Nursing times
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This is the first in a two-part unit on nasogastric tube management. It discusses the indications, patient preparation, insertion technique and various methods of confirming the tube's position. According to the National Patient Safety Agency, 11 deaths and one case of serious harm occurred due to misplaced nasogastric feeding tubes over a two-year period. It is therefore vital for staff inserting these tubes to know both the correct insertion methods and the procedure for verifying their correct intragastric positioning.
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This article is the first in a series by the King's Fund Point of Care programme looking at practical interventions to improve patients' experiences of care. It discusses what compassion means, what might prevent consistent compassionate care and what practical changes could ensure compassion.
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This article outlines an initiative by nursing staff in the elective orthopaedic department at Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust to improve discharge planning for all patients on the ward. It describes how renewed focus on the predicted discharge date among multidisciplinary teams and patients themselves increased the proportion of patients who went home by or before their target date and reduced the average length of stay.
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In a previous article on bronchiectasis, Alan Peres defined bronchiectasis, its pathophysiology and clinical manifestations, and how nurses may assess patients presenting with it (Peres, 2008). This article provides an overview of treatment and the role of the nurse in providing and managing the care of patients with this condition.