Opinions of Nurses and Physicians on a Patient, Family, and Visitor Activated Rapid Response System in Use Across Two Hospital Settings.

Background: Early detection of deterioration of hospitalized patients with timely intervention improves outcomes in the hospital. Patients, family members, and visitors (consumers) at the patient's bedside who are familiar with the patient's condition may play a critical role in detecting early patient deterioration. The authors sought to understand clinicians' views on consumer reporting of patient deterioration through an established hospital consumer-initiated escalation-of-care system.

Hospital Testing of the Effectiveness of Co-Designed Educational Materials to Improve Patient and Visitor Knowledge and Confidence in Reporting Patient Deterioration.

Background: Co-designed educational materials could significantly improve the likelihood of patients and visitors (consumers) escalating care through hospital systems. The objective was to investigate patients' and visitors' knowledge and confidence in recognizing and reporting patient deterioration in hospitals before and after exposure to educational materials.

Methods: A multimethod design involved a convenience sample of patients and visitors at a South Australian hospital.

Exploration of Ward-Based Nurses' Perspectives on Their Preparedness to Recognize Clinical Deterioration: A Scoping Review.

Background: Despite initiatives in the early recognition of clinical deterioration, the incidence of failure to recognize clinical deterioration in patients continues to occur contributing to the ongoing rise of in-hospital mortality and morbidity.

Objective: The aim of the study was to explore and appraise the research evidence that related to ward-based nurses' preparedness to recognize the clinically deteriorating patient.

Methods: A scoping review was undertaken as this approach enabled the researchers to investigate the breadth of the available evidence through broad inclusion criteria.

Towards reduction of preventable hospital readmission: Older people and family members' views on planned self-management of care at home.

Aims And Objectives: To reduce the likelihood of preventable readmissions, the aim was to investigate how older people (with their family members) managed their chronic health conditions at home following hospital discharge. The objectives explored older people and their family members' perspectives on how discharge plans assisted self-management of their chronic conditions, their recognition of deterioration and when to seek treatment/re-attend hospital.

Background: Chronic conditions have challenged older adults' self-management, particularly after hospital discharge and can impact on preventable readmission.

You're Worried, We're Listening: Online Testing of the Effectiveness of Education Materials to Improve Consumer Knowledge and Confidence in Reporting Patient Deterioration.

Objectives: Early identification of patient deterioration in hospital is important to reduce mortality, avoidable morbidity, length of stay, and associated healthcare costs. By closely observing physical and behavioral changes, deteriorating patients are more likely to be identified. Patients and family at the bedside can play an important role in reporting deterioration if made aware of how to do so.

Development and Validation of an Evaluation Tool of Consumers' Knowledge and Confidence to Report Patient Deterioration in Hospitals.

Objectives: Studies have shown that many preventable hospital deaths may be reduced through early reporting of deterioration by patients and their visitors to health professionals. Engagement of patients and families for safer health care was recommended by the World Health Organization. As no validated tool was identified, the objective of the study was to develop and validate a tool to measure the impact of messages contained in self-developed educational materials on consumers' knowledge and confidence to report patient deterioration.

Could standing orders have a place? A phenomenological exploration of experienced ward-based registered nurses' views on the escalation protocol for patient deterioration.

Aims And Objectives: To explore experienced ward-based Registered Nurses' views on the potential use of standing orders, prior to the escalation protocol, for patient deterioration.

Background: Ward based nurses are required to follow set steps of the escalation protocol. The introduction of standing order policies would allow nurses to intervene earlier when deterioration was first detected.

Consumers' perspectives on their involvement in recognizing and responding to patient deterioration-Developing a model for consumer reporting.

Background: Adverse events occur in health care. Detection and reporting of deterioration therefore have a critical role to play. Patient and family member (consumer) involvement in patient safety has gained powerful support amongst global policymakers.

A mixed methods thematic review: Health-related decision-making by the older person.

Aims And Objectives: To undertake a mixed methods thematic literature review that explored how elderly adults approached decision-making in regard to their health care following discharge.

Background: A critical time for appropriate health decisions occurs during hospital discharge planning with nursing staff. However, little is known how the 89% of elderly living at home make decisions regarding their health care.

Conflict between nursing student's personal beliefs and professional nursing values.

Background: Studies have established that negative perceptions of people living with HIV/AIDS exist among nursing students throughout the world, perceptions which can be detrimental to the delivery of high-quality nursing care.

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to explore socio-cultural influences on the perceptions of nursing students towards caring for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Research Design: The study was guided by stigma theory, a qualitative descriptive research approach was adopted.

Do User-Applied Safety Labels on Medication Syringes Reduce the Incidence of Medication Errors During Rapid Medical Response Intervention for Deteriorating Patients in Wards? A Systematic Search and Review.

Introduction: Intravenous medication errors (MEs) occur during medical emergency situations. An initiative, not yet in common practice, that could address these errors is safety labeling. The aim of this review was to identify and appraise research evidence related to the impact of user-applied medication safety labeling on reducing the incidence of MEs during rapid medical response intervention for patient deterioration in the ward setting.

Culturally construed beliefs and perceptions of nursing students and the stigma impacting on people living with AIDS: A qualitative study.

Background: Since HIV and AIDS were discovered, studies have demonstrated that negative perceptions and reluctance to provide care to affected people persist among nursing students throughout the world. This leads to poor quality care.

Objectives: To report on a study that explored socio-cultural influences on the perceptions of international nursing students toward caring for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Massage, a complementary therapy effectively promoting the health and well-being of older people in residential care settings: a review of the literature.

Aims: To explore the potential benefits of massage within daily routine care of the older person in residential care settings.

Background: Globally, the proportion of people over 65 years is rapidly rising. Increased longevity means older people may experience a rise in physiological and psychological health problems.

Consumer participation in early detection of the deteriorating patient and call activation to rapid response systems: a literature review.

Aims And Objectives: This review investigated the impact of consumer participation in recognition of patient deterioration and response through call activation in rapid response systems.

Background: Nurses and doctors have taken the main role in recognition and response to patient deterioration through hospital rapid response systems. Yet patients and visitors (consumers) have appeared well placed to notice early signs of deterioration.

A pre-emptive pain management protocol to support self-care following vitreo-retinal day surgery.

Aims And Objectives: To describe the development and evaluation of a pre-emptive and multimodal pain management protocol that aims to improve patient experiences following vitreo-retinal day surgery.

Background: Vitreo-retinal surgery has been increasingly performed as day surgery that requires patients to undertake postoperative self-care, including the management of pain. While vitreo-retinal surgery is known to be painful in the convalescent period, pain management following day surgery has been described as problematic across many surgical specialties.

Issues that impact on Aboriginal health workers' and registered nurses' provision of diabetes health care in rural and remote health settings.

Unlabelled: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an established health problem for Indigenous Australians. One strategy to address this issue is to educate health professionals in diabetes management and education.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to identify important issues that compromise the clinical practice of rural and remote Aboriginal health workers (AHWs) and registered nurses (RNs) who undertook an accredited Australian Diabetes Educators Association diabetes course and to suggest strategies to improve practice.

A qualitative study of regional anaesthesia for vitreo-retinal surgery.

Aim: The aim of this research was to collect experiential knowledge about regional ocular anaesthesia - an integral component of most vitreo-retinal surgery.

Background: Anaesthesia for vitreo-retinal surgery has predominantly used general anaesthesia, because of the length and complexity of the surgical procedure. However, recent advances in surgical instrumentation and techniques have reduced surgical times; this decision has led to the adoption of regional ocular anaesthesia for vitreo-retinal day surgery.

Review article: Improving the hospital clinical handover between paramedics and emergency department staff in the deteriorating patient.

Clinical communication and recognising and responding to a deteriorating patient are key current patient safety issues in healthcare. The aim of this literature review is to identify themes associated with aspects of the hospital clinical handover between paramedics and ED staff that can be improved, with a specific focus on the transfer of care of a deteriorating patient. Extensive searches of scholarly literature were conducted using the main medical and nursing electronic databases, including Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medline and PubMed, during 2011 and again in July 2012.

An integrative literature review on preparing nursing students through simulation to recognize and respond to the deteriorating patient.

Aims: To synthesize studies that explored simulation as preparation of nursing students for recognition and response to the deteriorating patient.

Background: New graduate nurses are expected to have the skills to recognize and respond to rapidly deteriorating patient conditions. To this end, education programmes have turned increasingly to simulation to assist students to gain the necessary skills.

Exploring resilience in paediatric oncology nursing staff.

Resilience has been suggested as an important coping strategy for nurses working in demanding settings, such as paediatric oncology. This qualitative study explored paediatric oncology nurses' perceptions of their development of resilience and how this resilience underpinned their ability to deal with work-related stressors. Five paediatric oncology nurses were interviewed about their understanding of the concept of resilience, their preferred coping mechanisms, and their day-today work in paediatric oncology.

The timing of the literature review in grounded theory research: an open mind versus an empty head.

The timing of the literature review in grounded theory has been debated for decades, with previous recommendations to delay the review now under question. Mounting evidence suggests that a preliminary review can enhance theoretical sensitivity and rigor and may lead to innovative insights. However, researchers must acknowledge the influence of prior knowledge during data analysis and theory development to avoid bias.

Preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia through oral care, product selection, and application method: a literature review.

Objective: Review the literature to identify the most effective method of oral hygiene to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common nosocomial infection in patients being treated with mechanical ventilation.

Method: This study is a systematic literature review.

A literature review: Graduate nurses' preparedness for recognising and responding to the deteriorating patient.

Aims And Objectives: To explore the research literature that provided data on factors that influence new graduate nurse's preparedness for recognition and response to patient deterioration in the acute care setting.

Background: Nurses have a significant role in recognising subtle signs of patient deterioration and responding appropriately to prevent adverse events and improve patient outcomes. This pivotal position has often fallen to the new graduate who must be prepared to make high-consequence decisions in relation to a suspected decline in their patient's condition.