undergone emergency heart surgery and had resided in the cardiothoracic surgical ward for ≥6 days following transfer from the ICU; all expected to be discharged from the hospital within 3 days. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in private after the patients had been transferred to the cardiothoracic surgical wards. Audiotaped interviews were transcribed and analysed using content analysis.

FINDINGS

Data analysis identified four themes, which represented different recovery stages: sudden and serious symptoms, nightmares and vivid dreams, physical and emotional disturbances, and establishing a new life after emergency surgery. A fifth theme, support for a new lifestyle, occurred between the four stages.

CONCLUSION

Participants experienced symptoms of physical and psychological stress during the early recovery stages following emergency heart surgery. A lack of understanding of the process of recovery increased these difficulties; participants wanted and needed multidisciplinary care and education. Emergency heart surgery does not allow healthcare professionals to inform patients of what to expect post-surgery. Our findings suggest that rather than waiting until discharge to offer disease information and treatment plans, multidisciplinary care should be initiated as soon as possible to facilitate recovery.

The therapeutic impacts of environmental design interventions on wellness in clinical settings: A narrative review

PURPOSE

The aim of this review is to document the role of physical environmental factors in clinical environments and their impact on patients and staff wellness with a particular focus on physical and mental healthcare.

METHODS

Data sources comprised relevant English language articles and the results of literature search of ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest Central, MEDLINE, and Google.

RESULTS

Incorporating physical environmental factors into hospital design can facilitate better user satisfaction, efficiency and organisational outcomes. Many of the design interventions convey positive distractions for patients and staff, in terms of views of pleasant outside vistas, soothing sound, artwork and music.

CONCLUSIONS

Well-designed physical settings play an important role in the healing process of patients in health care facilities. The challenge then is to fully understand that role in the ecological context of health care. Other contributors are possible and should be explored in further research.

Sleep Disturbances and Critical Illness

Sleep disturbances are common in the intensive care unit setting. This article describes the causal factors associated with alterations in sleep in the intensive care setting, effects of sleep disturbances for patients, and strategies to mitigate sleep disturbances. A review of normal sleep architecture is provided, as is a discussion of the methods of measuring sleep in the critical care setting.

Effect of using Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale on duration of mechanical ventilation, type and dosage of sedation on hospitalized patients in intensive care units

Background:

Mechanical ventilation is one of the supporting treatments that are used for different reasons. To reduce patients’ inconvenience caused due to using tracheal tube and ventilator, sedation is routinely used. Using scales for the sedation, for example, Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS), may reduce dose of sedation and length of mechanical ventilation.

Materials and Methods:

This study is a randomized clinical trial on 64 patients selected from three intensive care units (ICUs) in Isfahan, Iran. Through random allocation, 32 patients were assigned to each of the study and control groups. In the control group, patients’ level of consciousness and the amount of drug consumption in every shift, based on physician order, were recorded. In the study group, RASS score was recorded every hour and sedation was administered based on that. The purpose of the study was to investigate of application of RASS for drug consumption until weaning of the patient from the ventilator. Independent t-test with significance level of 0.05 was used.

Results:

Results showed no significant difference in the mean consumption of midazolam and morphine after intervention, but there was a significant difference in fentanyl (P = 0.03) consumption (379 μg in the control group vs 75 μg in the study group) between groups after the intervention. The mean duration of being connected to the ventilator was significantly less in the study group (P = 0.03).

Conclusions:

Application of RASS by nurses leads to a decrease in sedation consumption, connection to ventilator, and length of stay in the hospital.

Examining the evidence to guide practice: challenging practice habits

Nurses are the largest segment of the nation's health care workforce, which makes nurses vital to the translation of evidence-based practice as a practice norm. Critical care nurses are in a position to critically appraise and apply best evidence in daily practice to improve patients' outcomes. It is important for critical care nurses to continually evaluate their current practice to ensure that they are applying the current best evidence rather than practicing on the basis of tradition. This article is based on a presentation at the 2013 National Teaching Institute of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Four practice interventions that are within the realm of nursing are critiqued on the basis of current best evidence: (1) turning critically ill patients, (2) sleep promotion in the intensive care unit, (3) feeding tube management in infants and children, and (4) prevention of venothromboembolism…again. The related beliefs, current evidence, and implications for practice associated with each topic are described.