International journal of nursing studies
-
There is a drive to improve the quality of service provision for patients with diabetes and to enable better self-management of this condition. The adoption of prescribing by nurses is increasing worldwide and can potentially enhance service provision. Evidence suggests that patients prefer services where their lifestyle factors and opinions are considered by healthcare professionals within a partnership approach. Few studies have explored patients' views about their consultations with a nurse prescriber. ⋯ The study provides new knowledge about what patients with diabetes value and benefit from in respect to care provided by nurse prescribers. Continuity of relationship, flexibility over consultation length, nurses' interpersonal skills and specialist diabetes knowledge were identified as crucial to good quality care. Patients require that nurse prescribers are skilled in providing a person-centred approach and have access to specialist training. The level of information and involvement offered to patients should reflect patients' requirements.
-
Hospice care supports patients and their families physically and emotionally through the dying phase. In many countries a substantial portion of specialised end-of-life care is provided through hospices. Such care has developed outside of general healthcare and is commonly provided in a patient's home or in dedicated facilities. Hospice provision may need to increase in the future due to an ageing population with a greater need for access to end-of-life care. ⋯ Although studies had methodological limitations, in this review we found much evidence to support the benefits of hospice care. There were limited evaluations found on the impact of hospice care on psychological well-being, such as symptoms of depression, and on inpatient hospice care and non-hospital related costs.
-
Pain and anxiety are a common problem in all recovery phases after a burn. The Burns Specific Pain Anxiety Scale (BSPAS) was proposed to assess anxiety in burn patients related to painful procedures. ⋯ The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the BSPAS 9-items has shown statically acceptable levels of reliability and validity for pain-related anxiety evaluation in burn patients. This scale can be used to assess nursing interventions aimed at decreasing pain and anxiety related to the performance of painful procedures.
-
Abdominal pain is one of the most frequent reasons for seeking care in an emergency department. Surveys have shown that patients are not satisfied with the pain management they receive. Reasons for giving inadequate pain management may include poor knowledge about pain assessment, myths concerning pain, lack of communication between the patient and healthcare professional, and organizational limitations. ⋯ The intervention improved the pain management in the emergency department. A structured nursing assessment could also affect the patients' perceptions of the quality of care in pain management in the emergency department.