The Nursing clinics of North America
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Nurs. Clin. North Am. · Mar 2016
Review Historical ArticleFood and Drug Administration Drug Approval Process: A History and Overview.
In this article, the processing of investigational and new drug applications is described and the standard and expedited review processes are examined. The efforts of the US Food and Drug Administration to ensure greater agency transparency and fiscal responsibility and intensify oversight during the drug development and approval process are reviewed. Often attributed to a decrease in the number of uninsured adults, both the increase in prescription drug sales and the high costs associated with bringing a new drug to market highlight the necessity for a streamlined and cost-effective process to deliver these drugs safely and effectively.
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Nurs. Clin. North Am. · Dec 2015
ReviewImplementing a Program for Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Venous Access: Training, Policy and Procedure Development, Protocol Use, Competency, and Skill Tracking.
Peripheral intravenous (IV) access provides a means to administer medications, IV fluids, and blood products and allows for the sampling of blood for analysis. The traditional approach to obtaining peripheral IV access relies on vessel visualization in the arm and/or palpation of the blood vessel beneath the skin. However, the general population is aging, obesity is commonplace, and IV drug abuse is widespread, making peripheral IV access difficult. Use of ultrasound-guided peripheral IV access fills a practice gap in safe patient care between traditional peripheral IV access methods of vein visualization and/or palpation and ultrasound-guided central venous access.
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In this article, the principles behind high-reliability organizations and a culture of safety are explored. Three areas in which health care has the greatest potential for improvement in safety culture are also discussed: a nonpunitive response to error; handoffs and transitions; and safe staffing. Tools for frontline nurses to help improve their organization's culture of safety in these areas are reviewed. Information is also given for nurses responding to error, including participating in root-cause analysis and supporting health care workers involved in adverse events.
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Nurs. Clin. North Am. · Mar 2015
ReviewInterprofessional collaborative care skills for the frontline nurse.
Patients in the hospital setting are acutely ill and many have complications from chronic illnesses. Their care is complex and reimbursed on a value-based payment system. ⋯ High-functioning interprofessional collaborative care is required for patients to have positive outcomes and for achievement of high scores on patient satisfaction surveys. This article overviews the charge for transformation, explains the concept of interprofessional collaborative care, provides examples of interdisciplinary teams in practice for application, and provides resources to improve collaborative care.
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Limited patient literacy contributes to poorer health status, increased emergency room and hospital use, higher morbidity and mortality rates, and less use of preventive health services. All patients, however, need health information that is accurate, accessible, and actionable to make informed decisions about their health. A universal health literacy precautions approach is recommended to empower patients through shared decision-making interactions. Consistent use of evidence-based health literacy practices by front-line nurses offers the potential for transformations in nursing care through stronger patient-nurse interactions and health system partnerships.