The Choosing Wisely® campaign was launched in 2012 by the American Board of Internal Medicine as a way to spark conversations to improve care and minimize unnecessary testing. The goals of the campaign are to ensure that care is supported by evidence; not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received; free from harm; and truly necessary (ABIM Foundation, 2014). Many organizations have released recommendations in support of the campaign – a full list is available here.
Last week, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) became the first nursing organization to get involved in the campaign. Its Choosing Wisely® list includes the following five evidence-based recommendations (American Association of Critical Care Nurses, 2014) :
- Don't order diagnostic tests at regular intervals (such as every day), but rather in response to specific clinical questions.
- Don't transfuse red blood cells in hemodynamically stable, non-bleeding critically ill patients with a hemoglobin concentration greater than 7 mg/dL.
- Don't use parenteral nutrition in adequately nourished critically ill patients within the first seven days of a stay in an intensive care unit.
- Don't deeply sedate mechanically ventilated patients without a specific indication and without daily attempts to lighten sedation.
- Don't continue life support for patients at high risk for death or severely impaired functional recovery without offering patients and their families the alternative of care focused entirely on comfort.
As a nursing professional, I am proud to see AACN collaborate on this important initiative. I encourage you all to remain cognizant of these recommendations, share them with your peers, and stay up-to-date on the latest evidence.
For further reading, the articles below are available for free to logged in members of Lippincott’s NursingCenter.com. Not a member? Join now!
In the News: Rethinking Routine Blood Work in Patients with MI
American Journal of Nursing
Blood Management: Best-Practice Transfusion Strategies
Nursing2013
Parenteral Nutrition Risks, Complications, and Management
Journal of Infusion Nursing
Sedation Vacation: Worth the Trip
Nursing2013 Critical Care
Ethics in Critical Care: Twenty Years Since Cruzan and the Patient Self-Determination Act: Opportunities for Improving Care at the End of Life in Critical Care Settings
AACN Advanced Critical Care
Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst: Strategies to Promote Honesty and Prevent Medical Futility at End-of-Life
Dimensions in Critical Care Nursing
References:
ABIM Foundation. (2014). About. Retrieved from Choosing Wisely: http://www.choosingwisely.org/
American Association of Critical Care Nurses. (2014, January 28). News: Critical Care Groups Issue 'Choosing Wisely' List. Retrieved from American Association of Critical Care Nurses: http://www.aacn.org/wd/publishing/content/pressroom/pressreleases/2014/jan/choosing-wisely-aacn-ccsc.pcms?menu=aboutus
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