International journal of palliative nursing
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This article will outline the use of continuous subcutaneous infusion pumps, known as syringe drivers, including their benefits and drawbacks in a palliative care context. There have been over 5000 articles published globally describing syringe drivers in the medical and nursing literature within the last decade. Many provide guidance on their use, although much of the data are repetitious, disease or age-group specific, and focused on pragmatic issues to do with clinical application. ⋯ Globally, practitioners in palliative care are very familiar with their use, although the literature lacks specific guidance and, at times, the information is ambiguous. Having briefly reviewed their benefits, the article considers the limitations of using syringe drivers and comments on some of the lesser known/reported practical and patient-focused drawbacks associated with their use. We conclude by considering why, when so much education and training exists to help practitioners use these devices effectively, so many human errors occur.
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Neuropathic pain can be distressing and difficult to treat, and remains a problem for a significant proportion of palliative care patients. This article considers the identification and assessment of neuropathic pain, and highlights some of the challenges specific to the palliative care population. Further discussion includes definitions, pathophysiology and implications for nursing practice.
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to clarify the concept of hope as perceived by patients with a terminal illness, to develop hope as an evidence-based nursing concept, to contribute new knowledge and insights about hope to the relatively new field of palliative care; endeavouring to maximize the quality of life of terminally ill patients in the future. ⋯ By completing all the steps to Rodgers' (2000a) evolutionary view of concept analysis, a working definition and clarification of the concept in its current use has been achieved. This provides a solid conceptual foundation for further study.
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Moral distress in nursing is a prevalent theme in the literature. Although this issue has been investigated in other nursing disciplines, it has not been investigated by empirical research in the emotionally and ethically sensitive area of providing care to dying babies. Moral distress occurs when nurses are prevented from translating moral choices into moral action. ⋯ A review of the literature was conducted to explore moral distress in neonatal nursing when providing care to dying babies. This literature review provides a basis for the direction of further research and hypothesis testing. Further focused research is necessary in this under-theorised area of nursing practice to clarify the significance of moral distress for neonatal nurses caring for dying babies.