Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
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Patients at risk for postoperative anemia may benefit from blood salvage and retransfusion. This study is a retrospective chart review of 148 total knee arthroplasty patients to determine the impact of the procedure on hematocrit and hemoglobin.
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Nurses should encourage leaders in their health care systems to provide effective tobacco-use treatment and follow up. Nurses also need to support the policy and community interventions that motivate tobacco users to try to quit, create a supportive environment, and provide more intensive interventions for those needing them.
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While the nurse works on developing communication skills with the dying patient and his or her family, the goal should be to build an understanding of the patient and family's needs and goals. The principles and value of good communication near the end of life are reviewed. Practical approaches and suggestions for medical-surgical nurses to improve communication are provided.
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Rapid response teams (RRTs) provide assessment and early intervention for patients not in critical care. The implementation of RRT using an evidence-based practice framework, which led to decreased resuscitations, critical care transfers, overall mortality, and cost, is described.