An alternative to link nurses: sharing specialist skills in colorectal care.

This article describes a change in nursing practice to encourage the dissemination of specialist nursing skills within general nursing practice. This change was developed by the colorectal specialist nurse and supported by the stoma care specialist nurse to improve patient care in a busy surgical ward with a focus on colorectal disease. An in-service teaching programme based on the colorectal patients' journey of care from diagnosis to follow up was developed.

How important is it to investigate the whole of the colon after initial assessment at a rapid access colorectal clinic?

Background: The Stirling Royal Infirmary Rapid Access Colorectal Clinic (RACC) is a one-stop clinic that uses flexible sigmoidoscopy as the initial investigation to diagnose patients referred urgently with colorectal symptoms. This study aimed to examine the diagnoses and outcomes of patients who attended the RACC in 2006.

Patients And Methods: All patients who attended the RACC from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006 were identified and retrospectively reviewed from our prospectively collected unit database and case notes.