J L Hamblet Berlandi | PubMed Health

PubMed1997

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass used to treat critically ill patients with severe but reversible cardiac and/or respiratory failure. The severity of their symptoms, the rapid deterioration in their conditions, the difficulty in mechanical transportation, and the risks of traveling with an ECMO circuit often prohibit cannulation in an operating room. Cannulation for and decannulation after ECMO therapy can be safely accomplished in the intensive care unit by utilizing experienced perioperative nurses.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Ethical issues in pediatric perioperative nursing.

Pediatric perioperative nurses often face ethical issues in their daily practice. Some of these issues require the ability to make a quick decision. Resources and mechanisms nurses can use to gain the knowledge required for ethical decision making are to attend ethical, legal, and clinical conferences, read ethical articles in nursing, medical, legal and ethical journals, and discuss issues with colleagues. Consultation can be obtained through ethics advisory committees and ethicists or people knowledgeable about ethics. Nurses must be able to identify ethical issues and how ethical decisions are made in order to analyze arguments critically, reflect on decisions, and examine positions. Nurses must have the ability to acknowledge and identify a conflict that exists between personal and professional values and to attempt to resolve the conflict. Perioperative nurses need to accept responsibility for their actions and take reactions based on ethical reasoning when providing patient care. By being knowledgeable of ethical issues and how to address them, pediatric perioperative nurses are better prepared to provide comprehensive nursing care to all patients and families.

Child↗