RESUMEN
Objectives: Hospitalized patients may require goals of care (GOC) or Advance Health Care Planning (ACP), which can be time-consuming and emotionally tolling for providers. A nursing team specializing in code status (CODE), GOC, and ACP was developed to provide meaningful support for patients and families and decrease provider burden. Interest in CODE, GOC, ACP, and effectiveness of a nursing team to lead these conversations prompted this study. Methods: A collaborative nursing team was trained to address CODE, GOC, and ACP with patients demonstrating illness or geriatric syndrome. This team conducted 3 visits per patient on average during hospitalization using structured CODE templates to establish longer term goals and document what matters in the healthcare journey. Comprehensive narratives for ACP and GOC were included in charting, syncing the medical team, nursing, patient, and family. Consults were tracked over nine months with data reviewed retrospectively from medical charts. Descriptive analyses of cohort demographics, CODE and outcomes were completed. Results: The study group comprised 3342 patients between October 2022 and June 2023. Patients ranged in age from 18-106 years, with majority (88%) age 65 years and older. Mean length of stay (LOS) was 6.8 days with CODE documented for 91% upon admission. Of the 3166 older adults with known CODE on admission, 946 (30%) changed CODE by discharge, of which 95% were de-escalated. 83% of older patients arriving with limited CODE maintained limitations at discharge, with a small portion converting to comfort (16%). Conclusion: Employing a focused nursing team to conduct CODE, GOC, and ACP conversations may be an effective use of time and resources and result in de-escalation of resuscitation orders for patients demonstrating illness or geriatric syndrome.
RESUMEN
Nurses report a negative, stereotypical, and moralistic view of substance-abusing patients. Unaddressed bias may impede delivery of quality care. There is limited research of the needs specific to medical-surgical nursing staff interacting with substance-abusing patients. Nursing therapeutic commitment refers to the degree the nurse feels prepared with an adequate knowledge base, professional support, and personal ownership of a patient condition. Low therapeutic commitment correlates with job dissatisfaction. The Drug and Drug Problems Perceptions Questionnaire assesses healthcare provider attitude and therapeutic commitment to patients using or abusing medication or illicit substances. This therapeutic commitment survey serves as a staff needs assessment for a targeted educational innovation. The results show that the medical and surgical nursing staff has a constructive attitude and a moderately high degree of therapeutic commitment to the drug-abusing patient population, similar to more specialized multidisciplinary, mental healthcare workers. This study showed that medical-surgical nurses feel professionally responsible and clinically supported with patients with primary or comorbid drug abuse. Consistent with established results, focused and ongoing education on the risk factors, outcomes, and physical and psychological effects of illicit substances is necessary to improve therapeutic commitment to drug-dependent patients.