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Critical & emergency care research

Everything we have read on critical & emergency care. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

791 PAPERS · PAGE 16 OF 16 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNQualitative2026Noticing and responding to end-of-life suffering in the PICU: A co-designed conceptual framework for nursing practice.Intensive & critical care nursingBereaved parents and pediatric intensive care clinicians described signs of end-of-life suffering that nurses could notice, such as burden, baseline changes, pain, restlessness, lost parent role, and disconnect, and responses like partnering, comfort, and resources.
• RNSurvey2026Parenting Stress, Parenting Self-Efficacy and Dyadic Coping in Parents of Preterm Infants in China: A Dyadic Analysis.Nursing openAt discharge, parents of preterm infants reported stress associated with lower parenting confidence. Mothers' positive couple coping was associated with confidence, but fathers' stress did not show the same pathway.
• RNCohort2026Individual and Interactive Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Household Income on Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Symptoms.Research in nursing & healthParental mental illness, substance use, incarceration, or intimate partner violence in early childhood was associated with more adolescent depression and anxiety. Maltreatment experiences were not. Low household income was associated with depression, not anxiety.
• RNQualitative2026The Development, Acceptability and Suitability of an Information and Well-Being Booklet for Family Members of Intensive Care Unit Patients.Nursing in critical careFive ICU family members found a new booklet helpful for explaining equipment, delirium, ward moves and home recovery. They valued simple language, permission to ask questions and reassurance that nurses could explain things.
• RNPilot2026Integrating Music Therapy and Nursing for Neonatal Procedural Support Using a Pacifier Activated Lullaby Device.The American journal of nursingPain scores were lower during five minutes of pacifier-activated music after ROP exams: average 4.92 at exam end, then 0.76, 0.6, and 0.21 in 25 neonates, but usual holding, positioning, and swaddling continued.
• RNQualitative2026The Development of Parental Knowledge of Their Child in NNU and PICU: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences.Nursing in critical careParents of children admitted to neonatal and paediatric intensive care described knowing their child as changing over time. Some said staff dismissed that knowledge, even when warnings about equipment or deterioration were important.
• RNQualitative2026Coping with COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit admission.Revista brasileira de enfermagemSurvivors of COVID-19 intensive care described lasting fatigue, breathlessness, memory problems, anxiety and depression. They valued nurses' comforting words, touch, listening and monitoring, and said the experience made them cherish health, family and simple daily moments.
• RNOther2026The effectiveness of the diazo reaction in the determination of tip-end position after blind insertion of the nasoenteric tube by ICU nurses: A prospective comparative study.International journal of nursing sciencesFor ICU patients with blindly placed nasoenteric tubes, a bedside diazo test on aspirated fluid agreed with X-ray position in 92.3% of cases. It was the best bedside method tested, but X-ray still confirms final position.
• RNSystematic Review2026Best Evidence Summary for the Management of Frailty in Elderly Patients in Emergency Department-Integrative Review.Nursing openNurse-led frailty screening, assessment, medication review, exercise, nutrition, and discharge planning is recommended for older adults in emergency departments, based on 13 studies.
• RNOther2026Support Needs of Family Caregivers During Tracheostomy Transitions: A Mixed-Methods Study.Nursing openFamily caregivers of tracheostomized patients leaving intensive care reported high support needs, especially for hands-on care skills, transfer information, and communication with staff. Rural, inexperienced, and direct-to-home caregivers needed more.
• RNCohort2026Relationship Between Nursing Diagnoses, Mortality and Length of Stay in the ICU: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Nursing in critical careNursing diagnoses at ICU admission were not independently associated with length of stay. Each additional diagnosis, after adjustment for age, sex and severity, was associated with 13.6% higher odds of death and more nursing workload.
• RNOther2026A Cross-Sectional Study of Prescribed Sleep Medication Use and Its Clinical and Demographic Factors Among Young People Receiving Mental Health Crisis Interventions in Sydney, Australia.Journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing : official publication of the Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses, IncAmong 201 young people in a Sydney mental health crisis service, 42 (20.9%) used prescribed sleep medication, mostly melatonin. A stay of 42 days or longer, trauma-related diagnoses and multiple medications were linked with higher sleep medication use.
• RNQualitative2026Communication of incidental findings in the ED: Patient perspectives.Patient education and counselingED patients wanted incidental findings communicated by a knowledgeable, empathetic clinician, in plain terms, with clear next steps and written discharge materials. They had not necessarily received a finding.
• RNCohort2026Trends in Pediatric Mental Health-Related Emergency Department Visits During the School Year and School Breaks.The Journal of school healthSchool breaks did not coincide with more suicidal ideation visits, but visits during breaks were more often admitted or transferred. Youth mental health ED visits rose after August 2020.
• RNCohort2026Sleep Characteristics of Parents of Children in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Pilot Observational Study.Nursing in critical careParents of children in a Korean PICU reported poor sleep, and 14 parents met insomnia criteria. Wrist sensors did not line up with questionnaire scores, and stress was not linked to sleep, so asking and measuring may give different pictures.
• RNRCT2026Efficacy of a Nursing Checklist During Mechanical Ventilation in Patients With Severe Pneumonia.Nursing in critical careICU patients with severe pneumonia who received a structured airway-care nursing checklist were taken off ventilators sooner than those receiving routine care. ICU stay did not differ. The checklist bundled multiple airway-care steps, not one isolated intervention.
• RNQualitative2026Nurses' and Families' Experiences of a Feasibility Trial Comparing Single-Use and Multiple-Use Endotracheal Suction Catheters in Mechanically Ventilated Patients: A Qualitative Study.Nursing in critical careNurses said chlorhexidine flushing made suctioning feel cleaner, but shortages, policy and workload made consistent use hard. Families often consented through trust and clear, patient explanations rather than full understanding.
• RNOther2026Bridging Parental Perceptions and Experiences of Family-Centered Care in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Mixed-Methods Study.Journal of clinical nursingPICU parents rated family-centered care a median 81.0 on a 21 to 105 scale, but interviews showed support did not always mean shared decisions. Nurses' encouragement, timely information, and family-friendly space shaped participation.
• RNCohort2026Immobilization of trauma patients and in-hospital clinical progression.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PAll injured trauma patients were immobilized in prehospital care, and 56.9% of patients without injury were too, while those with injury had longer stays and died more often.
• RNCohort2026Environmental Modulation of Physiological Parameters in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit After Extracorporeal Cardiac Surgery.Nursing in critical careIn 27 PICU children after cardiac surgery, visible light was linked with lower heart rate and higher respiratory rate, and the unit stayed noisy with some night light. These are observed links, not proof that changing the environment improves recovery.
• RNQualitative2026First stage of the Kangoroo Method: adaptation of mothers of premature newborns to Roy's light.Revista brasileira de enfermagemMothers of preterm babies described shock, worry and disrupted sleep in the NICU, then more confidence and hope; they said skin-to-skin, staff guidance and family support helped them care for their infants.
• RNOther2026From Control to Connection: Reflections on Implementing Safe Steps in Acute Mental Health Units.International journal of mental health nursingSafe Steps combined a relational de-escalation model, training, and restrictive practice review. Staff pressures and variable tool use limited embedding; prior evaluations reported lower seclusion and restrictive events, but components cannot be separated.
• RNCohort2026Clinical Frailty in Intensive Care Units: Prevalence and Associated Factors.Nursing in critical careIn 149 adult ICU patients, 82.6% were frail within 24 hours. Frailty was linked to older age, male sex, higher APACHE II and nutritional risk, and death. This helps ICU nurses flag high-risk patients, but it is not a tested intervention.
• RNSystematic Review2026Ocular Complications During Prone Positioning Ventilation in Critically Ill Adults: A Systematic Review.Nursing openCritically ill adults receiving prone positioning had ocular surface problems, especially exposure keratopathy. Nurses should check eyelid closure, conjunctival swelling, corneal clarity and pressure on the face before, during and after proning.
• RNQualitative2026Parents' Views on Family Care at a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - A Qualitative Study.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesParents said NICU staff saved their infants, but unclear communication, feeling overlooked, and poor privacy undermined partnership. They wanted individualized information, recognition of their role, breastfeeding help, and support for parents' mental strain. These are experiences, not evidence of what works.
• PTRNMeta-Analysis2026Efficacy and Safety of Mechanical Insufflation-Exsufflation in Invasively Ventilated Critically Ill Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nursing in critical careMechanical insufflation-exsufflation, alone or added to suctioning or physiotherapy, increased sputum clearance in invasively ventilated ICU adults, but did not significantly improve oxygenation, ventilator-free days or ICU stay. Use it as an adjunct for retained secretions, not as a proven way to shorten ventilation.
• RNCohort2026Analgesia in trauma patients treated by advanced life support nursing units: a retrospective pre-post intervention observational study.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemIn 164 adults treated after trauma, Verbal Numerical Rating Scale pain fell from 8.48 to 4.09 after IV analgesia prescribed by physician via telemedicine in nursing-led units. No immediate adverse events were recorded.
• RNCohort2026Mortality prediction using the Shock Index and Modified Shock Index in the Emergency Department.Revista brasileira de enfermagemIn 365 emergency patients with shock, the Modified Shock Index predicted in-hospital death better than the Shock Index in septic, mixed and cardiogenic shock. In hypovolemic shock, both performed similarly.
• PTOTRNCohort2026Distinct Health-Related Quality of Life Recovery Trajectories Among ICU Survivors: A Multicentre Prospective Cohort Study Using the EQ-5D-5L.Nursing in critical careTwo years after ICU discharge, 58.3% of survivors stayed near normal quality of life, 31.7% remained suboptimal and 10.0% stayed persistently low. Mobility and pain problems persisted in poorer groups; older age, delirium, multimorbidity and facility discharge were associated with poorer recovery.
• RNRCT2026The Effect of Maternal Lullaby Singing, Affectionate Touch, and a Developmental Support Program on Comfort and Development in Premature Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Nursing openMost comfort and developmental differences in premature infants did not hold up after checking many outcomes. Only Week 2 comfort and one early expressive language result did.
• RNSurvey2026Caregiver Perceptions of the Transition From Paediatric Intensive to Acute Care.Nursing in critical careParents rated care quality higher in the paediatric ICU than in acute care. They also rated care higher when they said transfer information and preparation were adequate. Nurses can make transfer communication explicit before moving a child out of intensive care.
• RNCohort2026Analysis of Factors Influencing Downtime During Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy in Critically Ill Patients and Construction of a Prediction Model.Nursing in critical care39.0% of continuous renal replacement therapy days exceeded the 2.4-hour downtime standard in 145 ICU patients. Catheter problems, transport, plasma exchange, filter changes and agitation were linked to this, and a bedside tool flagged high-risk days.
• RNSystematic Review2026Mapping Scandinavian Hospital-at-Home Organisations and Interventions for Patients With Acute Somatic Illness-A Scoping Review.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesScandinavian Hospital-at-Home programmes used specialised acute nursing teams to deliver intravenous fluids, antibiotics, blood tests and vital-sign monitoring at home, mostly for adults aged 65 or older with infections, dehydration or COPD exacerbations.
• OTRNCohort2026Impact of Cognitive Status at Skilled Nursing Facility Admission on Days Spent at Home Over the Year Following Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older Adults.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationAmong older adults with traumatic brain injury discharged to skilled nursing, lower brief cognitive screen scores at admission were linked with fewer days at home over the next year. Severe impairment had the lowest days at home.
• RNOther2026Effect of an Integrated Early Enteral Nutrition Management Protocol on Nutritional Target Attainment in Mechanically Ventilated ICU Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study Guided by the MRC Framework.Nursing in critical careMechanically ventilated ICU patients on a structured early feeding protocol met more of their calorie target by days 3 and 7 with no detected increase in feeding intolerance. The protocol bundled usual care with Chinese medicine support, so no single part can be credited.
• RNQualitative2026Patient Participation in Nursing Handover in a Coronary Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study.Nursing openPatients in a coronary ICU rarely spoke up during bedside handover, viewing it as a professional meeting. Nurses worried about causing distress or confusion. Active participation requires explicit invitations and plain language, not just physical presence at the bedside.
• RNOther2026Construction of an Appropriate Needs Assessment Indicator System for Venous Access Devices in Patients With Septic Shock Based on Fluid Treatment Characteristics: A Delphi Study.Nursing openExperts agreed on a staged venous access assessment system for ICU nurses treating septic shock: match devices to resuscitation, optimization, stabilization, and evacuation needs. It is not tested in patients.
• RNQualitative2026Focus Groups With American Indian/Alaska Native Adults to Discuss Substance Misuse and Access to Services.International journal of addiction nursingAmerican Indian/Alaska Native participants said they are missing from state and federal data, and that stigma, historical trauma, and fear of child removal keep them from seeking substance use help. They asked for early, family-based prevention and culturally appropriate treatment.
• RNCohort2026Turkish Translation and Cultural Adaptation, Validity and Reliability of the CALCULATE Pressure Injury Risk Scale in Intensive Care Unit Patients.Nursing openTurkish ICU patients who later developed pressure injuries had higher day 1 CALCULATE scores than those who did not, and researchers and ICU nurses scored the scale consistently.
• RNSurvey2026Cultural Adaptation and Evaluation of Selected Measurement Properties of Slovenian Version of Consumer Emergency Care Satisfaction Scale (CECSS-SLO).Nursing openThe Slovenian emergency care satisfaction questionnaire was judged relevant by experts and patients answered it in a way that fit together across 288 returned questionnaires. It can support nurse-led feedback, but does not yet prove it gives the same result over time or detects improvement.
• RNSystematic Review2026Daily care demands of children with complex chronic conditions at home: a scoping review.Revista brasileira de enfermagemSeven studies identified critical home care needs for technology-dependent children: respiratory management, ostomy care, and skin protection. Nurses must coordinate hands-on caregiver training during hospitalization to ensure safe discharge and prevent complications.