PhD student Mary Rose Gaughan published in Advances of Nursing Science journal

In “Patient Deterioration on General Care Units: A Concept Analysis,” Gaughan discusses patient deterioration as a phenomenon that occurs from the inability to recognize or respond to a change in condition.

Gaughan analyzed the concept by exploring and clarifying the meaning of patient deterioration and identifying attributes, antecedents and consequences. The defining attributes were compared to early warning scores. An operational definition was developed and its value to nurses was established.

“Delays in identifying patient deterioration on general care units are associated with lower survival rates and poorer outcomes,” Gaughan says. “Negative outcomes are preventable, as patients often demonstrate deterioration six-to-eight hours before experiencing cardiac or pulmonary arrest. A detailed understanding of how nurses detect PD may enhance the clinical skills of nurses and keep patients safer.

“Earlier recognition of PD may be achieved through more precise education, but a system-level change may be necessary. Despite various available tools to assess the deterioration of patients, it continues to go undetected and results in the need for patient rescue by rapid response.”

Gaughan co-authored the article with UB School of Nursing Associate Professor Carla Jungquist, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN PhD, RN, FAAN.