Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
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Essential facts According to data gathered by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, the NHS in England completed 10.6 million operations in 2012/13, compared with 6.61 million a decade before - a rise of 60%. Over the same period, pre-operative assessment has changed radically, with most people seen well in advance of their surgery in a pre-operative assessment unit. While the number of routine tests for young, healthy people having minor surgery has reduced significantly, there remains a concern that some unnecessary tests continue to be requested, says the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
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Our experts consider a hot topic of the day.
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This government is ideologically committed to destroying the trade union movement in the UK. Their refusal to compromise in the junior doctors' dispute is evidence of this. In spite of the weight of evidence against their plans, they are intent on imposing a discriminatory contract on the medical profession.
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Rationale and key points ▶ Informing relatives and loved ones of a patient's death is a sensitive and often stressful task frequently undertaken by nurses. ▶ Effective communication skills and demonstrating compassion are essential when informing relatives and loved ones of a patient's death. ▶ The nurse should use suitable language and choose an appropriate environment to ensure that information is conveyed clearly, sensitively and without interruptions. Reflective activity Clinical skills articles can help update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. ⋯ How you think this article will change your practice when informing relatives and loved ones of a patient's death. 2. How you could use this article to educate your colleagues. Subscribers can upload their reflective accounts at: rcni.com/portfolio .
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Essential facts According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, about 60% of people who have surgery will experience severe pain post-operatively. Controlling this pain minimises patients' discomfort and distress, contributes to recovery and rehabilitation, and may prevent patients progressing from acute to chronic pain.