Episode 141: Fighting For Your Life With Your Eyes Open

Walking Home From The ICU Episode 141: Fighting For Your Life With Your Eyes Open

Sedation is often given with the hopes of sparing patients the discomfort and awareness of the struggles of the ICU. Yet, does that ultimately prevent harm and suffering? Antonette Montalvo, APRN shares with us what it meant to her to be able to fight for her life with her eyes open. Episode Transcription Kali Dayton

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Walking Home From The ICU Episode 122 Caleigh’s Voice Through Critical Illness

Walking Home From The ICU Episode 122: Caleigh’s Voice Through Critical Illness

Caleigh has had it both ways in the ICU. She has been sedated and immobilized which led to battling delirium and ICU acquired weakness. She has also been awake and mobile while intubated and walked out the doors. Listen to Caleigh share her insights and what meant to her to be communicative, connected, and autonomous

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Walking From ICU Episode 103- Communication Is a Basic Human Right- Especially in the ICU

Walking Home From The ICU Episode 103: Communication Is a Basic Human Right- Especially in the ICU

This episode explores the value of communication in the ICU and the impact of our sedation and immobility practices on the basic human right of communication. Episode Transcription Kali Dayton 0:38 This episode is dedicated to communication and the ICU. This has taken me a long time to publish in part because it is so

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Walking From ICU Episode 71 What “Fight To Survive” Truly Means

Walking Home From The ICU Episode 71: What “Fight To Survive” Truly Means

When an ICU team started discussing end-of-life with 31-year-old Megan Wakley’s family, they fought to have her transferred to the “Awake and Walking ICU”. When research shows that the less sedation used and the more mobility performed the less likely patients are to die, what did that mean for Megan Wakely?   Episode Transcription Kali

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Walking From ICU Episode 44 Walking Home From the ICU after COVID19

Walking Home From The ICU Episode 44: Walking Home From the ICU after COVID19

When 69-year-old Dr. Ken Hurwitz was intubated for COVID19, how was his life saved and even preserved? After 3 weeks on the ventilator, why was he able to walk away and go straight home? Episode Transcription Kali Dayton 0:28 In the past few episodes, we learned about the conditions, treatments and outcomes experienced during the

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Dayton Walking From ICU Episode 34 Recommendations From a 4-Time Ventilator Survivor

Walking Home from The ICU Episode 34: Recommendations From a 4 -Time Ventilator Survivor

Kali talks with Ann Bannon, who was intubated four times and awake on the endotracheal tube and ventilator for months. She gives us valuable insight into how to help the new flood of ventilated patients. Episode Transcription Kali Dayton Ann, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate you coming on our show and helping

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As an RN in the Medical-Surgical ICU at the hospital I work at, I began my interest in ICU Liberation through an Evidence-Based Practice project.

While I was initially grabbed by what the literature has to say about over-sedation and patient outcomes, it wasn’t until I discovered Kali’s Walking Home From The ICU podcast that a culture of sedationless ICU care sounded tangible. The group I worked with on the project was both inspired, devastated, and intrigued by the stories Kali illuminates on the podcast, and we were able to bring her to our hospital for a virtual Zoom Webinar, where she presented on the practices in the Awake and Walking ICU.

This webinar was an incredible way to draw attention toward this necessary culture shift as Kali shared stories of patients awake and mobile in the ICU despite the complexity of their illness. The webinar inspired our final draft for the new practice guideline on analgesia and sedation management in the ICU, and since then we have seen intubated COVID patients playing tic tac toe on the door with staff members on the other side, taking laps around the unit, performing their own oral care using a hand mirror, and most importantly, keeping their autonomy and integrity while fighting to leave the ICU to resume the life they had before coming in.

Nora Raher, BSN, RN, MSICU
Virginia, USA

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