Paediatric nursing
-
Available evidence indicates deficits in the pain management of children with analgesic drugs used outside licensed boundaries, in situations where their pharmacokinetics are untested. A case series is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of more holistic techniques such as guided imagery and distraction therapy in reducing the pain experienced by children in the hospice setting. Using these techniques it may be possible to reduce the amount of analgesia or the frequency of administration.
-
The holistic care of those with a specific religious faith and those with a spiritual belief is important for good family-centred care. Within a busy clinical setting an important aspect of spiritual care is enabling participation in religious observance, where desired. ⋯ According to data from the 2001 census for England, Wales and Scotland, the most common religious affiliations after Christianity are Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Buddhist. This article considers the rites, rituals or ceremonies for each of these religions which are deemed both necessary and helpful after birth or when a child is sick or dying.
-
Insertion of nasogastric tubes is a common nursing procedure but practice rituals and unfounded assumptions can compromise safety. Current methods for checking the position of nasogastric tubes are not always suitable in children but there is limited guidance on how to proceed when gastric placement cannot be determined. As a result of a local adverse incident, a working party challenged the assumptions and rituals of practice using an evidence-based framework. A nasogastric tube algorithm was developed using a risk assessment approach to improve the safety of children in hospital and community settings.
-
Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) undergo repeated invasive medical procedures. This article summarises a survey of the use of nitrous oxide to minimise the psychological trauma and pain that was undertaken within the paediatric unit of a district general hospital (Williams et al 2004). ⋯ Nitrous oxide was safe and effective in reducing pain, trauma and 'needle phobia'. It is now being offered to other children in the management of procedural pain.
-
Paediatric palliative care services have grown up in response to local needs with the result that provision is patchy and in some areas non-existent. Funding for existing services comes from a variety of sources and in the case of teams funded in 2003 from The New Opportunities Fund, there is uncertainty about future provision as funding streams come to an end. This article illustrates how home-based palliative care achieves the objectives of the NHS Plan (DH 2000a) and makes the case for the continuation of paediatric palliative care teams already established through New Opportunities Fund (NOF) funding as these provide a ready made, quality service meeting the government agenda and addressing the needs of patients in a place and at a time to suit them.