Impact of having a certified nurse specialist in critical care nursing as head nurse on ICU patient outcomes

Abstract

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of the presence of a certified nurse specialist in critical care (CNS) as ICU head nurse in an open ICU on clinical outcomes. Methods: The presence of a CNS as ICU head nurse was implemented in practice in April 2017. To evaluate the impact on patient outcomes before and after the implementation, patients were divided into two groups: before (April 2014 to March 2017; 1988 patients) and after (April 2017 to March 2019; 1664 patients). Patients' demographic data were collected from the ICU database. Results: Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of a CNS as ICU head nurse was associated with lower ICU mortality (odds ratio (OR): 0.52, 95% CI: 0.36-0.73, p