[Article] Hospice staff support groups: thinking inside and outside the box.

Literature on staff stress and burnout in hospices has identified the source of stress in hospice workers to be mostly work-related issues, rather than caring for the dying. Staff support groups have traditionally been one method of providing support to hospice workers, however it's recognised they don't work for everyone.  This article examines staff support in hospices and recommends how to make support groups as effective as possible.

D'Antonio, J. Hospice staff support groups: thinking inside and outside the box. 2013 Grief Matters. 15(2) pp. 46-48.

 

To request a copy, click here, fill in form and return to library.

[Electronic Article] Grief and the experiences of nurses providing palliative care to children and young people at home

The author examines how exposure to vulnerable and grieving families can bring about challenges to objectivity and professional boundaries.

Reid, F. 2013.  Grief and the experiences of nurses providing palliative care to children and young people at home.  Nursing Children and Young People, 25 (9) p 31 - 33

You can request this article from the library or download yourself using your Athens username and password.

To request a copy from the library click here, fill in form and return to library. To access electronically, click here, log in using your Athens username and password and search via the BNI database.

[Article] Withdrawing life-extending drugs at the end of life.

Part of a series of articles providing advice on why, when and how to withdraw drug therapy, the author discusses the reasons for discontinuing life-extending medications during end-of-life care.

Abel, J. Withdrawing life-extending drugs at the end of life.2013. Prescriber. 24(13-16) pp. 17-18.

To request a copy, click here, fill in form and return to library.

[Article] An update on the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Following the recent publication of several systematic and clinical reviews, the author updates a previous paper from 2010, highlighting the current evidence base.

Neoh, K. 2013. An update on the treatment of neuropathic pain. European Journal of Palliative Care. 20 (5) pp. 238-241.

To request a copy, click here, fill in form and return to library.

[Guidance] Breaking bad news: supporting parents when they are told of their child's diagnosis.

Nurses are often in the frontline of supporting children and their families following receipt of bad news. This RCN guidance identifies effective strategies to use when communicating with, or supporting parents and carers, receiving bad news. It also signposts practitioners to quality resources that will support them in their practice.

Royal College of Nursing, 2013.  Breaking bad news: supporting parents when they are told of their child's diagnosis.  RCN.

Click here to download.  Also available on loan from the library

[Electronic Article] Once upon a time there was an angry lion: using stories to aid therapeutic care with children

Storytelling is a useful relationship building tool to use with children.  The author discusses the 5 stage model known as "the points of a story" that can help children recognise and accept feelings such as anger, grief, shame and guilt in a safe way and make small steps towards change.

Holyoake, D, 2013. Once upon a time there was an angry lion: using stories to aid therapeutic care with children.  Nursing Children and Young People, 25 (7)  p 24 - 27.

You can request this article from the library or download yourself using your Athens username and password.

To request a copy from the library click here, fill in form and return to library. To access electronically, click here, log in using your Athens username and password and search via the BNI database.

[Report] The role of hospices in supporting young people in transition from children to adult services

Published in October 2013, the report considers the key role that adult and children's hospices have in ensuring a smooth transition for young adults who need their services, as they reach adulthood.

Lidstone, V. 2013.  The role of hospices in supporting young people in transition from children to adult services.  Help the Hospices.

To download report click here, also available on loan from library

[Report] The future of hospice education and training

Published in October 2013, the report, produced with the National Association of Palliative Care Educators, explores how hospices can preserve and improve upon their vital role as educators to the end of life care sector.

Help the Hospices, 2013, The future of hospice education and training.   Help the Hospices.

Click here to download report.  Also available on loan from the library

[Report] Making a difference for young adult patients: practice prompts from research

Here we present key messages from the study - exploring direct experiences of young adult patients with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions as they move into adult health care. It provides a unique insight into how small changes in practice can make a real difference to the experiences of young adults. As a completely portable and resilient resource, it is recommended that this guide is used to provide helpful prompts for dealing with situations and questions that commonly arise when treating a young adult patient with palliative care needs.

Beresford, B. 2013.  Making a difference for young adult patients: practice prompts: key messages from research.  Together for Short Lives. 

Click here to access report.  Also available on loan from the library

[Article] Experiences of memory-writing in bereaved people.

This qualitative study explores and describes the experiences of memory-writing in 13 bereaved people attending a structured grief management programme. Qualitative data from written reports following writing in groups and at home, and from an extensive individual report compiled two weeks after completion, was analysed. The findings indicate that memory-writing seems to evoke and preserve significant memories. Although distressing, this memory process has a meaning-reconstruction role for most people, and provides power to move forward on the road of life. The findings suggest that memory-writing might be a useful tool in grief processing and suitable for use in health care.

Furnes, B. & Dysvik, E. 2013.  Experiences of memory-writing in bereaved people. Bereavement Care 32 (2). pp. 65-73.

To request a copy, click here, fill in form and return to library.

[Article] The nursing team: common goals, different roles.

Published in the British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, this article follows on from a recent Royal College of Nursing briefing on the different roles of the healthcare assistant and registered nurse.  The article looks at how Registered Nurses and Healthcare Assistants work together and highlights the key differences in the roles, including accountability, delegation and clinical decision-making.

Hand, T. The nursing team: common goals, different roles.  British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 7 (11) p 528 - 531.

To request a copy, click here, fill in form and return to library.

[Electronic Article] Understanding skin care and skin barrier function in infants.

Skin care practices involving the application of products to the skin are common. This article focuses on these aspects of infant skin care, the importance of skin barrier function and how the use of products and therapies applied to the skin can affect skin barrier function.  It also challenges current practice and tradition, and highlights the evolving body of research into practice and tradition.

Lawton, S. Understanding skin care and skin barrier function in infants. Nursing Children and Young People. 25(7)pp. 28 - 34.

You can request this article from the library or download yourself using your Athens username and password.

To request a copy from the library click here, fill in form and return to library. To access electronically, click here, log in using your Athens username and password and search via the BNI database.

[Article] Educating children's nurses for communicating bad news

Some parents are unhappy with the way news is broken to them.  This article seeks to educate and inform the reflective practitioner on a series of communication strategies to enhance their skills.  This is important because the way news is disclosed can affect the ways news is accepted and the level of support the family will require.

Crawford, D., Corkin, D., Coad, J. & Hollis, R. 2013. Educating children's nurses for communicating bad news.  Nursing Children and Young People, 25 (8) p 28-31

You can request this article from the library or download yourself using your Athens username and password.

To request a copy from the library click here, fill in form and return to library. To access electronically, click here, log in using your Athens username and password and search via the BNI database.

[Article] Good care and management of faecal incontinence.

This article explores the reasons why adults can develop faecal incontinence, explains what treatments are available and how intractable faecal incontinence can best be managed.

Nazarko, L. Good care and management of faecal incontinence. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants. 7  (9) pp. 424 - 431.

To request a copy, click here, fill in form and return to library.

[Article] Jacksplace - a hospice dedicated to teenagers and young adults in Hampshire

Jacksplace in Hampshire is only one of 3 purpose built hospices for teenagers and young people in the UK.  The article looks at it's development, some initial problems  encountered with the recruitment of adult palliative care nurses, and the issues involved in supporting teenagers and parents from a children's hospice to an adult care setting.

Brook, J. 2013. Jacksplace - a hospice dedicated to teenagers and young adults in Hampshire.  European Journal of Palliative Care, 20 (6) p 277 - 230.

To request a copy, click here, fill in form and return to library.