BACKGROUND: In 2005, physician and nursing leaders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital initiated structured interprofessional rounds (SIPRs) on the labor and delivery (L&D) suite to improve team communication. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of providers’ perceptions of SIPRs and their effectiveness in improving teamwork. We hypothesized that on average, providers would perceive SIPRs as being effective in promoting teamwork, but ratings would differ among professional groups. METHODS: After a factor analysis and internal consistency assessment, a 19-item paper-based questionnaire was used to evaluate providers’ perceptions using a 5-point Likert scale. Respondents included L&D nurses, midwives, obstetricians, and anesthesiologists who participate in SIPRs. The primary aim was to evaluate the providers’ perceptions of SIPRs and their association with professional roles. The outcome was total response score for each provider, ranging from 19 to 95; perception of SIPRs as being effective in promoting teamwork was defined as having a total response score of >66.5 (mean score, >3.5 per question). A univariable linear regression model was performed, followed by a multivariable analysis adjusting for predictors that modified the outcome; predictors included years of professional practice, years of experience on the L&D suite, number of clinical work hours worked weekly, and principal shift assignment among nurses. The associations between these predictors and providers’ perceptions were assessed as a secondary aim. RESULTS: A total of 234 practitioners responded (100% response rate). The mean total response score (SD) for all providers was 73.3 (9.5). After multivariable adjustment, the mean total response scores were significantly higher for obstetric providers than for anesthesia (Δ mean, 6.5, 95% CI, 0.3, 12.7 P = .036) and midwifery (Δ mean, 12.5, 95% CI, 2.0, 23.0, P = .009) providers. Providers scored significantly lower if they worked >60 clinical hours per week compared with ≤20 (Δ mean, −13.7, 95% CI, −25.3, −2.1, P = .009), 21–40 (Δ mean, −8.0, 95% CI, −15.8, −0.09, P = .049), or 41–60 hours (Δ mean, −8.1, 95% CI, −14.5, −1.7, P = .004). Duration of practice in professional role and experience on the L&D suite were not predictive of SIPRs ratings. CONCLUSIONS: On average, providers on the L&D suite perceive SIPRs as being effective in promoting teamwork. Perception ratings were significantly influenced by professional role and number of clinical hours worked weekly, suggesting that these factors should be explored in future research to minimize perception gaps and support a dynamic culture of interprofessional collaboration.
Legionella-associated respiratory failure has a high mortality, despite modern ventilation modalities. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used to achieve gas exchange independent of pulmonary function in patients with severe respiratory failure. This was a retrospective review of the management and outcome of patients with Legionella-associated respiratory failure treated with ECMO support in a large ECMO center over the past 10 years. A retrospective review of patients with confirmed Legionella-associated severe respiratory failure managed with ECMO support at a single center. Between 2000 and 2010, 19 patients with severe respiratory failure caused by Legionella were managed with ECMO after failure to respond to conventional intensive care management. Median PaO2/FiO2 ratio was 66 and median pCO2 was 60 torr. Sixteen patients (84%) survived to hospital discharge. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation should be considered in patients with Legionella-associated respiratory failure, who have failed conventional ventilation.
As the care of patients with cancer has shifted from the inpatient arena to the outpatient setting, the traditional role of the nurse has been challenged. Nurses both in outpatient clinics and physicians' offices have frequently found themselves performing assessments and providing triage and advice over the telephone. Designed as a resource for oncology nurses who are learning the telephone nursing role as well as a guide those developing a formalised telephone nursing practice, this new second edition features new chapters on antibiotic therapy problems, bone loss, and hemoptysis. Chapters provide a systematic approach to performing a telephone nursing assessment, discussion of telephone triage practice models, tips to improve telephone communication, and a history of telephone triage. Also included are symptom-focused telephone protocols and guidelines to help direct oncology nurses in the development of guidelines in their practice. These telephone protocols serve as a guide for oncology nurses to meet the specific needs of their patient population.