Standard protocols for nursing interventions

Sepsis accounts for nearly 20% of deaths worldwide and is the leading cause of hospital deaths in the U.S. On average, 35% of patients diagnosed with septic shock do not survive and nearly 60% experience negative long-term effects post-sepsis. And almost half of sepsis cases globally occur among children.

These sobering statistics underscore the need for nurses to remain vigilant in identifying sepsis. Early recognition and treatment are essential to surviving sepsis and septic shock. As a nurse, your crucial first assessment can make all the difference ― but you need to know the signs and when to speak up.

AACN offers an array of resources that translate current sepsis guidelines (adult and children), research and evidence-based practices for nurses to apply at the bedside.

What Nurses Can Do

Actions to help prepare you and your unit for the fight against sepsis

… with definitions, guidelines, bundle recommendations and nursing care for patients with sepsis and septic shock. Access updates in AACN’s Continuing Education Activities library.

… about sepsis recommendations, updates, bundles and questions with colleagues and providers. Help educate patients and families about their role in addressing sepsis.

… with your colleagues to help all of you stay up-to-date on sepsis. Work with your educator, manager or the clinical leaders on your unit to develop an information-sharing process.

… and use data to guide your decision-making and patient care priorities. If in doubt, validate your assessments and clinical decisions with a peer, APRN or other healthcare provider.

Key Sepsis Resources

To support you in recognizing the signs of sepsis, delivering timely and effective care, and understanding the latest evidence-based practices, AACN offers the following featured resources.

This CE article discusses the nursing implications of new content in the 2021 Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines.

Learn about strategies to overcome roadblocks and transform processes in the complex management of patients with sepsis.

Explore a clinical decision algorithm to optimize fluid resuscitation and vasopressor support in refractory hypotension.

This recorded session addresses a tailored approach to sepsis that factors in host response, microbiome and epigenetic changes.

Review this discussion of predictive analytics — including the IDo2 index — for oxygen delivery in pediatric patients with sepsis.

This nurse-led initiative focuses on improving early recognition and communication of sepsis symptoms to decrease mortality and ICU transfers.

Sepsis Micro-Credential

As the first line of defense against sepsis, acute and critical care professionals must recognize the signs and symptoms and intervene appropriately as early as possible. Validate your specialty knowledge in caring for patients with or at risk of sepsis by earning a micro-credential from AACN.

Understanding the Sepsis Guidelines: A Nursing Perspective

In this clinically focused video, national sepsis expert Maureen Seckel discusses key take-aways for nurses from the latest Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines (International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2021). A critical care clinical nurse specialist and sepsis coordinator, Seckel has been involved with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign for over 20 years.

My best advice for nurses about sepsis is to say it. Keep saying it. You’ve been at the bedside 24/7. You know your patients are sick, you know something is wrong. If you think ‘sepsis,’ just say it.

Maureen Seckel, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC, CCRN, CCNS, FCCM, FCNS

Additional Resources

Explore AACN’s complete library of sepsis-focused resources to enhance your knowledge and support your practice.