The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) announces the recipients of its annual research grants
Newswise — This year, the association awarded three AACN Impact Research Grants up to $50,000 each and the AACN-Sigma Critical Care Grant with up to $10,000 in funding. Since launching the grants program in 2011, AACN has awarded more than $1.4 million in funding and 33 Impact Research Grants to help ensure a pipeline for evidence-based resources in support of a wide range of priorities.
AACN Impact Research Grants support clinical inquiry that drives change in acute and critical care nursing practice. The grants are designed to help ensure a vital source of clinically relevant research for creating evidence-based resources. Five priority areas guide AACN’s research activities:
- Effective and appropriate use of technology to achieve optimal patient assessment, treatment and/or outcomes
- Creation of healing, humane environments
- Processes and systems that foster the optimal contributions of acute and critical care nurses
- Effective approaches to symptom management
- Prevention and management of complications
This year’s funded projects and grant recipients:
- Clinical Metabolic Monitoring to Confirm Sepsis (Impact Research Grant)
Principal investor is Julie Graham, PhD, APRN, ACCNS-AG, assistant professor, San Diego State University. Sepsis remains the number one cause of death for hospitalized patients worldwide, and survival is critically dependent on early detection and timely intervention. Changes in oxygen consumption serve as a differentiating metabolic measure in critically ill patients with or without a diagnosis of sepsis. The study will use data collected from skin sensors to determine oxygen consumption parameters for patients with sepsis. The findings may help clinicians recognize disrupted metabolism in real time, leading to objective, early recognition and diagnosis of sepsis.
- Unit Layout, Visibility and Teamwork in Critical Care Nurses (Impact Research Grant)
Principal investor is Yolanda Keys, PhD, DHA, RN, NEA-BC, EDAC, research associate, Center for Health Design, Concord, California.
Many newly designed critical care units have moved away from a centralized hub to decentralized workstations characterized by individual alcoves between patient rooms. The potential unintended consequences of these unit layouts include increased feelings of isolation and fewer opportunities for collaboration. This study will explore how unit layouts influence nursing teamwork and the work environment.
- An Ecological Perspective on Return to Work After Critical Illness: A Mixed-methods Study (Impact Research Grant)
Principal investor is Han Su, PhD, assistant professor, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, Tennessee.
Survivors of critical illness frequently experience new or worsened cognitive, mental health and physical impairments, known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). These ongoing impairments may hinder individuals from returning to work after discharge, with joblessness common among those who were previously employed. This study will explore individual, relationship, community and societal factors and how they interact to help enable or inhibit successful return to work.
- Sleep and Cognition After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation (AACN-Sigma Grant)
Principal investor is Tao Zheng, MN, RN, CCRN-CSC-CMC, CHFN, PCCN, graduate fellow and PhD candidate, University of Washington Medical Center and School of Nursing.
Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are the only available treatment option to improve survival and quality of life for patients with advanced heart failure who are not eligible for cardiac transplant. Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent for patients with heart failure and persists after LVAD implantation, which may impact recovery and quality of life. Participants will wear a wristband device, which will provide continuous recording throughout the night to calculate accurate sleep time. The study will examine changes in objective and subjective sleep quality for patients with advanced heart failure, before and after they’ve had an LVAD implanted.
AACN will award up to three $50,000 Impact Research Grants in 2024. AACN continues to partner with the Sigma Foundation for Nursing to co-sponsor the AACN-Sigma Critical Care Grant, with up to $10,000 in funding.
Principal investigators must be current AACN members with either an earned master’s degree or completed candidacy requirements for a doctoral degree. Sigma members are also eligible to apply for the AACN-Sigma grant.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with about 130,000 members and nearly 200 chapters in the United States.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme
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