International journal of nursing practice
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The purpose of this study undertaken in an acute care hospital was to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of the documentation of nurse-reported delirium symptoms in medical charts. This is a descriptive study based on the clinical assessments of a study nurse and nursing notes in the medical charts of 226 delirious older patients newly admitted to an acute care hospital. The results of this prospective validation study indicated that documentation of delirium symptoms is poor. ⋯ Univariate analysis suggested that higher comorbidity level, more severe symptoms of delirium and the use of physical restraints were associated with more valid documentation of delirium symptoms in medical charts. Lastly, this study corroborates results of previous studies, indicating that documentation of delirium symptoms in medical charts can be improved. Future study should target improving nurse documentation of delirium symptoms in medical charts.
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The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine how preoperative fasting and postoperative termination of the fast was experienced in ambulatory surgery by child patients and their mothers. The target group consisted of children (n = 12, age 2-10 years) who had undergone tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, and their mothers. In the interviews, the mothers were asked to describe the problems connected with their child's preoperative fast and postoperative termination of the fast, as well as the things that went well in the process. ⋯ Preparing the child for the operation by giving him/her nutrition as long as permitted enhances postoperative recovery and improves parents' control over the ambulatory surgical experience. Nurses should take a more active part in children's perioperative fasting and preoperative preparation of children and their parents. In further research, experimental studies should be designed in order to receive more evidence-based information for clinical practice.
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This qualitative study investigated surgical nurses' perceptions of patient-controlled analgesia as a strategy for managing acute pain in a tertiary care hospital. Patient-controlled analgesia is commonly used and nurses play an essential role in caring for patients prescribed it. The study was divided into two parts. ⋯ Thematic analysis was the chosen methodology. The audiotaped transcripts and questionnaires surfaced five themes, with the dominant one being 'I think PCA is great, but . . .'. The paper outlines and explores these themes and addresses the implications arising from the research for both clinical practice and education.
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Comparative Study
A comparison study on nurses' and therapists' perception on the positioning of stroke patients in Singapore General Hospital.
Before developing a study to evaluate the effect of positioning on outcome after stroke, it was important to explore whether there were differences in perception between neurology/neurosurgery nurses, nurses from other wards, occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) over the positioning of stroke patients in Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Questionnaires were sent to 227 nurses, seven PTs and six OTs from six wards where more stroke patients are cared for in SGH. ⋯ The lack of consensus between these respondents is probably because there are few studies to guide nursing practices for the positioning of stroke patients. Hence, research to confirm which positions improve or hinder outcome after stroke is indispensable.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a framework to guide critical thinking through reflective journaling, and describe how a group of 20 Middle Eastern nurses used reflective journaling to enhance their practice. Journal documentation was used during clinical practicum to foster the development of critical thinking in order to assist nurses when analysing and evaluating their clinical experiences. ⋯ They were engaged in productive and positive activity to enhance their nursing practice. Nurses also commented that writing helped to develop their confidence in writing English.