Working patterns and perceived contribution of prostate cancer clinical nurse specialists: a mixed method investigation.

Background: Prostate cancer is prevalent worldwide. In England, men living with this malignancy often report unmet psychological, informational, urological and sexual needs. Their experience of care is correspondingly lower than that of other patient groups with cancer.

Measuring nursing competence: development of a self-assessment tool for general nurses across Europe.

Unlabelled: In response to the global challenge of providing and delivering effective health care, the aim of the European Healthcare Training and Accreditation Network project is to work towards improving the transparency of European Union (EU) nurse workforce qualifications, competence, skills, experience and culture. Currently, there is no detailed or tangible method available for comparison, which is perceived as an obstacle to EU nurse workforce mobility.

Objectives: Clearly, this is an important issue that needs to be addressed.

Effectiveness of nursing-led inpatient care for patients with post-acute health care needs: secondary data analysis from a programme of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: To determine whether transfer to a nursing-led inpatient unit (NLIU) prior to discharge from hospital can improve clinical outcome and reduce length of stay and readmission rate for medically stable post-acute patients assessed as requiring inpatient care.

Method: Retrospective secondary data analysis of individual patient data (n=471) from a programme of three, purposefully replicated, pragmatic randomized controlled trials. Patients were referred to the NLIU by their consultant (attending doctor/surgeon) for nursing-led subacute/post-acute care and randomly allocated to a treatment group for planned transfer to the NLIU for the remainder of their hospital stay or to a control group for traditional consultant-led care in acute wards.

A European survey of general nurses' self assessment of competence.

Policy initiatives have prompted examination of the deployment and mobility of the nursing workforce within the European Union (EU). The European Health Care Training and Accreditation Network [EHTAN, 2005. Available from: View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Impact of the role of nurse, midwife and health visitor consultant.

Aim: This paper describes the findings from one aspect of an evaluation study of the role of the nurse, midwife and health visitor consultant and the consultants' perceived impact of their role on services and patient care.

Background: The nurse, midwife and health visitor consultant role was established in 2000 in England to improve patient care, strengthen leadership and provide a clinical career opportunity for nurses, midwives and health visitors. An evaluative study was commissioned to report on the role 4 years after the new consultant posts were first established.

The impact of nurse-directed protocolised-weaning from mechanical ventilation on nursing practice: a quasi-experimental study.

Background: Internationally, nurse-directed protocolised-weaning has been evaluated by measuring its impact on patient outcomes. The impact on nurses' views and perceptions has been largely ignored.

Aim: To determine the change in intensive care nurses' perceptions, satisfaction, knowledge and attitudes following the introduction of nurse-directed weaning.

Economic evaluation of a nursing-led inpatient unit: the impact of findings on management decisions of service utility and sustainability.

Aims: The nursing-led inpatient unit is designed to substitute for a period of care in acute hospital wards and to improve patient outcome prior to discharge to the community. This paper aims to evaluate the cost, from the UK National Health Service perspective, of transfer to a nursing-led inpatient unit for intermediate care and to discuss the impact of these findings to the future development and sustainability of the nursing-led inpatient unit.

Background: Recent economic analyses have showed that nursing-led inpatient units are associated with increased costs of care with length of stay as the main driver of inpatient costs.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over pilot study to assess the effects of long-term opioid drug consumption and subsequent abstinence in chronic noncancer pain patients receiving controlled-release morphine.

Objectives: The long-term use of strong opioid analgesics among chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) patients remains controversial because of concerns over problematic drug use. However, previous surveys suggest that this is not necessarily the case. Therefore, we designed a controlled study to generate evidence in support of these findings.

NHS cadet schemes: do they widen access to professional healthcare education?

Aim: The aim of this paper is to report a study investigating the extent to which National Health Service cadet schemes widen access to professional health care education.

Background: Cadet schemes have been reintroduced in the United Kingdom to increase recruitment of nurses and other health care staff to the National Health Service and also to widen access and increase participation in professional health care education by groups poorly represented in such education, including minority ethnic groups.

Methods: A questionnaire survey of all cadet schemes (n = 62) in England at the time of the study was carried out, and the respondents were cadet scheme leaders (n = 62) and cadet students (n = 411).

Protocolized weaning from mechanical ventilation: ICU physicians' views.

Background: The use of protocols during weaning from mechanical ventilation is uncommon in the UK, despite research pointing to their potential benefits. This may be because the research evidence is considered not to apply in different settings. Intensive care unit consultant physicians are the major decision-makers in weaning in the UK and any attempt to introduce protocolized weaning will require consideration of their views.

NHS cadet schemes: student experience, commitment, job satisfaction and job stress.

In the context of various policy initiatives concerning widening access to and strengthening recruitment and retention in the health services, cadet schemes--predominantly in nursing--have proliferated over the last few years. As part of a larger national evaluation of National Health Service (NHS) cadet schemes, this paper reports on a survey of senior cadet students across 62 cadet schemes in England and examines their experience of being a cadet on such a scheme. Cadets forming the most senior cohort from each of the 62 schemes (n = 596) were surveyed using a questionnaire.

A survey of chronic noncancer pain patients prescribed opioid analgesics.

Objectives: Opioid analgesic drugs are sometimes advocated for chronic noncancer pain (CNCP). However, due to the paucity of studies assessing problematic opioid drug use in this population, evidence for such is inconclusive, and this issue remains controversial. This survey assessed problematic drug use among CNCP patients.

Randomized controlled trial of biofeedback for fecal incontinence.

Background & Aims: Behavioral treatment (biofeedback) has been reported to improve fecal incontinence but has not been compared with standard care.

Methods: A total of 171 patients with fecal incontinence were randomized to 1 of 4 groups: (1) standard care (advice); (2) advice plus instruction on sphincter exercises; (3) hospital-based computer-assisted sphincter pressure biofeedback; and (4) hospital biofeedback plus the use of a home electromyelogram biofeedback device. Outcome measures included diary, symptom questionnaire, continence score, patient's rating of change, quality of life (short-form 36 and disease specific), psychologic status (Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale), and anal manometry.

[Saphenectomy in ambulatory surgery. Patients' expectations].

Objective: Describe the expectations and the experiences which patients who undergo saphenactomy in outpatient surgery (CMA) have regarding their recuperation and to ascertain if their knowledge about this process corresponds with reality.

Material And Methods: A descriptive-comparative survey with one part being quantitative and the other qualitative. A consecutive sample by 25 patients who completed 8 questionnaires.

[Health education. Heart surgery].

By means of a literature review of nursing articles, the authors aim to evaluate the importance of educational programmes before and after cardiac surgery, to assess the advantages and drawbacks of these programmes and to evaluate the need for following-up patients and their carers after being discharged from hospital. Health Education and cardiac surgery: Delivering information following cardiac surgery is an essential task, not only to achieve a behavioural change and the development of patients' self-care attitudes but also to reduce their anxiety. It is also essential to educate family members as they are the most importance source of physical and emotional support following surgery.

Suctioning: a review of current research recommendations.

Effective suctioning is an essential aspect of airway management in the critically ill. However, there are many associated risks and complications. These range from trauma and hypoxaemia to cardiac dysrhythmias and, in extreme cases, cardiac arrest and death.

Tracheal suctioning: an exploration of nurses' knowledge and competence in acute and high dependency ward areas.

Background And Rationale: With an increasing demand for intensive care beds more nurses in acute and high dependency wards will be expected to care competently for patients with tracheostomy tubes. Tracheal suctioning is an essential aspect of effective airway management. However, this has many associated risks and complications, ranging from trauma and hypoxaemia to, in extreme cases, cardiac arrest and death.

Research directions in palliative care nursing.

One of the most heartening aspects of palliative care and, in particular, the nursing contribution, is the rapid expansion of research activity directly pertinent to patients and their families. The courage of many research nurses in asking penetrating and sensitive questions is admirable. As they have often worked in the area and have the relevant skills, it is possible for nurses to identify important issues and explore them in a directly applicable way.

The role of Macmillan nurse tutors: an interview study with post-holders.

This article explores the role of Macmillan nurse tutors through in-depth, semi-structured tape-recorded interviews with 22 post-holders, focusing on their responsibilities, institutional affiliations and career aspirations. After full transcription, these qualitative data were subjected to open coding. Many tensions and variations within the role were revealed.