Satisfaction With the Withdrawal Assessment Tool-1 (WAT-1)
Satisfaction With the Withdrawal Assessment Tool-1 (WAT-1)
This study was designed to evaluate nurses' satisfaction with the WAT-1 in the intensive care environment and also in a unit where intensive care patients are transferred. The WAT-1 has not been tested outside the ICU environment, but according to Dr. Franck, the WAT-1 was developed for patients who had been intubated and ventilated with data primarily collected post-extubation. Dr. Franck also reports that the WAT-1 is currently being used in 22 clinical sites participating in the RESTORE clinical trial (NIH, NHLBI-funded study on sedation in critically ill children). Patients are assessed using the WAT-1 both in the ICUs as well as on acute care units, and some hospitals are using it throughout their hospital (L. Franck, personal communication, June 30, 2009). The WAT-1 represents the closest valid and reliable scale for assessing the child with withdrawal syndrome. The items assessed resonate with the nurses caring for children with withdrawal syndrome.
Specifically, this study evaluated three research questions:
Research Procedures
This study was designed to evaluate nurses' satisfaction with the WAT-1 in the intensive care environment and also in a unit where intensive care patients are transferred. The WAT-1 has not been tested outside the ICU environment, but according to Dr. Franck, the WAT-1 was developed for patients who had been intubated and ventilated with data primarily collected post-extubation. Dr. Franck also reports that the WAT-1 is currently being used in 22 clinical sites participating in the RESTORE clinical trial (NIH, NHLBI-funded study on sedation in critically ill children). Patients are assessed using the WAT-1 both in the ICUs as well as on acute care units, and some hospitals are using it throughout their hospital (L. Franck, personal communication, June 30, 2009). The WAT-1 represents the closest valid and reliable scale for assessing the child with withdrawal syndrome. The items assessed resonate with the nurses caring for children with withdrawal syndrome.
Specifically, this study evaluated three research questions:
Does a standardized pediatric with drawal assessment tool increase a nurse's confidence in his/her assessment of a patient's withdrawal symptoms?
Does a standardized pediatric withdrawal assessment tool increase a nurse's perception of adequate communication about his/her patient's withdrawal symptoms?
Does a standardized pediatric withdrawal assessment tool increase a nurse's satisfaction with the nursing care of patients undergoing withdrawal?