Is early recognition of deterioration in vital observation effective Dissertation

Is early recognition of deterioration in vital observation effective in identifying critically ill patients in hospital - Dissertation Example y evaluate research that describes or appraises the nursing practice of taking and recording physiological observations (Vital signs) in the detection of deteriorating hospital patients. Background. Nurses are required to recognise early clinical deterioration in patients and call emergency support. However, there is increasing recognition that indicators of deterioration in acutely unwell patients are being missed and referral delayed. The reasons for this are unclear and require exploration. Failure to recognize or act on deterioration of hospital ward patients has resulted in the implementation of early warning scoring system and critical care outreach teams. Design. A comprehensive review of the literature. Methods. Critical review as the research methodology was used as the dissertation topic required a comprehensive collection of research evidence. The literature was searched using different sources: such as electronic databases, reference lists, key reports and experts in the field. Medline, CINAHL, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched from January 2001–2011. Ten papers were selected that most clearly reflected the research aim. Each paper was critically appraised and systematically assessed. Major themes and findings were identified for each of the studies. Result. Early warning systems and physiological monitoring processes help ensure the early detection of critical illnesses among patients. Conclusions. Early warning systems with appropriate applications of vital signs and other physiological monitoring processes are crucial tools in the early assessment of critical care patients. Relevance to clinical practice. The studies establish the importance of using early warning systems and physiological monitoring processes to detect symptoms which... The paper tells that vital signs are significant components in monitoring the patient’s progress during hospitalisation as they allow for the timely detection of delayed recovery or adverse events. These vital signs, or patient observations, usually consist of blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rate. While the measurement of vital signs has become an accepted component of any hospitalisation, the optimal practice is yet to be determined. A preliminary search of the literature indicated that there were a vast number of published articles relating to this topic; however there had been few previous attempts to review critically this literature. This review was initiated to identify and summarise the best existing evidence relating to the use of vital signs by nurses to monitor hospital patients. The dissertation starts by highlighting and discussing the particular issues surrounding early recognition of deterioration using vital observation by other studies. This has assisted the writer to clarify the dissertation aims, objectives and methods further. The methodology section has provided details of a robust strategy deployed in collecting, organising and analysing secondary qualitative data. This has been followed by the result section where collection of data and discussion of results was carried out in the light of the writer review objectives. Finally in the conclusion section, a summary of the overall findings of the review and implications for NHS policy and future research will be provided.