Incorporating a service improvement project into an undergraduate nursing programme: A pilot study

Although service improvement projects have been incorporated into some postregistration nurse education modules in the UK, they have not been generally available to pre‐registration students. This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of a pilot project in pre‐registration nurse education at one university in eastern England. It concludes that the nursing students found the project to be a useful addition to their course. Supportive reactions were obtained from nurse managers, mentors and academics. A need to improve communication with clinical areas through the use of web‐based materials was highlighted.     

An integrative review exploring the physical and psychological harm inherent in using restraint in mental health inpatient settings

In Western society, policy and legislation seeks to minimize restrictive interventions, including physical restraint; yet research suggests the use of such practices continues to raise concerns. Whilst international agreement has sought to define physical restraint, diversity in the way in which countries use restraint remains disparate. Research to date has reported on statistics regarding restraint, how and why it is used, and staff and service user perspectives about its use. However, there is limited evidence directly exploring the physical and psychological harm restraint may cause to people being cared for within mental health inpatient settings. This study reports on an integrative review of the literature exploring available evidence regarding the physical and psychological impact of restraint. The review included both experimental and nonexperimental research papers, using Cooper's (1998) five‐stage approach to synthesize the findings. Eight themes emerged: Trauma/retraumatization; Distress; Fear; Feeling ignored; Control; Power; Calm; and Dehumanizing conditions. In conclusion, whilst further research is required regarding the physical and psychological implications of physical restraint in mental health settings, mental health nurses are in a prime position to use their skills and knowledge to address the issues identified to eradicate the use of restraint and better meet the needs of those experiencing mental illness.     

Existence of a pool of T-lymphocyte colony-forming cells (T-CFC) in human bone marrow and their place in the differentiation of the T- lymphocyte lineage

The existence and characteristics of bone marrow T-cell progenitors have not yet been established in man. Several pieces of evidence such as the reconstitution of certain immunodeficiencies by bone marrow graft suggest that T-cell precursors are present in the bone marrow. We report the growth of T-cell colonies from bone marrow populations using PHA-stimulated lymphocyte-conditioned medium containing T-cell growth factor (TCGF). Rosetting experiments and complement-dependent cytotoxicity assays with monoclonal antibodies indicate that the bone marrow T colony-forming cells (T-CFC) are E- OKT 3- and la+, i.e., immature progenitors. The colonies derived from these cells have the phenotype of mature T cells: E + OKT 3 + la- with either helper (OKT 4+) and suppressor (OKT 8 +) antigens. These results suggest that a thymic microenvironment may not be necessary for the in vitro proliferation and differentiation of the T-cell lineage in adult humans. These methodologies may permit direct investigation of early phenomena concerning the T-cell lineage, such as the acquisition of self-tolerance, the formation of a repertoire of specificities, and the HLA restriction phenomena that we believe takes place before the thymic maturation.     

Antilymphocyte globulin, cyclosporin, and granulocyte colony- stimulating factor in patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA): a pilot study of the EBMT SAA Working Party

Patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) and a neutrophil (PMN) count of less than 0.5 x 10(9)/L are exposed to a high risk of early mortality when treated with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) and steroids, with the major problem being infectious complications. The addition of human recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) to ALG may reduce early mortality by improving neutrophil counts in the short term. To test the feasibility of this approach, the SAA Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) designed a pilot study that included rhG-CSF (5 micrograms/kg/d, days 1 through 90), horse ALG (HALG; 15 mg/kg/d, days 1 through 5), methylprednisolone (2 mg/kg/d, days 1 through 5, then tapering the dose), and cyclosporin A (CyA; 5 mg/kg/d orally, days 1 through 180). Patients with newly diagnosed acquired SAA (untreated) and with neutrophil counts of < or = 0.5 x 10(9)/L were eligible. Forty consecutive patients entered this study and are evaluable with a minimum follow up of 120 days: the median age was 16 years (range, 2 to 72 years), the interval from diagnosis to treatment was 24 days, and the median PMN count was 0.19 x 10(9)/L. Twenty-one patients had hemorrhages, and 19 were infected at the time of treatment. Overall, treatment was well tolerated: the median maximum PMN count during rhG- CSF administration was 12 x 10(9)/L (range, 0.4 x 10(9)/L to 44 x 10(9)/L). There were three early deaths (8%) due to infection. Four patients (10%) showed no recovery, whereas 33 patients (82%) had trilineage hematologic reconstitution and became transfusion- independent at a median interval of 115 days from treatment. Median follow up for surviving patients is 428 days (range, 122 to 1,005). Actuarial survival is 92%: 86% and 100% for patients with PMN counts less than 0.2 x 10(9)/L or between 0.2 x 10(9)/L and 0.5 x 10(9)/L, respectively. This study suggests that the addition of rhG-CSF to ALG and CyA is well tolerated, is associated with a low risk of mortality, and offers a good chance of hematologic response. This protocol would appear to be an interesting alternative treatment for SAA patients with a low PMN count who lack an HLA-identical sibling.     

Developing a culture of nursing research through clinical-academic partnership

Evidence based practice is essential to advanced practice nursing, enabling the delivery of quality care and improved patient outcomes. As the name suggests, it requires healthcare decisions to be based on the best available and current evidence. Advanced practice nurses need astute critical analysis skills to appraise the evolving literature, and require research skills to lead on scientific inquiry and develop the profession. Yet, advanced practice nurses may not recognize themselves as research leaders. Participation in a journal club can promote evidence-based practice, improve clinician's critical thinking skills, and expose members to different research methodologies, however, nurses continue to face barriers to participation in these clubs. Establishing a clinical-academic partnership appears to be both mutually beneficial for clinicians and academics and is a significant enabler in the sustainability and functioning of the club through sharing expertise and experience. A supportive workplace culture is favourable to research utilization and knowledge translation. This paper outlines the role, practicalities, challenges, and benefits of setting up a hybrid urology journal and research club for advanced practice nurses in a clinical-academic partnership.