ABSTRACT
Delirium is an acute medical emergency affecting about one in eight acute hospital inpatients. It is associated with poor outcomes, is more prevalent in older people and it is estimated that half of all patients receiving intensive care or surgery for a hip fracture will be affected. Despite its prevalence and impact, delirium is not reliably identified or well managed. Improving the identification and management of patients with delirium has been a focus for the national improving older people's acute care work programme in NHS Scotland. A delirium toolkit has been developed, which includes the 4AT rapid assessment test, information for patients and carers and a care bundle for managing delirium based on existing guidance. This toolkit has been tested and implemented by teams from a range of acute care settings to support improvements in the identification and immediate management of delirium.
Subject(s)
Delirium/diagnosis , Humans , ScotlandSubject(s)
Continuity of Patient Care , Needs Assessment , Nutrition Assessment , Patient Transfer , Communication , Hospitals , Humans , Nursing Homes , ScotlandABSTRACT
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (formerly NHS Quality Improvement Scotland) led an 18-month national programme that aimed to achieve reliable improvements in nutritional care by focusing on three priority areas: mealtimes; long-term conditions; and transition to care homes.
Subject(s)
Food Service, Hospital/organization & administration , Food Service, Hospital/standards , Nutrition Assessment , Nutritionists/organization & administration , Quality Improvement , Humans , Program Evaluation , ScotlandABSTRACT
While nurses maybe aware of tools and resources for quality improvement, this does not necessarily mean they are used in practice. An alliance between NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and The Joanna Briggs Institute in Australia has been set up to promote and facilitate the use of online tools and resources to support the development of practice and, ultimately, to enhance care. This article summarises the tools available and discusses the implementation and evaluation of this project.
Subject(s)
Diffusion of Innovation , Evidence-Based Practice/organization & administration , Internet/organization & administration , Online Systems/organization & administration , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Academies and Institutes , Australia , Cooperative Behavior , Evidence-Based Practice/education , Humans , Interinstitutional Relations , Models, Organizational , Nursing Research , Program Evaluation , Scotland , Total Quality ManagementABSTRACT
This article describes the development of a best practice statement on postoperative pain management. It examines why this area was considered a priority, the development process, the content of the statement and the recommendations emerging from it.
Subject(s)
Analgesics/therapeutic use , Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy , Pain, Postoperative/nursing , Postanesthesia Nursing/methods , Postanesthesia Nursing/standards , Benchmarking , HumansABSTRACT
In May 2002 a series of 'best practice statements' to encourage a consistent and cohesive approach to care was launched by the former Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit (NMPDU).
Subject(s)
Benchmarking/methods , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Urinary Catheterization/nursing , Catheters, Indwelling/adverse effects , Catheters, Indwelling/classification , Cross Infection/etiology , Cross Infection/prevention & control , Humans , Infection Control/methods , Infection Control/standards , Nursing Assessment/methods , Nursing Assessment/standards , Scotland , State Medicine/standards , Total Quality Management , Urinary Catheterization/adverse effects , Urinary Catheterization/standardsABSTRACT
This article examines the development of a best practice statement on the care of patients with a tracheostomy. It outlines key elements of care, including the context in which care is given. This best practice statement is part of a series of such documents produced by the former Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Practice Development Unit, which has now merged with four other clinical effectiveness organisations to form NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHSQIS).
Subject(s)
Lung Diseases/nursing , Specialties, Nursing/methods , Specialties, Nursing/standards , Tracheostomy/nursing , Tracheostomy/standards , Humans , Practice Guidelines as TopicABSTRACT
Nasogastric and gastrostomy tube feeding in children was highlighted by the Scottish Community Children's Nursing Network as an area in which there were shared concerns over inconsistencies in practice. This led to the development of a best practice statement.
Subject(s)
Enteral Nutrition/nursing , Enteral Nutrition/standards , Pediatric Nursing/methods , Child , Gastrostomy/nursing , Gastrostomy/standards , Humans , Intubation, Gastrointestinal/nursing , Intubation, Gastrointestinal/standards , Pediatric Nursing/standards , Practice Guidelines as TopicABSTRACT
Despite the fact that up to 40% of hospital patients may be malnourished, many nutritional referrals are inconsistent or inappropriate. Recent research has raised awareness of nutrition, but wide variations remain in the assessment and referral procedures used by hospital trusts. The final best practice statement in our series emerged from the responses of nursing and dietetic staff across Scotland. The statement focuses on five aspects of nutritional care: admission to hospital; nursing management of nutritional care; nutritional screening and documentation; criteria for nutritional referrals, and education and training.
Subject(s)
Nursing Care , Nutrition Disorders/prevention & control , Nutritional Status , Nutritional Support , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Humans , Inpatients , Nurse's Role , Nursing Assessment , Patient Education as TopicABSTRACT
The number of children who need home oxygen therapy is increasing, and there is a growing need to support both them and their parents. Families must also understand the practical and safety issues surrounding the supply of oxygen cylinders. A best practice statement was developed to ensure consistency and high standards of practice. It covers a range of areas including risk assessment, information for parents and carers, discharge planning, the provision of equipment and the use of oxygen therapy outside the home.
