Structure of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in vertebrate muscle.
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Amphibians↗
Biomedical subjects
S Page
Publications and source records attributed to S Page.
Practice development units: progress update.
Following a previous Nursing Standard article about the Seacroft Hospital practice development unit (1), this article describes the progress which has been made since. The author describes some of the problems the unit has encountered, explains how staff have managed change and analyses the implications for the PDU model which have arisen from those developments.
Clinical Nursing Research↗
Aggression in Alzheimer's disease.
Aggression is a distressing, potentially harmful and challenging behaviour for nurses and carers to confront. This article explores the psychological and physiological theories of aggression in Alzheimer's disease, and arrives at the conclusion that greater understanding, acceptance and management skills are required of professionals and carers looking after such individuals.
Aged↗
Views of mixed sex wards: a survey of patients, carers and nurses.
This paper describes the design and implementation of a survey carried out at Wharfedale General Hospital, related to the potential development of mixed sex wards. The survey of patients, carers and ward nurses, carried out in December 1992, demonstrated a general consensus of views on mixed sex ward options, and identified a number of key areas which need to be addressed before both sexes can be nursed satisfactorily on wards which have historically been used for males or females only. The recommendations arising from the survey are now being taken up by the hospital managers for further action.
Adult↗
Demystifying practice development.
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Accreditation↗
Maclean's rankings of health care indices in Canadian communities, 2000: comparisons and statistical contrivance.
A critical perspective is presented in regard to the 2000 regional rankings of Canadian health care indices by Maclean's magazine, June 5, 2000. This perspective is related in format to previous analyses of the Maclean's rankings of Canadian universities. Several pitfalls in the health care ranking procedures are summarized. The Maclean's data and general criteria appear conceptually reasonable, but their inconsistencies and limited range, together with problems in interpretation of rank data, do not allow them to be logically or empirically useful in the matter of health care evaluation, that is, in the manner portrayed for readers of Maclean's. Using a particular set of parameters defined as health "indicators," the rank data show gratuitously that communities better endowed with certain health services, such as those with medical schools, tend to provide higher levels of care.
Benchmarking↗
Is the outlook for the vascular amputee improved by striving to preserve the knee?
A trend to amputate below knee (BK) began in the late 1960's when the disadvantages of above knee (AK) amputation were recognised. In this study, the outcome of 189 consecutive patients who had major lower extremity amputations between 1978-1982 was compared to earlier reports from the same institution. Their cumulative survival of 52% at three years, was similar to the cumulative survival of 116 amputees whose surgery was done in 1966-1971. The risk of losing the second limb, almost 10% per year, was also similar to the earlier experience of 1966-1971. In 1964 one BK amputation was performed for every six above the knee. By 1980 this ratio had reversed to three BK for each AK amputation. When a ratio of BK:AK amputation greater than 2:1 was achieved in our patient population, using clinical criteria as the sole guide to amputation levels, one in four failed. The eventual ratio of healed BK to AK amputation achieved was little better than unity. A trend to below knee amputation was not associated with improvement of long term survival after lower extremity amputation for advanced arterial disease. These results indicate a need for better care of the vascular amputee and for a test to compliment clinical selection of amputation levels.
Actuarial Analysis↗
The evolution of practice.
This paper describes the development, role and functions of a nursing clinical practice group. In the first section, the transition of the clinical practice group from a low-key, management-led and reactive group, to one which is clinically led, high-profile and proactive, influencing and shaping nursing decisions within the unit in which it operates is described. In the second, the focus is on the approach of the clinical practice group to issues surrounding the Scope of Professional Practice using this to illustrate the group's proactive nature and its potential for bringing about and supporting change in practice.
Humans↗
Computerized quality-of-life screening in an oncology clinic.
PURPOSE: The purpose of these studies was to assess the feasibility and reliability of computerized quality-of-life screening for patients attending an outpatient breast cancer clinic. The screening program involved a computerized administration of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of cancer QUality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). The computer software generated a screening report that clinic staff members used in the clinical encounter to assist in identifying quality-of-life problems. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: Two studies are reported. In study I, 36 patients and either their nurses or physicians evaluated the feasibility of the screening program using questionnaires developed for this study. In study II, a separate sample of 50 patients completed both the computerized and paper-and-pencil versions of the QLQ-C30 to assess reliability and consistency of responding. RESULTS: The results of study I indicate that the patients found the computerized administration to be an acceptable means of providing staff members with information on day-to-day functioning. Clinic nurses and physicians indicated that the report was useful in identifying problematic quality-of-life domains. The results of study II indicate that the computerized administration is highly correlated with the paper-and-pencil version and has similar internal consistency. Discrepancies in responses were identified, but were at an acceptable level. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of these studies indicate that computerized quality-of-life screening is feasible and may provide reliable data for research and quality assurance studies. Staff evaluations suggest that the written report may provide clinic staff members with a tool for identifying quality-of-life concerns in which individual patients are experiencing difficulty. Potential benefit to patients include productive use of waiting room time, greater efficiency in the assessment process, and an improved likelihood that nurses and physicians will recognize and attend to quality-of-life deficits. The valid, reliable, and efficient identification of important patient quality-of-life concerns allows multidisciplinary team members to focus meaningfully their clinical efforts within their respective areas of responsibility.
Adult↗