Professional nurse (London, England)
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Opioid use for chronic non-malignant pain remains controversial and is surrounded by myths and misconceptions. As new research emphasises the importance of early effective pain management, comprehensive, well-researched guidelines may help the care of patients with chronic non-malignant pain.
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Lessons can often by learned by studying the outcomes of complaints made to the NHS by patients. We look at three recent investigations conducted and published by the Health Service Ombudsman. The first and second relate to poor care and lack of communication, and the third to care of a patient's diabetes and epilepsy in hospital and failure to record an outpatient consultation.
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Review
Less is better: why venepuncture practice should be reviewed for those with end-stage renal failure.
This paper proposes that replacing adult vacutainers with paediatric containers during the taking of blood samples would reduce the incidence of anaemia in patients with end-stage renal failure.
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An ALERT course was developed to address some of the causes of sub-optimal care in a ward setting. The course teaches the fundamental principles of acute care practice and the initial management interventions required to recognise, delay or avoid patient deterioration. It has also provided a baseline for clinical skills training development within one trust.