Supporting family caregivers: communicating with family caregivers

Nurses can foster partnerships with patients and families during acute care hospitalizations.     

Supporting family carers in the community setting

The author examines the pressures that may be experienced by carers in the community and discusses ways in which nurses can help to address these problems.     

Innovations: Supporting family integrated care

Family integrated care is delivered in a supportive environment where parents are supported with education and competency based training and the neonatal unit policies and guidelines are conducive to providing such care and nurturing such approach. Use of digital technology has revolutionised and shaped the modern world. Use of mobile-based application can help parents to develop their knowledge and confidence; cameras and videos can help parents to stay in touch with the vulnerable infants even when they are not next to their loved ones. In this article we glance through the innovative ways of breaking through the barrier of staff and parent education, communication and access of the parents to the cotside using innovative ideas and digital technologies.     

Supporting family carers using interative multimedia

ACTION (Assisting Carers using Telematic Interventions to meet Older persons' Needs) is a nursing led Pan-European project (1997-2000). Its primary aim is to maintain the autonomy, independence and quality of life of frail older and disabled persons and their family carers by the application of telematic technology. This article describes the development of two multimedia programmes created as part of the ACTION project. Programme 1 'Planning ahead' helps family carers and frail older people to think about and plan for the future. Programme 2 'Break from caring' assists carers and older people to explore the range of respite care options available. Both programmes have been developed using a multimethod, user-centred approach. Preliminary evaluation data have indicated that frail older people and their carers have used the programmes to assist them when making difficult decisions such as selecting a nursing home, or exploring the use of respite care facilities.     

Supporting family caregivers: teaching essential skills to family caregivers

Nurses can use 'teachable moments' to help the transition from hospital to home care.     

A snapshot of nursing in Qatar

Between September 2002 and February 2003, shortly before the military action in Iraq. Virginia Nehring served on the faculty of the College of Science in Doha, Qatar. For her second experience as a Fullbright scholar--she taught nursing in Africa in 1994--Dr. Nehring sought to experience an entirely different region of the world, one where English would be spoken and understood. When she made her decision to work in Qatar, a small peninsula nation off the coast of Saudi Arabia, the country was not well known to Americans. Now it is known as Central Command headquarters for the American military during the Iraq military action and as the home of Al Jazeera, the influential television news and opinion station for the Middle East. During her stay in Qatar, Dr. Nehring became the fourth, and only non-Egyptian, doctorally prepared faculty person in the nursing unit of the College of Science. Besides teaching courses such as ethics and issues and trends, she carefully assessed the nursing program, much as an accreditation site visitor might do, with feedback to university administration as well as the nursing unit. She left the region shortly before the military action began.     

A snapshot of health insurance after reform

The reasons for the Affordable Care Act may be forgotten but are more serious than ever.     

A snapshot of innovation: chemotherapy delivery in the UK

Chemotherapy is a major part of NHS care. Aroud 200 hospitals deliver chemotherapy services within their facilities, in community clinics and in the patients' homes. The safety of such services has attracted attention resulting in the production of a service template for the future by the National Chemotherapy Advisory Board in 2009. Its report recognized opportunities for redesigning services and recommended optimising the development of non-medical staff. The UK chemotherapy partnership was established to help professionals involved in chemotherapy share their experiences of improving and developing services and roles. This short article places the need for the UK Chemotherapy Partnership website in context and describes the origins of the Partnership as well as future plans.