British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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Perioperative hypothermia is associated with poor outcomes for patients, yet it is preventable in most cases (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2011a). NICE guideline 65 (2008) provides clear recommendations for avoiding perioperative hypothermia in surgical patients at each stage of their surgical journey, preoperatively, intraoperatively and postoperatively. ⋯ The Enhanced Recovery after Surgery programme (ERAS) considers patient warming to maintain perioperative normothermia to be a key component in accelerating patient recovery. This article looks at how the NICE guidelines on inadvertent perioperative hypothermia and the ERAS programme complement each other to successfully and significantly improve patient recovery.
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The report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry has a statutory duty of candor at its heart and the requirement for openness and transparency running through most of its 290 recommendations. While many will consider such a legal duty essential if a repeat of the Mid Staffordshire scandal is to be avoided, the duty is unlikely to be effective unless nurses can discharge their obligations without fear of recrimination. This article argues that current protection for nurses who report poor practice is inadequate and must be improved if the openness and transparency recommended is to become a reality in the NHS.
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Care of the older person has become more specialised in Ireland particularly since the introduction of national and international healthcare standards. In this regard, older people are receiving more evidence-based quality care when living in long-term healthcare facilities in Ireland. Assessment and management of falls is currently high on the quality agenda in terms of measuring quality outcomes. ⋯ Residential care nurses caring for older people in Ireland are required to demonstrate clinical competence when assessing and managing falls in the residential care setting. Healthcare legislation, policy and in-service education, occurring in both the public and private sector, require a multidisciplinary-team approach. This article addresses the nursing priorities regarding falls assessment and management strategies that residential nurses should consider when caring for the older person at risk of falling.