British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)最新文献

John Tingle, Associate Professor, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, provides an update on recent patient safety reports.

Aims: This evaluation combines clinical and non-clinical collaborative breast referral triage to gain an understanding relating to the value of triage, by identifying 'suspected cancer' and 'cancer not suspected' populations, improve the patient pathway, and facilitate optimised resource availability.

Method: An iterative service improvement method was used, with distinct phases of the process outlined to facilitate testing of ideas. The evaluation ran for 13 weeks in 2022. Regular team member meetings were arranged to discuss and agree improvement aims and outcomes.

Findings: A triage flowchart was developed collaboratively, and subsequently adopted by the non-clinical booking team. Bespoke clinics were established, demonstrating no evidence of increased risk to patients, and meeting 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) requirements.

Conclusion: breast referral triage of 'suspected cancer' and 'cancer not suspected' patients, using a clinical and non-clinical collaborative approach facilitates improved service visibility, prioritisation, management, and measurement. This also supports delivery of the 2019 NHS Long Term Plan to enhance earlier and faster cancer diagnosis by optimising access to diagnostic resources where required.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) is essential in nursing practice to safeguard patient health and reduce healthcare-associated infections. This article explores IPC strategies, including hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment, environmental cleaning, safe injection practices, and antimicrobial stewardship. It discusses the implementation challenges and solutions, such as ensuring compliance through education, monitoring and strong leadership. IPC measures are crucial in preventing infections such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. By integrating personalised IPC strategies into nursing practice, healthcare providers can significantly improve infection control outcomes and enhance overall patient safety and quality of care.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the soon to be published review of simulated practice learning and the messages for education provision and policy.

Claire Cadwallader, Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool (claire.cadwallader@nhs.net), was the Oncology Nurse of the Year Gold Award winner in the BJN Awards 2024.

Aim: To provide insights into the optimal use of virtual reality (VR) in nursing education by evaluating pre-registration nursing students' experiences in conducting holistic patient assessments while interacting with artificial intelligence (AI)-led patients. Specifically, this project evaluation compares the use of two different VR scenarios, one employing a menu-based interface and another using AI voice-controlled technology.

Methods: Eleven pre-registration adult nursing students from two UK universities were selected through purposeful sampling to participate in the two VR simulations. Data collection and analysis: This included qualitative insights gathered from three focus group sessions, audio-recorded and thematically analysed to classify and describe students' experiences.

Findings: Four key themes emerged: technological literacy, VR as a learning tool, the road of learning, and transition to independence. Advantages across both methods of VR-AI interaction and their particular challenges were identified and described for each key theme.

Conclusion: VR with AI-led patient technology in pre-registration nursing education positively contributes to the curriculum by exposing students to problem-based learning situations and use of a multiplicity of skills in a safe environment. Although both methods are relevant for developing proficiencies around holistic patient assessment, there are advantages and limitations to each. Students perceived the voice-controlled technology as more intuitive with a more natural method of communication, whereas the menu-based interaction gave students more structure and guidance.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers proposals to increase support worker numbers, which include taking a more co-ordinated approach and better training.