British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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Nurses play a crucial role in pain management and must be highly knowledgeable to ensure their practices are of a high standard. ⋯ The results of this study support the concern of inadequate knowledge and attitudes of nurses regarding pain. Educational and quality improvement initiatives in pain management should be used, which could foster and enhance nurses' knowledge base in the area of pain and possibly improve practices.
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Chemotherapy is increasingly being administered as a treatment for cancer and with it are a number of possible side effects. One, which has a negative impact on a patient's quality of life and their self-esteem, is that of chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). ⋯ This article explores the issue of CIA from the patient's perspective and scalp cooling as a preventative measure, along with a review of the evidence around the risk associated with developing scalp metastases following scalp cooling. It also discusses why scalp cooling should be available for both male and female patients; along with the potential impact scalp cooling may have on clinical areas delivering chemotherapy.