Clinical Research Directory

Impact of Infusion Line Change Frequency on Infectious Complications Related to Central Venous Catheters in the ICU - A Randomized Controlled Trial

In the intensive care unit, patients' care and secure drugs administration require a central venous catheter. These invasive devices can lead to complications, particularly infections. Most preventive recommendations focus on catheter insertion, line handling, and dressings. Few recommendations adress catheter dwell time, which is certainly the main source of infection. Part of the prevention strategy is the regular and systematic replacement of infusion sets , as they may become contaminated during use, mainly through the hands of healthcare professionals. Prolonged use increases the risk of infection. Infusion lines changes involve disconnecting the old sets, discarding infusion devices containing drug residues, and replacing them with new sterile devices. Current international guidelines recommend replacing these sets every 4 days, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not exceeding 7 days. Replacing these devices requires the time of qualified nurses, numerous sterile medical devices, and medications. In addition to the intended effect on infection prevention, the procedure has impacts on workload and costs. The objective of the study is to demonstrate that changing infusion set every 7 days does not increase the rate of central venous catheters related infections compared with changing infusion set every 4 days.

Predicting Nurse Staffing Requirements From Routinely Collected Data

The goal of this observational study is to find out if the researchers can predict the number of nurses needed on hospital wards (units) from patient hospital data. The main question it aims to answer is: Is it possible to predict nurse staffing requirements from routinely recorded data in hospital systems? Researchers will ask nurses about their views of nurse staffing tools and what support they need for staffing decisions. They will analyse data from hospital IT systems.

A Study of Silent Alarm Delivery Versus Standard Audible Alarm Delivery in Intensive Care and High Dependency Units

The goal of the trial is to learn if a strategy to eliminate audible alarm noise in intensive care and high dependency units can reduce overall noise levels, patient delirium, staff alarm fatigue, and staff burnout. Researchers will implement a silent alarm strategy in specific care units for four weeks and compare this to a separate 4 weeks where a silent strategy is not implemented. Noise, burnout, delirium levels, and staff alarm response times will be compared between the silent and non-silent units.

Mizzou Nurse Workload and Well-Being Study

This observational study will evaluate the feasibility of linking nursing workload to burnout and physiological well-being among acute care nurses. Researchers will collect data from three sources: hospital workforce management software, wearable health devices (Oura Rings), and validated surveys. Fifty nurses from intensive care and medical-surgical units at a level one trauma center will participate. The study will also include interviews to better understand workplace stressors. Findings will help identify patterns that contribute to burnout and guide the development of future interventions to support nurse well-being and improve workforce retention.

ICU Nurses' Perspectives on a Nursing Workload Dashboard

Increasing patient complexity, staffing shortages, and administrative burdens have intensified nurses' workloads, contributing to burnout and reduced job satisfaction. These challenges were particularly evident in the intensive care units (ICU) during the COVID-19 outbreak. With the growing healthcare demand in front of us, it is essential to understand and manage perceived workload effectively to maintain high-quality care and promote staff well-being. A real-time overview of nursing workload may facilitate the identification of patients requiring additional support and enable more effective distribution of workload among nurses during shifts. A dashboard has therefore been developed for use in the ICU to provide an overview of the patients at the unit and their corresponding nursing workload. To assess whether this dashboard is fit for purpose, this study aims to evaluate nurses' perspectives on its implementation, focusing on acceptance, adoptability, appropriateness, and fidelity. Additionally, the model for the calculation of the nursing workload will be assessed in terms of its alignment with ICU nurses' perceived workload and its potential for automation with artificial intelligence (AI).

Turnova: The Clinical Efficacy, Manpower Reduction, and Cost-Effectiveness of Turn-Assist Alternating Pressure Air Mattresses for Pressure Injury Prevention in the ICU

Pressure injuries are common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients who cannot reposition themselves. International guidelines recommend using support surfaces to redistribute pressure and regular turning to prevent these injuries. In Taiwan, high-specification foam mattresses (HSFM) with manual turning remain the standard, but frequent repositioning is labor-intensive and challenging in settings with limited nursing staff. The Turn-Assist Alternating Pressure Air Mattress (TAPAM) integrates pressure redistribution with automated lateral turning, potentially reducing nursing workload while maintaining preventive effectiveness. This study will compare TAPAM with HSFM plus manual turning in ICU patients, evaluating manpower requirements, time spent, perceived effort, and clinical outcomes. A cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis will be conducted to assess the overall value of TAPAM for pressure injury prevention in high-risk ICU populations.