Nursing care factors influencing patients' outcomes in the intensive care unit: Findings from a rapid review.
Matteo Danielis, Anne Lucia Leona Destrebecq, Stefano Terzoni and 1 others
PMID 34002435WHAT IT FOUND
Twenty-one ICU nursing care factors were associated with patient outcomes, from staffing and work environment to mobility, feeding protocols, music and family participation.
Most studied factors were bedside care processes, and the review did not combine study results.
Key findings
01The review retrieved 93 studies.
02Twenty-one nursing care factors have been studied against 35 nursing-sensitive outcomes.
03Early mobility programmes were the most frequently studied nursing care factor, with 16 studies.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The authors did not appraise the quality of the included studies, so weak studies count as much as strong ones in this map. Some included studies were reviews, and they were discussed as single studies, which may duplicate primary studies already included. The search was limited to English publications up to March 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Many included studies were observational, so they show associations, not that nursing care caused the outcomes. ICU care is multidisciplinary, and the review did not separate the contribution of nursing care from other treatments given at the same time. The review did not assess effectiveness of specific interventions or compare which factors are most important.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The supplied text does not state a funding source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that a particular nursing intervention improves ICU outcomes. The review mapped which factors have been studied, did not appraise study quality, and included many observational studies where nursing care was delivered alongside other ICU treatments.