Hu li za zhi The journal of nursing
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Fully implementing the barcode medication administration system has been shown to help improve medication safety. We have promoted the barcode medication administration system in our hospital since May of 2014. However, the rate of implementation reached only 32% initially. We identified the major obstacles to fully implementing the barcode system as: (1) the barcodes on patients' wristbands were smudged or broken; (2) the barcodes on transparent drug bags and infusion bags were difficult to scan; (3) nurses were not familiar with the scanner and lacked the skills necessary to conduct barcode scans; (4) poor wireless Internet access inhibited effective barcode scanning; and (5) the beep sound generated during barcode scanning disturbed patients' sleep. The present project was conducted to improve the implementation by nursing staff of the barcode medication administration system. ⋯ This project significantly increased the use of the barcode medication administration system by our nursing staff. The procedures used in this project may be referenced by administrators at other hospitals with low rates of barcode medication administration system usage.
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Since 2005, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) initiated an HIV case management program in AIDS-designated hospitals to provide integrative services and risk-reduction counseling for HIV-infected individuals. In light of the increasingly complex and highly specialized nature of clinical care, expanding and improving competency-based professional education is important to enhance the quality of HIV/AIDS care. ⋯ The authors developed an essential competency framework for HIV care using the consensus of a multidisciplinary expert panel. Curriculum developers and advanced nurses and practitioners may use this framework to support developments and to ensure a high quality of HIV care.
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Heroin addicts admitted to the hospital for surgery should be treated as high-risk patients because these patients face a significantly higher risk of experiencing severe drug withdrawal symptoms and of pain management complications during hospitalization. The lack of proper pain management often suffered by heroin addicts during hospitalization has been attributed to care providers' insufficient knowledge regarding opioid medications and their addicting effects as well as fears that opioid medications may cause addiction symptoms to reemerge. ⋯ This process includes management of the heroin-related physical and psychological reactions from surgery, of the mechanism of pain induced specifically from surgery, and of the heroin addiction during the surgical procedure and subsequent clinical management and nursing care. It is hoped that this article assists healthcare providers to better understand the need for the proper pain management and care of heroin-addicted surgical patients over the entire period of hospitalization and thus the enhancement of the overall quality and safety of patient care management procedures.
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Peripheral venous catheter (PVC) is commonly used to provide nutrition and medicine to pediatric inpatients. Phlebitis is a common side effect of PVC insertion. Over 90% of pediatric patients in the paedi-atric medical ward at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) receive PVC insertion, with an incident rate of phlebitis of 5.07%. Common cause factors of phlebitis are: insufficient sterilization time, inappropriate methods used to fix the PVC, the use of fixtures that loosen easily, high re-fix rates, and inadequate wound care after catheter removal. ⋯ The application of 2% chlorhexidine reduces the waiting time for sterilization; the purpose-designed splint strengthens the fixation of the PVC; and the development of the SOPs for PVC insertion and post-removal catheter care reduces the risk of phlebitis. The combination of these strategies effectively reduces the incidence of phlebitis and improves the nursing care quality.
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This article uses four examples to illustrate the recent rise of hospice palliative care as a universal value. These examples include the story of Dame Cecily Saunders, the pioneer of the palliative care movement in the U. K.; the national healthcare plan currently promoted by United States' President Obama; a survey on the topic of quality of death in 40 countries conducted by the Lien Foundation (Singapore); and the story of the Hospice Movement in Taiwan. ⋯ Additionally, this article identifies the common palliative-care mistakes that have been made by the general public and by healthcare workers. Healthcare professionals must acquire essential relevant knowledge and skills in order to ensure that hospice palliative care addresses the needs of terminally ill patients adequately. Finally, the author describes a novel approach to instilling proper palliative-care concepts and practices that is entitled Life, Peace, Care, and Honor (LPCH or the "3344" concept).