Richmond agitation and sedation scale (RASS) educational package for critical care nurses -

Abstract

The majority of patients who are admitted to critical care areas may require sedation and analgesia, due to their need for a mechanical ventilator, and for pain and-or anxiety management. However, over or under sedation in critically-ill patients may have detrimental effects on the patient’s survival. Standardized and proper sedation assessment is essential in preventing major complications of sedation. Nurses and doctors carry the main responsibility of assessing sedated patients, usually using a sedation scale.Several sedation scales have been created to assess patients’ sedation level; however, the mostly used and reliable one is the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS). Nurses must be well trained and educated on the use of the sedation assessment tool in order to manage sedated patients adequately. At the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), a nurse-led sedation protocol is employed, based on the RASS tool. However, the competence of the nurses in sedation assessment at AUBMC has not been monitored. In addition, no standardized reference guide for these nurses is present with regards to sedation management.This project proposes an educational package on proper sedation assessment techniques using the RASS. Included in the package is a section on sedation indications, pharmacological guidelines, and nursing sedation management. Set as an educational reference for critical care nurses at AUBMC, this educational package includes explanatory videos on each sedation level and theoretically-based power-point presentations. The ultimate aim is to provide evidence-based sedation assessment and management to critically-ill patients.