“Help, I Need Somebody. . .” A Collaborative Approach to Nurses Helping Nurses

In our unit, we have tackled head on the Act With Intention directive put forth by Beth Hammer, president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). We never want a nurse to leave our unit because no one was available to help with patient care when the help was needed most. We never want a nurse to hesitate to ask a medication-related question because of fear of retaliation. We never want a nurse to leave our unit because he/she felt as if no one was available to help with patient care when he/she needed it most. We never want a nurse to be afraid to ask for help. The reality is that progressive care environments are typically characterized by high volume and high turnover of patients. Time constraints and patients’ rapidly changing conditions, along with the complex nursing care required, can cause frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed among...