Why do nurses neglect to report violent incidents?

Violent incidents have increased in psychiatric hospitals, with 75% of mental health nurses and 85% of nurses generally being threatened. Anecdotal evidence suggests that inconsistent reporting contributes to poor implementation of proactive policies for preventing violent incidents. Using questionnaires to generate data, this study tested three hypotheses to determine the factors that influence nurses' reporting behaviour. The key finding was that the most likely predictor of reporting behaviour is the level of violence and the consequences of the incident.     

Should nurses prescribe blood components?

AIM: To explore the feasibility of nurses prescribing blood components. METHOD: Using a convenience snowball sample, a UK-wide questionnaire survey was undertaken to identify transfusion practices and canvass the opinions of nurses and doctors. RESULTS: A total of 179 (59%) of 302 respondents were supportive of nurses prescribing blood components, saying it would have a positive effect on the quality of patient care, result in fewer treatment delays and help doctors and nurses to use their time more effectively. The remaining 123 (41%) respondents had reservations about time and resource constraints and worries about undermining medical care and responsibility. CONCLUSION: Development of non-medical prescribing to allow nurses to prescribe blood components has the potential to deliver a more patient-centred quality service.