Biomedical subjects

Malcolm Elliott

Publications and source records attributed to Malcolm Elliott.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Readmission to intensive care: a review of the literature.

Acutely ill patients are commonly found on general hospital wards; some of these are patients who have been recently discharged from an intensive care unit (ICU). These patients may require a higher level of care than other ward patients and, due to the acuity of their illness, are at risk of readmission to ICU. Research has indicated that patients readmitted to ICU have mortality rates up to six times higher than those not readmitted and are eleven times more likely to die in hospital. Numerous studies have retrospectively examined these readmissions but, despite this, there is still no clear indication of why ICU readmissions occur or what the common characteristics of readmitted patients are. This literature review examines the published studies on patients who have been readmitted to ICU. Further research is needed to explore why readmissions to ICU occur and the type of patient who is at greatest risk for readmission.

Causality↗

PubMed2006

Do clinicians know how to use pulse oximetry? A literature review and clinical implications.

Pulse oximetry has become one of the most commonly used tools in the clinical environment for assessing patients' oxygenation status. It is employed almost continuously in critical care areas and frequently in the general ward environment. Although it is a much better tool for determining hypoxia than the human eye, its use is limited if clinicians do not understand relevant physiological principles, such as the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve and the inherent limitations of the device. Furthermore, the risk for compromised patient safety is significant if clinicians fail to recognise the potential for false or erroneous readings. This paper explores the research which has examined clinicians' comprehension of pulse oximetry. Fourteen studies examining clinicians' knowledge of pulse oximetry were reviewed. These studies revealed significant knowledge deficits about pulse oximetry amongst nurses, doctors and allied health professionals, all of whom used this technology frequently. Alarmingly, those lacking an adequate understanding of pulse oximetry included senior, experienced clinicians. The studies were limited by their use of convenience sampling and small sample sizes. Further research is needed to better understand the significance of this problem and to examine how principles of pulse oximetry are taught to nurses and other health professionals at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Educators and clinicians alike must ensure that a safe level of knowledge for the use of pulse oximetry is maintained in order to ensure that patient outcomes are not compromised.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed2004

Nursing handovers: do we really need them?

AIM: This study attempts to address the content of nursing handover when compared with formal documentation sources. BACKGROUND: The nursing handover has attracted criticism in the literature in relation to its continuing role in modern nursing. Criticisms include those related to time expenditure, content, accuracy and the derogatory terms in which patients are sometimes being discussed. METHODS: Twenty-three handovers, covering all shifts, from one general medical ward were audio-taped. Their content was analysed and classified according to where, within a ward's documentation systems, the information conveyed could be located. FINDINGS: Results showed that almost 84.6% of information discussed could be located within existing ward documentation structures and 9.5% of information discussed was not relevant to ongoing patient care. Only 5.9% of handover content involved discussions related to ongoing care or ward management issues that could not be recorded in an existing documentation source. LIMITATIONS: The results of this study are representative of only one ward in one Australian Hospital. Specific documentation sources were also not checked to determine their content. CONCLUSION: Streamlining the nursing handover may improve the quality of the information presented and reduce the amount of time spent in handover.

Communication↗

PubMed2004

Reflective thinking: turning a critical incident into a topic for research.

Clinical nurses encounter critical incidents every day. While these may be a source of frustration they also have the potential to be turned into research projects so that problems can be examined and others can learn from them. This paper describes the reflective process used to generate a research project from a critical incident encountered in the clinical area.

Critical Care↗

PubMed2002

Clinical education: a challenging component of undergraduate nursing education.

Clinical education is an essential part of every undergraduate nursing curriculum. The main benefits are that it allows students to put theory into practice and experience the realities of the practice-based nursing profession. Limitations include the unstable nature of the clinical area as a learning environment and the challenges this produces with students' assessments. This article reviews the literature and concludes there is room for significant improvement in the area of clinical education and numerous strategies can be implemented to do so.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The clinical environment: a source of stress for undergraduate nurses.

The clinical area is an important learning environment for undergraduate nursing students. Unfortunately, it can also be a source of significant stress and anxiety for students and there are a number of reasons for this. Much can be done to help alleviate this stress and create a positive learning environment for students. This paper explores the literature to ascertain the common sources of stress for undergraduate students in the clinical area. It also reviews strategies for improving the quality of the learning experience.

Education, Nursing↗