Purpose Critical care nurses caring for patients with a tracheostomy are at high risk because of the predilection of SARS-CoV-2 for respiratory and mucosal surfaces. This review identifies patient-centered practices that ensure safety and reduce risk of infection transmission to health care workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods Consensus statements, guidelines, institutional recommendations, and scientific literature on COVID-19 and previous outbreaks were reviewed. A global interdisciplinary team analyzed and prioritized findings via electronic communications and video conferences to develop consensus recommendations. Results Aerosol-generating procedures are commonly performed by nurses and other health care workers, most notably during suctioning, tracheostomy tube changes, and stoma care. Patient repositioning, readjusting circuits, administering nebulized medications, and patient transport also present risks. Standard personal protective equipment includes an N95/FFP3 mask with or without surgical masks, gloves, goggles, and gown when performing aerosol-generating procedures for patients with known or suspected COVID-19. Viral testing of bronchial aspirate via tracheostomy may inform care providers when determining the protective equipment required. The need for protocols to reduce risk of transmission of infection to nurses and other health care workers is evident. Conclusion Critical care nurses and multidisciplinary teams often care for patients with a tracheostomy who are known or suspected to have COVID-19. Appropriate care of these patients relies on safeguarding the health care team. The practices described in this review may greatly reduce risk of infectious transmission.

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Aim:The main objective is to determine if the infrastructure of critical care units influences the perception of professionals using this handover method.Background: Nursing bedside handover is considered a safe information transfer method that can help reduce communication errors; however, it has some disadvantages expressed by health professionals and patients, related to confidentiality, stress and less rest.Methods: Qualitative descriptive study. The perception of nursing professionals who work in a critical care unit with a mixed structure (open and closed boxes) in a tertiary care hospital was evaluated through a semi-structured interview with a battery of common questions (prepared after literature review) and spontaneous questions according to the objectives of the study.Results: Five thematic areas related to the study objectives were observed: patient safety, message content, confidentiality/privacy, intimacy/rest/noise, and patient participation.

Resumen Las unidades de cuidados intensivos (UCI) son entornos complejos para el proceso comunicativo entre profesionales. El objetivo de esta revisión sistemática fue evaluar el impacto del pase de guardia a pie de cama entre profesionales de enfermería de UCI sobre la seguridad del paciente. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica (2016-2021) en bases de datos de ciencias de la salud según la declaración PRISMA. La calidad de los estudios fue evaluada atendiendo a la tipología de estudio a valorar (STROBE, CASPe y TREND). Se obtuvieron quince artículos que evidencian que los beneficios del pase de guardia a pie de cama sobre la seguridad para profesionales (disminuye los factores de distracción, ofrece mayor precisión y evita pérdidas de información) y pacientes (comprueban la veracidad de la información transmitida y le implican en su proceso de recuperación) superan los problemas de estrés o pérdida de privacidad que puedan generarse.

Aim To evaluate the attitudes towards deceased multi‐organ donation and transplantation among nurses within the critical care units of the six public tertiary transplant hospitals in Madrid, Spain. Background Spain has a rate of 49 donations per million population, whereas Madrid has a lower donation rate of 34.2 per million population. Nurses generate social opinion, and their attitude can be one of the barriers against organ donation. Method An observational descriptive study was conducted among critical care units’ nurses. The measuring instrument was the Collaborative International Donor Project in Organ Donation and Transplantation. Data were collected from January to October 2019, and a statistical analysis was performed. Results A total of n = 313 questionnaires achieved a response rate of 51%. Of the intensive care unit nurses surveyed, 85% had a favourable opinion towards the donation of their organs being affected by psychosocial variables related to social variables with respect to family, religion and attitude towards the body. Conclusion The intensive care unit nurses of the Madrid transplant hospitals maintain a favourable attitude towards organ donation and transplantation. It is necessary to implement specialized training and periodically evaluate training in this sector. To maintain and improve the attitude towards organ donation, family discussion among health personnel should be encouraged. Religion influences the attitude of nurses and donation rates. Implication for nursing and health policy Intensive care nurses’ attitude towards organ donation is influenced by social variables. This study shows that the attitude is positive but improvable. These findings contribute to promote awareness of the lack of organs and the benefits of organ donation.