The administration of sedatives may present several challenges for critical care nurses. Evidence-based practice requires critical care nurses to remain up to date with developments in sedation management and ensure safe and effective use of sedative agents in their practice. Dexmedetomidine is a sedative drug that has been increasingly used in the intensive care setting in recent years. This article provides an overview of the pharmacological properties of dexmedetomidine and discusses nurses' responsibilities in caring for patients receiving dexmedetomidine infusion.
Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2017.e10338
Correspondence Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Received: 05 November 2015
Accepted: 19 August 2016
Published online: 20 June 2017
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