Pediatric intensivist extenders in the pediatric ICU

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in Acute and Critical Care: A Concise Review of the Literature and Data 2008-2018

OBJECTIVES

To provide a concise review of the literature and data pertaining to the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, collectively called advanced practice providers, in ICU and acute care settings.

DATA SOURCES

Detailed search strategy using the databases PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature for the time period from January 2008 to December 2018.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies addressing nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or advanced practice provider care in the ICU or acute care setting.

DATA EXTRACTION

Relevant studies were reviewed, and the following aspects of each study were identified, abstracted, and analyzed: study population, study design, study aims, methods, results, and relevant implications for critical care practice.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Five systematic reviews, four literature reviews, and 44 individual studies were identified, reviewed, and critiqued. Of the research studies, the majority were retrospective with others being observational, quasi-experimental, or quality improvement, along with two randomized control trials. Overall, the studies assessed a variety of effects of advanced practice provider care, including on length of stay, mortality, and quality-related metrics, with a majority demonstrating similar or improved patient care outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the past 10 years, the number of studies assessing the impact of advanced practice providers in acute and critical care settings continue to increase. Collectively, these studies identify the value of advanced practice providers in patient care management, continuity of care, improved quality and safety metrics, patient and staff satisfaction, and on new areas of focus including enhanced educational experience of residents and fellows.

The evolving model of pediatric critical care delivery in North America

The past 50 years have witnessed the emergence and evolution of the modern pediatric ICU and the specialty of pediatric critical care medicine. ICUs have become key in the delivery of health care services. The patient population within pediatric ICUs is diverse. An assortment of providers, including intensivists, trainees, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and hospitalists, perform a variety of roles. The evolution of critical care medicine also has seen the rise of critical care nursing and other critical care staff collaborating in multidisciplinary teams. Delivery of optimal critical care requires standardized, reliable, and evidence-based processes, such as bundles, checklists, and formalized communication processes.

The impact of interprofessional collaboration on the effectiveness, significance, and future of advanced practice registered nurses

Interprofessional collaboration was essential for the conduct of research that demonstrated the effectiveness and significance of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in providing care, in reducing health care costs, and in developing innovative models of care for the nation's citizens. If the 2010 Affordable Care Act is to be implemented, APRNs, with their expertise and numbers, are essential to its implementation. Continued interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to expand the scope of APRN state practice regulations, to change reimbursement for APRN services, and to mute opposition to these changes by medical organizations.

Treatment and triage recommendations for pediatric emergency mass critical care

INTRODUCTION

This paper will outline the Task Force recommendations regarding treatment during pediatric emergency mass critical care, issues related to the allocation of scarce resources, and current challenges in the development of pediatric triage guidelines.

METHODS

In May 2008, the Task Force for Mass Critical Care published guidance on provision of mass critical care to adults. Acknowledging that the critical care needs of children during disasters were unaddressed by this effort, a 17-member Steering Committee, assembled by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education with guidance from members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, convened in April 2009 to determine priority topic areas for pediatric emergency mass critical care recommendations.Steering Committee members established subcommittees by topic area and performed literature reviews of MEDLINE and Ovid databases. The Steering Committee produced draft outlines through consensus-based study of the literature and convened October 6-7, 2009, in New York, NY, to review and revise each outline. Eight draft documents were subsequently developed from the revised outlines as well as through searches of MEDLINE updated through March 2010.The Pediatric Emergency Mass Critical Care Task Force, composed of 36 experts from diverse public health, medical, and disaster response fields, convened in Atlanta, GA, on March 29-30, 2010. Feedback on each manuscript was compiled and the Steering Committee revised each document to reflect expert input in addition to the most current medical literature.

TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations are divided into three operational sections. The first section provides pediatric emergency mass critical care recommendations for hospitals that normally provide care to pediatric patients. The second section provides recommendations for pediatric emergency mass critical care at hospitals that do not routinely provide care to pediatric patients. The final section provides a discussion of issues related to developing triage algorithms and protocols and the allocation of scarce resources during pediatric emergency mass critical care.

Impact of nonphysician staffing on outcomes in a medical ICU

BACKGROUND

As the number of ICU beds and demand for intensivists increase, alternative solutions are needed to provide coverage for critically ill patients. The impact of different staffing models on the outcomes of patients in the medical ICU (MICU) remains unknown. In our study, we compare outcomes of nonphysician provider-based teams to those of medical house staff-based teams in the MICU.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of 590 daytime (7:00 am-7:00 pm) admissions to two MICUs at one hospital. In one MICU staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants (MICU-NP/PA) there were nonphysicians (nurse practitioners and physicians assistants) during the day (7:00 am-7:00 pm) with attending physician coverage overnight. In the other MICU, there were medicine residents (MICU-RES) (24 h/d). The outcomes investigated were hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS) (ICU, hospital), and posthospital discharge destination.

RESULTS

Three hundred two patients were admitted to the MICU-NP/PA and 288 to the MICU-RES. Mortality probability model III (MPM(0)-III) predicted mortality was similar (P = .14). There was no significant difference in hospital mortality (32.1% for MICU-NP/PA vs 32.3% for MICU-RES, P = .96), MICU LOS (4.22 ± 2.51 days for MICU-NP/PA vs 4.44 ± 3.10 days for MICU-RES, P = .59), or hospital LOS (14.01 ± 2.92 days for MICU-NP/PA vs 13.74 ± 2.94 days for MICU-RES, P = .86). Discharge to a skilled care facility (vs home) was similar (37.1% for MICU-NP/PA vs 32.5% for MICU-RES, P = .34). After multivariate adjustment, MICU staffing type was not associated with hospital mortality (P = .26), MICU LOS (P = .29), hospital LOS (P = .19), or posthospital discharge destination (P = .90).

CONCLUSIONS

Staffing models including daytime use of nonphysician providers appear to be a safe and effective alternative to the traditional house staff-based team in a high-acuity, adult ICU.

Critical care: the impact of organization and management on outcomes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The organization and management of ICUs are key components that can affect delivery and outcome of critical care.

RECENT FINDINGS

At the healthcare system level, the provision of critical care services and the presence of a regionalized system of critical care delivery may improve optimal matching of patient severity with level of care and is associated with improved patient outcomes. In hospitals, rapid response teams and step-down beds affect admission and discharge criteria to and from the ICU, although the influence on outcome is unclear. And within the ICU, the presence of intensivists, physically or via telemedicine, and multidisciplinary teams may promote better use of therapeutic and preventive measures with improved patient outcomes. Recent findings also emphasize that strategies that promote teamwork and communication, standardize processes of care, emphasize engagement in quality improvement, and provide a positive safety culture are associated with improved patient outcomes and staff morale.

SUMMARY

Evidence suggests the implementation of some ICU organizational and managerial patterns are associated with improved patient and staff outcomes. Broader adoption of some of these strategies could, therefore, improve overall critical care delivery.