Irish journal of medical science
-
The measurement of safety culture, the way in which members of an organisation think about and prioritise safety, in a hospital can provide valuable insight and inform quality improvement strategies. ⋯ In this study, a mixed methods approach was successfully used to investigate the safety culture in a large Irish hospital. Although the SAQ results indicated a positive safety culture, the qualitative data revealed a number of issues that the hospital staff felt impacted negatively on patient safety. The results of this study will inform future work on the design of an intervention to improve patient safety in the hospital.
-
Urethral catheterisation (UC) is a frequently performed medical procedure and catheter-related injuries can lead to significant morbidity for patients. The aims of this study are to assess interns' exposure to UC and to design, implement and assess a structured UC skills workshop for hospital interns. ⋯ Interns have a lack of knowledge, experience and confidence with catheter insertion. Current training models are deficient. The introduction of a structured skills workshop may help to improve catheter insertion skills among interns.
-
Accelerated partial breast irradiation is a potential alternative to standard whole breast irradiation, following breast-conserving surgery, in the management of breast cancer. The MammoSite applicator-based technique allows for the delivery of a higher dose of radiation to the tumour bed and adjacent area, over a shorter treatment period. ⋯ The use of the MammoSite technique, as an alternative to standard whole breast irradiation, is feasible in a typical Irish clinical setting with integrated multidisciplinary team input.
-
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Beaumont Hospital is a nationally designated symptomatic breast cancer unit, independent of the national screening programme, BreastCheck. ⋯ Patients attending the symptomatic breast cancer unit Beaumont Hospital have different demographics compared with the national registry data. This presents particular challenges for management.
-
The aim of this study was to evaluate intradialytic hypotension (IDH) prevalence, influencing factors, and nursing interventions in hemodialysis (HD) patients. ⋯ Nursing staff awareness regarding the frequency of IDH in hemodialysis patients and the related symptoms needs to be increased.