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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.

278 PAPERS · PAGE 4 OF 6 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNQualitative2026Close, Yet Limited: The Conditional Nature of Family Involvement in the ICU.Nursing in critical careICU relatives described participation as conditional: caregivers decided when they could be involved, while relatives often had to initiate contact. Being close, recognised as a person, and given repeated information made involvement possible.
• RNCohort2026Validation of PREdiction of DELIRium in ICu Patients (PRE-DELIRIC) Among Patients With Severe Pneumonia: A Prospective Cohort Study.Nursing in critical careThe PRE-DELIRIC prediction tool did not identify delirium risk well in ICU severe pneumonia patients. In 173 patients, prediction was poor. Nurses should not use it alone to target prevention; CAM-ICU checks remain important.
• RNCohort2026Comparison of Two Artificial Liver Treatments for Acute Liver Failure: A Retrospective Observational Study.Nursing in critical carePlasma exchange alone had lower total bilirubin and lower INR after treatment than dual plasma molecular adsorption plus plasma exchange, while the dual treatment had more adverse events. The authors still favoured dual treatment for bilirubin.
• RNCohort2026Nursing Implications of Enteral Nutrition Timing in Sepsis Patients Stratified by Modified NUTRIC Score: A Retrospective Observational Study.Nursing in critical careIn low-risk sepsis patients, enteral nutrition timing showed no significant ICU mortality difference. In high-risk patients, mortality was lower with EN at 24-48 hours than before 24 hours or after 48 hours.
• RNSystematic Review2026Exploring Afghan Refugees' Post-Resettlement Experiences in North America: A Scoping Review.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieresAfghan refugees in North America reported language barriers, miscommunication, and avoidance of cancer screening. Women preferred female providers and interpreters, and family support, provider reminders, and prayer encouraged screening. Mental health symptoms were common, but no interventions were tested.
• RNRCT2026Image recognition-based detection system for preventing accidental dislodgement of head-and-neck medical supplies in ICU patients: A feasibility randomized controlled trial.International journal of nursing sciencesPost-op ICU patients given a bedside hand-tracking camera alarm in addition to all routine care had fewer medical supply dislodgements (2/40 vs 9/40) than routine care alone; the camera's independent effect is unknown.
• RNNarrative Review2026An Exploration of Emergency Healthcare Provision When Intimate Partner Abuse Is Identified.Journal of clinical nursingEmergency staff often miss intimate partner abuse when it presents as anxiety or depression. Screening, training and referral gaps mean patients may receive mental health treatment without help for the abuse itself.
• RNCohort2026Impact of Increasing Numbers of Trauma Activation Criteria on Outcomes and Resource Utilization: A Multicenter Study.Journal of trauma nursing : the official journal of the Society of Trauma NursesTrauma centers using more activation criteria did not see more full activations or better patient outcomes. They did see significantly higher overtriage. Five extra criteria were linked to an 8% higher overtriage rate, straining resources without improving care.
• RNCohort2026Predictors for Home Discharge and Need for Medical Care at Home in Paediatric ICU Patients: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study.Nursing in critical carePostoperative admission and lower admission heart rate were linked to a higher chance of direct home discharge in 118 paediatric ICU patients; arrest before ICU and early ventilation were linked to a lower chance. Longer ICU stay was linked to needing medical care at home.
• RNSurvey2026Previous Intensive Care Unit Experience Improves Family Satisfaction With Decision-Making: A Survey.Nursing in critical careFamily members rated ICU care 85.4 and decision-making 84.5 out of 100. Families with prior ICU experience were more satisfied with decision-making; families of patients who died reported higher satisfaction.
• RNSurvey2026Psychological Outcomes of Family Members Related to a Loved One's Resuscitation in the Emergency Department: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of advanced nursingFamily members who witnessed a loved one's resuscitation reported more post-traumatic stress symptoms than those who did not. Most still wanted to be present, often for religious reasons. This is an association, not proof witnessing caused distress.
• RNCohort2026Disparities in the Setting of Initial Dementia Diagnosis: Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Primary Care Use.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationIn newly diagnosed dementia, Black Medicare beneficiaries were more likely than White beneficiaries to first receive diagnosis in hospital or nursing home. Recent primary care visits were associated with more community diagnoses and a smaller Black and White gap.
• RNOther2026Impact of a Volunteer-Delivered Spiritual Care Strategy on Preventing Post-Intensive Care Syndrome-Family in Relatives of Critically Ill ICU Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study.Nursing in critical careTrained volunteers delivering three structured spiritual care sessions by video call were associated with lower PTSD symptoms in ICU family members at 3 months. Anxiety and depression showed no clear difference.
• RNCohort2026Trajectories of Nursing Care During the Critical and Intensive Phases After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study.Journal of advanced nursingAfter CABG surgery, nursing documentation peaked early for lung, drain and skin care, then rose for wound, infection and pain management by day 5. It shows what nurses recorded, not patient outcomes.
• RNPilot2026DNA Methylation of SLC6A4 and NR3C1 in Term and Preterm Infants: A Pilot Study of NICU-Associated Stress.Biological research for nursingAverage total methylation did not differ between term and preterm infants, although NICU stress scores were linked to changes at specific sites of stress-related genes. This small pilot is not a clinical test or proof of harm.
• PTOTRNSystematic Review2026Re-Engaging in Activities of Daily Living After Critical Illness: A Qualitative Review.Journal of clinical nursingCritical illness survivors described daily activity recovery as dominated by persistent weakness, fatigue, and memory problems, forcing home adaptations and family help that often felt burdensome. These barriers can persist for months or years.
• RNOther2026Facilitating Family-Centred Care at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: Implementation of a Co-Created Bedside Family Board.Nursing in critical careThe paediatric intensive care bedside family board was rated acceptable and feasible, and observed use remained high over six months. Families and professionals said it helped capture child and family needs and shared goals, though most daily goals focused on physical and mental health.
• RNCohort2026Impact of invasive mechanical ventilation support on renal function in critically ill patients.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PIn 51 ICU patients on invasive ventilation, acute kidney injury was common and severe; those with AKI had higher organ-failure and nursing-workload scores. Longer ventilation went with higher ventilator pressure and stay, not more deaths.
• RNOther2026Nurse-Driven Quality Indicators for Neonatal Intensive Care: A Delphi Consensus on Family-Integrated Priorities in NICUs.Advances in neonatal care : official journal of the National Association of Neonatal NursesA Delphi consensus of Chinese neonatal experts narrowed 22 potential nursing quality indicators to nine for NICUs. Family-centered care, lactation, and parental satisfaction were included, while pain assessment and noise incidents were excluded.
• RNCohort2026Prognostic Factors of 30-Day In-Hospital Mortality in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.The journal of nursing research : JNRAmong 613 ICU patients on continuous renal replacement therapy, 52.1% died in hospital within 30 days. Liver failure, worse organ failure, higher sodium, and lower consciousness were linked to death.
• RNCase Report2026Case Studies to Document Strategies Used by Mothers to Overcome Significant Maternal Morbidity Challenges to Successful Breastfeeding.Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant AssociationTwo mothers with severe postpartum complications, including surgery and hemorrhage, sustained breastfeeding through hand expression, donor milk, and consistent private lactation support. Hospital staff provided minimal assistance despite the mothers' complex needs. This illustrates strategies for extreme cases but does not prove these methods work for others.
• RNSystematic Review2026Ten-Year Update of Nurse Practitioner Service Impact on Patient and Health Service Outcomes in Emergency Care Settings-A Systematic Review.Journal of advanced nursingEmergency nurse practitioner services in emergency and urgent care showed mixed outcomes: some studies reported faster treatment and shorter stays, others found no difference or longer waits, and no included study measured cost.
• RNCohort2026Delayed Admission to the Intensive Care Unit Is Associated With Increased Mortality Risk in Critically Ill Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study.Journal of advanced nursingSOFA score differences between delayed and non-delayed ICU admissions were not significant. Delayed admission was associated with higher mortality risk, particularly among patients with higher SOFA scores.
• RNCohort2026Risk Factors for Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhoea in Paediatric Patients With Severe Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cohort.Nursing in critical careIn 306 children with severe pneumonia, 42 developed antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Infants under 1 year, penicillin use, antibiotics for at least a week, ventilation and stays over 14 days were linked with higher risk; probiotics were linked with lower risk.
• RNCohort2026Sleep Quality and Delirium Occurrence in Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Prospective Observational Study.Nursing in critical careICU patients who slept less and woke more often on their first night were more likely to develop delirium the next day. By day three, illness severity and prior delirium outweighed sleep quality. Early sleep protection may matter most in the first 24 hours.
• RNCohort2026Accuracy and Bias of Pulse Oximetry in the Intensive Care Unit: A Prospective Observational Study.Nursing in critical carePulse oximeters showed poor agreement with arterial blood gas reference in ICU patients. Skin tone did not significantly affect measurement error. However, age and low oxygen saturation consistently predicted larger errors, with older patients and those with lower saturation experiencing greater overestimation by oximeters.
• RNOther2026Palliative extubation in intensive care units: scoping review.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PPalliative extubation practice varies widely across ICUs, with no evidence that terminal weaning or immediate extubation is superior. Comfort care relied on planned opioid and sedative use, family communication, and team debriefing.
• RNOther2026Key Insights From the International ICU Diary Conference 2025.Nursing in critical careAttendees rated an ICU diary conference highly, but the report did not test whether diaries improve patient or family outcomes.
• RNPilot2026Feasibility and Acceptability of a Patient- and Family-Oriented Approach to Pain Assessment in the Intensive Care Unit.Nursing in critical careFamily caregivers in the ICU could reliably assess patient pain using simple questions and scales. They agreed with patients on pain presence and intensity. This approach is feasible and acceptable, offering a way to include families in care without disrupting clinical workflow.
• RNQualitative2026Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Fathers' Experiences of Early Parenting: A Qualitative Study.Journal of advanced nursingFathers described feeling excluded by maternity care, left without father-specific information, and overwhelmed by online searches. They wanted continuity from midwives or doctors, plain explanations, paid leave, and peer forums tailored to their language and culture.
• RNCohort2026Clinical Interventions During Inter-hospital Transfer of Infants With Moderate-to-Severe Bronchiolitis: Implications for Advanced Nursing Practice.Nursing in critical careThree simple thresholds at the regulation call identify which infants need a doctor on the transport team: HFNC with FiO2 over 40%, CPAP with FiO2 over 35%, or pCO2 over 65 mmHg. Applying these criteria would have allowed 70% of transfers to be safely managed by nurse-led teams.
• RNQualitative2026Family Members' Experiences of Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation in Intensive Care: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study.Nursing openFamilies of ICU patients being weaned from mechanical ventilation felt secure when they could stay near, touch and talk to the patient, and receive clear information. Their ability to take part varied.
• RNSystematic Review2026Experiences and Perspectives of Perinatal Care for Women of Refugee Background, Interpreters, and Care Providers: A Scoping Review.Journal of midwifery & women's healthLanguage barriers and low health literacy drive negative perinatal experiences for women of refugee background. In-person interpreting builds trust, while telephone or family interpreting causes anxiety and missed information. Cultural safety requires adapting care to women's social contexts, not just clinical needs.
• RNOther2026Research Topics and Trends in MIMIC-IV: A Large ICU Database Relevant for Critical Care Nursing.Nursing in critical careA mapping of 1150 papers using the MIMIC-IV database shows research focuses on mortality, sepsis and machine learning. The authors note a gap in studies about nursing workflows and patient experience, suggesting future work should target these areas.
• RNSystematic Review2026Wearable Electronic Monitoring of Vital Signs in Hospitalised Adults: A Nursing Focused Scoping Review of Clinical, Economic and Implementation Outcomes.Journal of advanced nursingIn hospital wards, wearable monitoring was reported to detect deterioration earlier, but benefits depended on alert governance, training and response capacity. Nurses also described added device work, alarm fatigue and unclear savings.
• RNOther2026Uncovering Research Themes in Simulation-Based Critical Care Education: A Bibliometric and Cluster Analysis.Nursing in critical careResearch on critical care simulation has grown steadily, focusing on five areas: acute care outcomes, curriculum development, patient safety and teamwork, procedural skill acquisition, and learner confidence. The United States leads publication volume, while collaboration networks remain strong.
• RNOther2026"We're All in This Together": A Mixed-Methods Study of Provider and Patient Perceptions of Emergency Care for Opioid Use Disorder.Journal of advanced nursingPeople with opioid use disorder described avoiding emergency care due to fear of judgment and pain dismissal. Providers reported feeling helpless and unsafe. Both groups agreed addiction is a disease, but disagreed on whether naloxone changes behavior or if disclosure is honest.
• RNSurvey2026Patient Mobilisation Attitudes and Beliefs Survey-Intensive Care Unit: Turkish Validation and Reliability Study.Nursing openThe Turkish version of the ICU mobilisation barrier survey dropped four items and merged knowledge with attitude into one subscale, leaving 22 items across two domains. It is a usable tool for assessing staff perceptions, not a measure of patient outcomes.
• RNCohort2026Evaluation of Nurse-Led Triage in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Observational Study.Journal of clinical nursingNurse-led triage in a Spanish emergency department showed most patients were low or moderate urgency. While higher acuity patients got seen faster, only 23.8% of the most urgent met target time-to-care benchmarks, likely because immediate care took priority over electronic documentation.
• RNSystematic Review2026Influence of Music on Cortisol Levels in Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review.Nursing in critical careMusic lowered serum cortisol in three of five small trials of adults receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, but did not show a consistent effect. Patient-preferred music may be a low-risk comfort option, not proven treatment.
• RNQualitative2026Building Research Capacity to Enroll Spanish-Speaking Patients and Families in a Traumatic Brain Injury Transitional Care Intervention.Western journal of nursing researchProviders and interpreters emphasized that transitional care managers must act as cultural brokers, not just translators. They recommended respecting family networks, faith, and regional language nuances to improve engagement for Spanish-speaking patients with traumatic brain injury.
• RNOther2026Application of the best evidence for preventing central venous catheter-related thrombosis in patients undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy.International journal of nursing sciencesIn ICU patients on continuous renal replacement therapy, an evidence-based catheter-maintenance program was followed by catheter-related thrombosis falling from 28.46% to 15.33%. The study was a before-after, non-synchronous control study, so the drop may reflect several concurrent changes.
• RNOther2026Oxygen Stewardship in Adult Critical Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative.Nursing in critical careIn an adult ICU, an oxygen weaning and monitoring programme reduced the proportion of patient-days outside target oxygen saturation from 63% to 20%, sustained over 12 months, with lower oxygen use; no clinical outcomes were measured.
• SLPRNOther2026Enhanced Moisture-Focused, Nurse-Led Oral Care Improves Oral Health and Suppresses Bacterial Overgrowth in Mechanically Ventilated ICU Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study.Nursing in critical careIncreasing moisturising frequency based on oral health scores preserved oral moisture and reduced bacterial overgrowth in intubated patients. This nurse-led, chlorhexidine-free protocol was associated with fewer swallowing problems after extubation and shorter ICU stays compared to standard care.
• OTRNCohort2026Stage of Disease Among Hospitalized Persons Living With Dementia: A Multisite Study.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationMost hospitalized dementia patients had moderate dementia, not severe. They were more likely to be older, Black, admitted to general medicine, and diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Severe dementia was rare and may be missed because palliative or hospice patients were excluded.
• RNCohort2026The Effect of Family Voice Interventions on Delirium Incidence and Duration in Adult ICU Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nursing in critical careFamily voice messages were associated with fewer delirium cases and shorter delirium by 0.90 days. Nurses can consider involving trusted family voices, but dose is unclear and some voices may distress.
• RNOther2026Clinical Care Interaction and Patient Sleep in the Intensive Care Unit: A Secondary Data Analysis.Nursing in critical careICU patients experienced poor sleep and 93.7 clinical interactions over 24 hours on average, but interaction count was not associated with sleep time or perceived quality. Higher organ dysfunction was associated with more interactions; lower acuity and higher inflammation with poorer sleep.
• PTOTRNRCT2026From Intensive Care to Recovery: Feasibility of a Randomised Controlled Study Design Evaluating a Cognitive Rehabilitation Intervention for Critically Ill Patients.Nursing in critical care83 ICU patients were randomised to usual care or cognitive rehabilitation, but only 33 completed 6-month follow-up. This tested trial procedures, not whether mindfulness or brain training improves recovery.
• RNRCT2026Efficacy and Tolerability of Non-Routine Gastric Residual Volume Monitoring in Mechanically Ventilated Adults Receiving Early Enteral Nutrition: A Randomised Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial.Nursing in critical careDaily gastric residual volume checks showed no significant difference from routine frequent checks for feeding intolerance in ventilated ICU patients on tube feeds. The paper suggests less frequent monitoring may be considered, but the main result was not conclusive.
• RNOther2026Determination of the Minimum Discard Volume in the Extraction of Blood Samples Through Arterial Catheters in Critical Patients.Nursing in critical careFor ICU nurses drawing blood from radial arterial lines, 2 mL discard was judged sufficient for blood gas and electrolyte results; 3 mL matched the control, and 1 mL did not. Findings apply only to one catheter type.