Nursing times
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Effective communication is the cornerstone of good healthcare. Poor communication can have serious consequences for patients and damage the nurse-patient relationship. This article explores how nurses can use communication tools with surgical patients to help relieve anxiety.
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This article examines the literature on nurse to patient ratios to establish the impact on both patients and staff of understaffing on hospital wards. It discusses theories on ideal staff to patient ratios and the resource implications of these, and recommends a number of dynamic and innovative ways to allocate staff.
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A systematic literature review recently highlighted the complexity of nursing practice in terms of detecting and managing deteriorating ward patients (Odell et al, 2009). The findings suggest that rapid response systems, including early warning scores, may not be the only solution to the problems of detecting and managing signs of deterioration. This article summarises the findings of this review.
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This is the second article in a two-part series on leadership. The first examined transformational approaches to effective leadership in healthcare settings. This article describes the strategies that nurses can use to ensure healthcare teams are effective: team reflection; ensuring all members participate; and establishing ground rules.
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In a previous article on bronchiectasis, Alan Peres defined bronchiectasis, its pathophysiology and clinical manifestations, and how nurses may assess patients presenting with it (Peres, 2008). This article provides an overview of treatment and the role of the nurse in providing and managing the care of patients with this condition.