Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Janet McAleavy.
We interviewed ten theatre nurses about their contribution to patient care. Their assessment strategy usually involved meeting patients on arrival in the department and did not include accessing the Trust's preoperative assessment document. In this paper we discuss the nursing assessment of surgical patients in the context of the nursing process as it was described in our research interviews.
New roles for support staff are emerging and registered practitioners are now being asked to devolve key aspects of patient care. This study explores some of the background issues relating to these developments and provides evidence regarding the inevitability but also benefits, if managed well, of these changes. The experience of both support staff who have undertaken the Operating Department Support National Vocational Qualification Level 2 (ODS NVQ) and their managers was examined using a phenomenological approach. Data was obtained on the perceived value of this qualification and training and how it affected the working lives and career development of support staff.
As critical care continues to develop and treatments are becoming increasingly lengthy and complex, nurses are being asked to expand their roles and the level of care delivery they provide. This paper outlines the rationale for the introduction of a new role of assistant practitioner in critical care and describes the first phase of the project, including the initial implementation and the development of the educational programme.