Incidence and Variables Predictive of Pressure Injuries in Patients Undergoing Ventricular Assist Device and Total Artificial Heart Surgeries: An 8-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

Prevention of Pressure Injury in Patients Hospitalized with Heart Failure

Hospital-acquired pressure injuries are problematic within organizations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services counts hospital-acquired pressure injuries as a patient safety event and encourages hospitals to reduce or eliminate them in part by reducing payments to the hospital. Individuals who are admitted to hospitals with acute heart failure are usually elderly with comorbidities that increase their risk of developing a pressure injury. Therefore, evidence-based protocols should be made, implemented, and analyzed by an interprofessional team to combat the development of pressure injuries to maintain the best quality of life for patients hospitalized with heart failure.

Data Science Trends Relevant to Nursing Practice: A Rapid Review of the 2020 Literature

BACKGROUND

The term "data science" encompasses several methods, many of which are considered cutting edge and are being used to influence care processes across the world. Nursing is an applied science and a key discipline in health care systems in both clinical and administrative areas, making the profession increasingly influenced by the latest advances in data science. The greater informatics community should be aware of current trends regarding the intersection of nursing and data science, as developments in nursing practice have cross-professional implications.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to summarize the latest (calendar year 2020) research and applications of nursing-relevant patient outcomes and clinical processes in the data science literature.

METHODS

We conducted a rapid review of the literature to identify relevant research published during the year 2020. We explored the following 16 topics: (1) artificial intelligence/machine learning credibility and acceptance, (2) burnout, (3) complex care (outpatient), (4) emergency department visits, (5) falls, (6) health care-acquired infections, (7) health care utilization and costs, (8) hospitalization, (9) in-hospital mortality, (10) length of stay, (11) pain, (12) patient safety, (13) pressure injuries, (14) readmissions, (15) staffing, and (16) unit culture.

RESULTS

Of 16,589 articles, 244 were included in the review. All topics were represented by literature published in 2020, ranging from 1 article to 59 articles. Numerous contemporary data science methods were represented in the literature including the use of machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing.

CONCLUSION

This review provides an overview of the data science trends that were relevant to nursing practice in 2020. Examinations of such literature are important to monitor the status of data science's influence in nursing practice.

Defining Practices to Avoid Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries in the Operating Room

BACKGROUND

Data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality indicate that hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) and surgical site infections are the only 2 hospital-acquired conditions that have not improved. Consequently, health systems around the nation are struggling to lower HAPI rates and avoid penalties. All patient care areas of the hospital play a part in pressure injury (PI) development. Analysis of real-time PI data and completion of root cause analysis related to HAPIs can guide organizational leaders to specific clinical areas in need of improvement. Surgical patients are high risk for development of a PI due to their unique vulnerability from multiple transfers and induced immobility. Operating room (OR) nursing organizations and wound care professional organizations have published evidence-based clinical practice guidelines addressing prevention of PIs in the OR.

CASES

This article discusses 2 surgical patients from 2 different academic medical centers who experienced OR-associated HAPIs. Operating room HAPI prevention measures should include current evidence-based practice recommendations. Each hospital should take a critical look at their OR HAPI prevention procedures and measure them against the current published guidelines, changing and updating them to reflect best practices for avoiding PI development. Clinicians from both the OR and WOC nurse team can provide expertise to develop confluent nursing practice standards for OR-associated HAPI reduction.

CONCLUSION

This article highlights the commonalities found in the guidelines and encourages collaboration between WOC nurses and OR nurses in building and implementing pressure injury prevention practices associated with the OR.