Professional nurse (London, England)
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This paper discusses the organisational process model--an approach that can be used to develop a flexible workplace culture to improve patient safety. Using the example of ambulance trusts and the aviation industry, the author considers the relationship between strategic management, line managers and the workforce--and how this affects patient safety.
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The NHS Plan stipulates that health care in the 21st century should reflect the needs and expectations of local people, offer greater choice and involve patients in the planning and provision of services. This paper describes an initiative to involve users of cancer services in educating health-care professionals because patients are the experts on their condition.
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Major knee surgery can result in severe postoperative pain, especially in older people. When it is inadequately controlled, such pain can have a serious impact on the patient's physical state and their quality of life. This paper looks at the use in one hospital of femoral nerve block techniques to complement other pain-management methods following a total knee replacement operation.
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Current government policy encourages service users to be involved as equal members of the interprofessional care team. This goal is compromised in the care of people with dementia if they are not informed of their diagnosis. This paper looks at recent research both for and against disclosure, and argues in favour of breaking the news in a supportive way.