British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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Basic life support (BLS) is potentially life-saving and unnecessary delays in starting BLS must be avoided. Sudden cardiac death occurs within 1 hour of symptoms in 40% of patients, and in 60% of young/middle-aged patients. ⋯ Although technical expertise and equipment are necessary in specific situations, BLS 'buys time' while waiting for the equipment to arrive. Seventy per cent of cardiac arrests occur in the home and as BLS skills are often the only skills immediately available, their acquisition is essential.
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A complete respiratory obstruction can lead to death in 3 minutes. The first and constant duty of the nurse aider is to check that the person is breathing by looking, listening and feeling. Partial obstruction is no less serious than complete obstruction. The nurse aider, in any situation, should assess the problem and attempt to overcome the airway obstruction using the measures described.
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Oncology nursing offers nurses a wide range of opportunities. Nurses need a wide range of skills in order to care for patients who may have acute oncological illnesses or require palliative care. The nature of the nurse/patient relationship can be intense. ⋯ The pressures exerted on nurses working in oncology can be immense. Oncology nursing is rewarding but very demanding and therefore the nurse has to be resourceful. Early career planning is advisable to take advantage of the opportunities that are currently available.
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The key to effective pain control is accurate assessment and, more importantly, the belief that what patients state about their pain is true. This research study investigates nurses' attitudes to pain and its assessment, and reveals why pain control continues to be an inconsistent affair.
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Accident and emergency (A and E) nursing is assumed to be very stressful. This article will briefly examine the concept of stress before exploring the literature on stressors associated with A and E nursing and in particular those associated with student nurses. The implications are explored and important questions posed.