Defining ‘competency’ in nursing (Part I): a policy review

• ? How the nursing profession in England defines the basic competency of the registered general nurse is crucial for the safety of the patient and the protection of the nurse. It is also essential for determining advanced practice, extended practice and specialist practice in nursing.
• ? An historical overview of documentation from the United Kingdom Central Council for Midwifery and Health Visiting, the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting and the Royal College of Nursing shows a profound change in educational policy during the 1980s regarding the interpretation of nursing competency.
• ? The effects of this policy change on the current methods developed to define, teach and test nursing competency are examined.
• ? Preliminary conclusions show shortcomings and uncertainty in the present preparation and evaluation of nursing competency.

     

Part I: Torture and mental health: a review of the literature.

Torture affects a large number of people worldwide and poses a serious threat to mental health. This article presents an overview of torture as a current issue and reviews the literature that addresses the mental health effects of torture. Subtopics addressed include the effects of torture on the individual, the effects of torture on the community, studies of women who have survived torture, the ethics involved in studying torture victims, and the debate over identifying a torture syndrome.     

HIV disease: a review for the family physician. Part I. Evaluation and conventional therapy

Family physicians will be challenged with caring for increasing numbers of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. After confirming the presence of the infection, the physician must follow a logical sequence of evaluation, counseling and treatment. The current Centers for Disease Control classification and a series of evaluation and treatment protocols form the basis for prescribing zidovudine to delay or mitigate involvement of T lymphocytes and neuronal cells.     

Immunization: a 1991 update. Part I.

Immunization is an important and changing area in pediatric practice. The school nurse plays a pivotal role in the ascertainment of appropriate immunization status for school children. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Disease has made a number of recent substantive changes in immunization requirements for both preschool and school-age children. This article will review the salient features of those changes, especially those related to school nursing practice.