Article: Preparing young people with complex needs and their families for transition to adult services

This article discusses the needs and requirements for planned and purposeful transition processes to support young people and their families. It considers the preparation of adult services, the team, the young person and their parents in line with an integrated approach and the nurses' role.

O'Connell, A. & Petty, J. 2019.  Preparing young people with complex needs and their families for transition to adult services.  Nursing Children & Young People, 31 (1) p 25 - 31.


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Guidance: Professional guidance on the administration of medicines in healthcare settings

This guidance provides principles-based guidance to ensure the safe administration of medicines by healthcare professionals.  It was produced following the withdrawal of the Medicines Management Standards by the Nursing & Midwifery Council.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society & Royal College of Nursing, 2019.  Professional guidance on the administration of medicines in healthcare settings. 

Available to download

Report: Will anyone listen to us? What matters to young people with complex health needs during transition

New to the EACH Library, this 2015 Scottish report provides details on the use of  Talking Mats to communicate and find out the views and experiences of young people, and their families on the transition to adult healthcare services.  An appendix lists the symbols used in the project.

NHS Scotland and CEN, 2015. Will anyone listen to us? What matters to young people with complex and exceptional health needs and their families during health transition.  Talking Mats.

Available to download

Article: How can Talking Mats help with determining capacity?

Talking Mats is an interactive resource that uses picture communication symbols to improve the lives of people with communication difficulties by improving their capacity to communicate effectively about things that matter to them.  This article explains their use in supporting young people make their own decisions and the four criteria for determining mental capacity.

Murphy, J. & Ewing, N. 2018.  How can Talking Mats help with determining capacity?  Communication Matters, 32 (3) p 10 -12.

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Article: Informed consent 1: legal basis and implications for practice

Nurses have a legal duty to ensure they obtain informed consent from their patients before carrying out any intervention or treatment.  This article - the first in a series of two - discusses why informed consent is fundamental to the provision of person-centred care and explores the legal principles behind it.

Taylor, H. (2018) Informed consent1: legal basis and implications for practice. Nursing Times, 114 (6) p 25-28.

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Article: Informed consent 2: assessing validity, capacity and necessity

Nurses need to obtain their patient's consent before giving any treatment. This is the general rule, but the issue of consent is much more complex than that.  How is consent given?  How can you prove that it has been given?  How do you decide whether or not to administer treatment to someone who is unable to give consent?  This article explores what makes consent valid, how it can be obtained, and in what circumstances treatment may proceed lawfully without the patient's consent.

Taylor, H. (2018). Informed consent 2: assessing validity, capacity and necessity.  Nursing Times, 114 (7) p 50-52.

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Article: Assistant practitioners in palliative care: doing things differently

An NHS Palliative care service describes the appointment of two assistant practitioners to support end of life care and a new model of working to meet increasing demands on their service.

Rudrum, I., Mahalingham, N. & Bura, M. 2018. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 12 (12) p 610 - 612.

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Article: How new nursing roles affect accountability and delegation

With the emergence of healthcare support staff, the boundaries of the role of registered nurses have been blurred. When delegating tasks to unregistered support workers, nurses need reassurance that their colleagues are adequately trained, competent and responsible.  To ensure the safety and reliability of nursing interventions, there may be a need to standardise the education and continuing professional development of all staff.  This article explores the debate around this area.

Kendall, N. 2018. How new nursing roles affect accountability and delegation.  Nursing Times, 114 (4) p 45-47.

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Article: Respiratory rate: using this vital sign to detect deterioration

This article highlights the importance of respiratory rate (RR) assessment. It uses a case study to build on the information in the previous parts, and demonstrates the links between the anatomy and physiology of respiration and changes in respiratory rate, rhythm and chest movement that occur in acute illness.

Wheatley, I. 2018. Respiratory rate 5: using this vital sign to detect deterioration. Nursing Times, 114 (10) p 45 - 46.

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Article: Respiratory rate: breathing rhythm and chest movement

Breathing rhythm and chest movement provide key information on a patient's condition.  The fourth article in this six-part series on respiratory rate expands on the procedure to measure respiratory rate and provides a guide to the assessment of the respiratory rhythm and chest movement.

Wheatley, I. 2018. Respiratory rate 4:  breathing rhythm and chest movement.  Nursing Times, 114 (9) p 47 - 48.

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Article: Injection technique: administering drugs via the subcutaneous route

A very good overview of the key aspects involved in administering subcutaneous injections. It includes a 28 stage breakdown to carry out the procedure.

Shepherd, E. 2018. Injection technique 2: administering drugs via the subcutaneous route.  Nursing Times 114 (9) p 55-57.

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Article: Use of non-invasive ventilation in cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy at the far end of the spectrum frequently suffer from sleep disturbance and sleep-disordered breathing, and non invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly being used.  This article reviews the current in the use of NIV in children, highlighting areas of uncertainty, and the balance of potential risks, challenges and benefits.

Grychtol, R. & Chan, E. 2018.  Use of non-invasive ventilation in cerebral palsy. Archive of Diseases in Childhood, 103 p 1170-1177.

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Article: Use of acupuncture in the management of pain

A good articles for those who are interested in understanding more about acupuncture. It covers recognising when it may be appropriate in chronic pain, describes some of the theories and techniques involved in acupuncture and the issues that should be considered when assessing the evidence base for the procedure.

Appleyard, I. 2018. Use of acupuncture in the management of pain. Nursing Standard, 33 (9) p 24-29.

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Article: Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Caring for Children

This articles provides a review of the unique components of pediatric palliative care, including key roles within an interdisciplinary team, the complexities of symptom management in children with serious illness, and pointers for discussions with families regarding a patient's quality of life and goals of care.  Particularly useful for medical students and other healthcare professionals new to the specialty to get an overview of the key areas.

Jordan, M. et al. 2018.  Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Caring for Children.  Journal of Palliative Medicine, 21 (12) p 1783 - 1789

Article: Changing from continuous SC to transdermal clonidine to treat dystonia in a teenage boy with end-stage leucodystrophy

This case report discusses the problems encountered with dystonia in a teenage boy with end stage leucodystrophy  It records the successful use of prolonged continuous subcutaneous clonidine and the change to 3 x a week transdermal clonidine. 

McCluggage, H. L. 2018 Changing from continuous SC to transdermal clonidine to treat dystonia in a teenage boy with end-stage leucodystrophy.  BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2018 (8) p 433 - 435.

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Article: Fifteen-minute consultation: Developing an advance care plan in partnership with the child and family

An account from a children's hospice on their use of advance care planning (ACP) involving children and their families. Two bereaved parents who were actively engaged with the process talk of their experience.

Harrop, E.J. et al. 2018. Fifteen-minute consultation: Developing an advance care plan in partnership with the child and family.  Archive of Diseases in Childhood: Education & Practice, 103 p 282- 287.

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Article: Communication: difficult and challenging conversations

The final article in a series on communication skills looks at how to approach people who are aggressive, angry, abusive, hostile or confrontation.  It discusses various communications techniques and approaches that can help when managing  challenging situations.

Ali, M. 2018. Communication 6: difficult and challenging conversations. Nursing Times, 114 (5) 51-53.

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Article: The power of two simple questions - enhancing person centred care

The authors of this article devised this simple spiritual care model for the acute settings explain how it works and enhances person-centred practice.  It consists of two simple questions: what is most important to you now? and how can we help?  They provide examples of how they're used throughout a busy care shift.

Ross, L. & McSherry W. 2018. The power of two simple questions.  Nursing Standard, 33 (9) p 79 - 80.

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Article: Perceptions and meanings associated with gastrostomies among parents of children with palliative care needs

This paper aimed to explore the decision processes parents face with their child having a gastrostomy and the meaning that parents build around them.  Parents of 48 children in a Spanish palliative care unit explore the struggle and emotions they experienced in terms of loss of normality and feeding their child.

Chocarro, L. et al 2019. A grounded theory study of the perceptions and meanings associated with gastrostomies among parents of children with palliative care needs.  International Journal of Palliative Nursing 25 (1) p 19 -28.

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Report: 2018 - Off Balance: Parents of disabled children and paid work

New to the EACH Library, published in 2017, this report by Working Families surveyed 1,250 parents of disabled children during autumn 2017 followed by focus groups.  It explores the issues parents of children  with a disability face who wish to remain and progress in their jobs, and the difficulties they experience with this.

Working Families, 2017.  2018 Off Balance: Parents of disabled children and paid work.

Available to download