Role of the clinical facilitator

This article looks at and considers, in the light of current developments within nurse education, the role of the clinical facilitator, emphasising that within a changing educational environment such a role is both essential and feasible.The authors conclude that all trained staff within the clinical area (especially where learners are employed) should accept their individual roles as facilitators, and in this context recognise their own and the students' self-worth.     

自体髂骨植骨带锁钢板内固定材料置入并一期前后路减压治疗多节段脊髓型颈椎病12例:临床资料回顾分析

目的:严重的多节段脊髓型颈椎病单纯前路或后路手术都有其局限性。观察一期前后路联合手术并自体髂骨植骨及带锁钢板内固定材料置入在治疗多节段脊髓型颈椎病中的应用价值。方法:选择2004-11/2006-12本院12例多节段脊髓型颈椎病患者,均采用一期前后路减压、自体髂骨植骨融合、带锁钢板内固定联合手术。其中男9例,女性3例,年龄49～75岁;3节段受累9例,4节段受累3例(突出节段分布:C3～66例,C4～73例,C3～73例)。全部病例进行临床随访,患者均对本试验知情同意。采用mJOA评分标准对患者神经功能改善情况进行评定;术前颈椎侧位片测量,以D值(C4椎体后下缘到齿突后缘与C7椎体后下缘连线的垂直距离)评价颈椎(C2～7)弧度;根据颈椎伸屈动态侧位片C2和C7椎体后缘切线相交所成的夹角之和评价颈椎(C2～7)活动范围。主要以电话随访和问卷填写的方式,分别从神经功能改善情况、颈椎弧度、活动范围及术后并发症等进行随访观察。结果:①12例患者全部得到随访,术后随访时间6～28个月,平均(16±6)个月。②所有植骨均获得骨性愈合;疗效结果中优4例(33.3%);良6例(50%);无效2例(16.7%);颈椎D值术前(3.9±1.4)mm,术后即刻(8.5±1.7)mm,随访时(8.1±2.5)mm。术前与术后差异有显著性(P<0.01),术后与随访时差异无显著性(P=0.251);颈椎活动范围术前(36.3±4.0)°,随访时(10.6±2.7)°,与术前相比差异具有显著性(P<0.01)。③术后C5神经根麻痹1例,为感觉及运动混合型,8个月随访时,感觉功能恢复,肩关节外展肌力从术后Ⅱ级恢复至Ⅳ级;1例术后6个月出现"S"畸形而再次压迫脊髓,神经功能改善停滞,目前处于随访中。结论:一期前后路手术并自体髂骨植骨及带锁钢板内固定材料置入减压充分、彻底,而且前路手术能重建颈椎稳定性,恢复颈椎生理前凸和椎间高度,并且后路减压术又能预防相邻颈椎退变引起的脊髓继发的压迫。     

The internal consistency and intra-rater reliability of an assessment practice grid for community nurses

The development of instruments to measure clinical competence in nursing shows little evidence of a systematic approach and studies of reliability and validity are absent. The present study was carried out using data on practice assessment collected in the course of a post-registration nursing programme. The data were analysed for internal consistency and intra-rater reliability. The instrument used to assess practice in the present study is highly internally consistent and there is evidence to support intra-rater reliability. However, further development and testing of the instrument is required.     

Hemostatic plug formation in normal and von Willebrand pigs: the effect of the administration of cryoprecipitate and a monoclonal antibody to Willebrand factor

Hemostatic plug (HP) formation was investigated in the ear bleeding time incision in normal and von Willebrand pigs. HP volume was calculated by integrating the areas of serial sections. In normal pigs (n = 11), platelets immediately formed a layer on the surface of the cut channel. Platelet aggregates formed at the ends of transected vessels and gradually enlarged. Finally, all transected vessels were occluded by HP and bleeding stopped. In contrast, large HPs were formed in the incision in von Willebrand's disease (vWD) pigs (n = 4); these HPs did not cover the ends of the transected vessels, which continued to bleed, allowing the formation of large hemostatically ineffective platelet aggregates in the incision. Canals traversed these HPs, and bleeding from the open vessels may have continued through them. After infusion of cryoprecipitate into a vWD pig, the bleeding time shortened, and the morphological findings of the HPs were similar to those of normal pigs. In normal pigs (n = 3) infused with an anti- Willebrand factor monoclonal antibody, which prolonged the bleeding time, a large HP formed in the incision, similar to that observed in the vWD pig. The volume of the normal and vWD HPs increased with time. These in vivo findings suggest that Willebrand factor is involved in the localization of the HP to the damaged vessel and may also play a role in platelet-platelet interaction. A computerized morphometric technique was used for measuring the volume of the hemostatic plugs and the distance of sequential points on the perimeter of the HP from the center of selected bleeding vessels.