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Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of a critical care outreach service for facilitated ICU discharge and ward-based care
34 curricula. This hinders development of generic educational outcomes that could provide a common standard of critical care nursing knowledge across Europe. The study aim was to obtain baseline data about European ICU nurses’ knowledge levels. Objectives were to identify: • ICU nurses’ knowledge levels. • Differences between countries. • Differences according to length of experience. An on-line survey was conducted. 20 countries, with 20 ICUs in each, and six nurses from each ICU were sampled. A 100-item knowledge questionnaire, developed originally by Australian nurses, was modified for European use and translated into sixteen languages. Data were collected during 2009. The sample was mainly female (80%), aged <30 (37%), 30—39 (37%), and >40 (24%). Most nurses (97%) worked in public/state hospitals. The mean knowledge score was 66% (range 23—89%). Older nurses scored higher than younger nurses (p<0.001) and scores increased significantly with experience (p < 0.001). The lowest mean score (56.0%) was in the ventilation/respiration knowledge sub-set, with the highest score (80.7%) in the endocrine subset. The mean score (65.9%) of university hospital nurses was not significantly different to those in other hospitals (66.5%). In conclusion, results indicate variations in nurses’ knowledge levels; mean scores by country ranged from 51 to 78%. With a 50% pass mark, 8.3% would have failed. Generally, nurses from NW European countries had a stronger knowledge base. doi:10.1016/j.aucc.2009.12.010 Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of a critical care outreach service for facilitated ICU discharge and ward-based care G. Leslie 1,∗ , T. Williams 1 , J. Finn 2 , L. Brearley 1 , M. Athifa 1 , B. Hay 2 , K. Laurie 2 , T. Leen 1 , K. O’Brien 1 , M. Stuart M 3 , M. Watt 3 1 Royal
Perth Hospital, Australia Charles Gairdner Hospital, Australia 3 Fremantle Hospital, Australia 2 Sir
The Liaison Nurse is a key feature in providing outreach services from Australian ICU, with their role reported to reduce discharge delay, prevent deterioration requiring re-admission to ICU or prolonged hospital stay and support ward staff, patients and relatives transition from ICU. This project evaluated the clinical efficacy of a Critical
Abstracts Care outreach service at each of the three adult teaching hospitals in Perth (Royal Perth Hospital; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; and Fremantle Hospital). The service centred on a nurse role which involves follow-up visits by specialist intensive care nurses who reviewed and assessed patients who were to be, or had been, discharged to the general wards from the ICU. In addition it provided an education and clinical support role to the ward staff. A before-and-after study design was conducted (with the use of historical controls and a prospective intervention) to ascertain differences in clinical outcomes, length of stay and cost-benefit and included a qualitative assessment of the role. There were 1435 patients discharged during the 6month study period. There were no differences in length of stay from time of ICU admission to hospital discharge (p = 0.855), readmissions during the same hospital admission (5.6% versus 5.4%, p = 0.833) or hospital survival (p = 0.801). Discharge delay from ICU > 8 h was 36%. While other studies have shown positive outcomes in Australia and the UK, we found no improvement in length of stay, readmissions, discharge delay or hospital mortality after introduction of a critical care outreach service despite the service being positively evaluated. doi:10.1016/j.aucc.2009.12.011 Patient factors associated with psychological outcomes after intensive care for critical illness S. McKinley 1,2,∗ , D. Elliott 1 , L. Aitken 3,4 , J. Alison 5 , M. King 5 , G. Leslie 6,7 , E. Burmeister 3,4 1 University 2 Northern
of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia Sydney Central Coast Health, NSW, Aus-
tralia 3 Princess
Alexandra Hospital, Qld, Australia University, Qld, Australia 5 University of Sydney, NSW, Australia 6 Curtin University, WA, Australia 7 Royal Perth Hospital, WA, Australia 4 Griffith
Some patients who survive an episode in an ICU report psychological problems during recovery. The objective of this study was to examine patient factors associated with psychological outcomes of former ICU patients up to 6 months after hospital discharge. Participants (n = 195) were adults who had been in ICU and enrolled in a trial of physical rehabilitation after hospital discharge. At weeks 1, 8 and 26 participants completed the SF-36 Heath Survey, the Impact of Events Scale (IES), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales and rated their sleep on a 5-point scale (normal to severely disturbed); clini-
Perth Hospital, Australia Charles Gairdner Hospital, Australia 3 Fremantle Hospital, Australia 2 Sir
The Liaison Nurse is a key feature in providing outreach services from Australian ICU, with their role reported to reduce discharge delay, prevent deterioration requiring re-admission to ICU or prolonged hospital stay and support ward staff, patients and relatives transition from ICU. This project evaluated the clinical efficacy of a Critical
Abstracts Care outreach service at each of the three adult teaching hospitals in Perth (Royal Perth Hospital; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; and Fremantle Hospital). The service centred on a nurse role which involves follow-up visits by specialist intensive care nurses who reviewed and assessed patients who were to be, or had been, discharged to the general wards from the ICU. In addition it provided an education and clinical support role to the ward staff. A before-and-after study design was conducted (with the use of historical controls and a prospective intervention) to ascertain differences in clinical outcomes, length of stay and cost-benefit and included a qualitative assessment of the role. There were 1435 patients discharged during the 6month study period. There were no differences in length of stay from time of ICU admission to hospital discharge (p = 0.855), readmissions during the same hospital admission (5.6% versus 5.4%, p = 0.833) or hospital survival (p = 0.801). Discharge delay from ICU > 8 h was 36%. While other studies have shown positive outcomes in Australia and the UK, we found no improvement in length of stay, readmissions, discharge delay or hospital mortality after introduction of a critical care outreach service despite the service being positively evaluated. doi:10.1016/j.aucc.2009.12.011 Patient factors associated with psychological outcomes after intensive care for critical illness S. McKinley 1,2,∗ , D. Elliott 1 , L. Aitken 3,4 , J. Alison 5 , M. King 5 , G. Leslie 6,7 , E. Burmeister 3,4 1 University 2 Northern
of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia Sydney Central Coast Health, NSW, Aus-
tralia 3 Princess
Alexandra Hospital, Qld, Australia University, Qld, Australia 5 University of Sydney, NSW, Australia 6 Curtin University, WA, Australia 7 Royal Perth Hospital, WA, Australia 4 Griffith
Some patients who survive an episode in an ICU report psychological problems during recovery. The objective of this study was to examine patient factors associated with psychological outcomes of former ICU patients up to 6 months after hospital discharge. Participants (n = 195) were adults who had been in ICU and enrolled in a trial of physical rehabilitation after hospital discharge. At weeks 1, 8 and 26 participants completed the SF-36 Heath Survey, the Impact of Events Scale (IES), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales and rated their sleep on a 5-point scale (normal to severely disturbed); clini-