Educating Nurses in the Intensive Care Unit About Gastrointestinal Complications Using an Algorithm Embedded into Simulation

It can be a challenge to prepare intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to recognize and care for the complex needs of deteriorating patients, especially in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) complications, who often present with vague but serious issues. Tools such as the sequential organ failure assessment tool and the GI failure tool have been used to assist nurses in decision making. This article discusses how to incorporate such tools into an algorithm for simulation training for ICU nurses that integrates a clinical judgment model to shape care for patients with GI complications.