"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

This practical toolkit informs readers of ways to ensure the right medication in the right dose, for the right patient at the right time. It covers every aspect of looking after and delivering medicines in the care home environment. The easy-to-read format, with questions and exercises for individuals and groups, makes the text ideal as a framework for teaching and accredited learning. This handbook is vital for care professionals working in residential and nursing homes, their managers and supervisors. It is also invaluable for trainee care and nursing assistants including students in further education. 'When inspectors said thousands of care home residents were being given the wrong medication - the image of a grotty, poorly run nursing home reared its stereotypical head. How could something so simple as giving a patient their daily dose of tablets be going so wrong, so many times over? But according to care professionals, management of residents' medication is one of the most complex areas of running a nursing home, and unless fail-safe practices are adhered to, the results can be very damaging to both the resident and the care worker. Clearly, it's time to sort this out!' - Roy Lilley and Paul Lambden with Alan Gillies, in the Introduction.

Written especially for nurses in all disciplines and health care settings, this second edition of The Nurses's Role in Medication Safety focuses on the hands-on role nurses play in the delivery of care and their unique opportunity and responsibility to identify potential medication safety issues. Reflecting the contributions of several dozen nurses who provided new and updated content, this book includes strategies, examples, and advice on how to: * Develop effective medication reconciliation processes * Identify and address causes of medication errors * Encourage the reporting of medication errors in a safe and just culture * Apply human factors solutions to medication management issues and the implementation of programs to reduce medication errors * Use technology (such as smart pumps and computerized provider order entry) to improve medication safety * Recognize the special issues of medication safety in disciplines such as obstetrics, pediatrics, geriatrics, and oncology and within program settings beyond large urban hospitals, including long term care, behavioral health care, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory care and office-based surgery

Medication use is the predominant form of health intervention in our society. And as we age, the likelihood of medication use increases dramatically, with more than 80 percent of those over age 65 using one or more medications. Along with that, the potential for medication errors also increases. Indeed adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and adverse drug events (ADEs) are a significant problem in older adults. Written in a practical format by contributors from Australia and the United States, Medication Management in Older Adults: A Concise Guide for Clinicians presents the available evidence on research interventions designed to reduce the incidence of medication errors in older adults, with a focus on acute, subacute, and residential (long-term) care settings. Because medication errors can occur at all stages in the medication process, from prescription by physicians to delivery of medication to the patient by nurses, and in any site in the health system, it is essential that interventions be targeted at all aspects of medication delivery. Chapters cover the principles of medical ethics in relation to medication management; common medication errors in the acute care sector; medication management in long-term care settings; nutrition and medications; the outcomes of a systematic review; dose form alterations; Electronic Health Records (EHR), Computerized Order Entry (COE), Beers criteria; and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. For those clinicians especially concerned with providing the best possible outcomes for their older adult patients, Medication Management in Older Adults: A Concise Guide for Clinicians is an invaluable resource and a significant contribution to the burgeoning literature on medication errors.

As more people live longer, the need for quality long-term care for the elderly will increase dramatically. This volume examines the current system of nursing home regulations, and proposes an overhaul to better provide for those confined to such facilities. It determines the need for regulations, and concludes that the present regulatory system is inadequate, stating that what is needed is not more regulation, but better regulation. This long-anticipated study provides a wealth of useful background information, in-depth study, and discussion for nursing home administrators, students, and teachers in the health care field; professionals involved in caring for the elderly; and geriatric specialists.

Hospitals and nursing homes are responding to changes in the health care system by modifying staffing levels and the mix of nursing personnel. But do these changes endanger the quality of patient care? Do nursing staff suffer increased rates of injury, illness, or stress because of changing workplace demands? These questions are addressed in Nursing Staff in Hospitals and Nursing Homes, a thorough and authoritative look at today's health care system that also takes a long-term view of staffing needs for nursing as the nation moves into the next century. The committee draws fundamental conclusions about the evolving role of nurses in hospitals and nursing homes and presents recommendations about staffing decisions, nursing training, measurement of quality, reimbursement, and other areas. The volume also discusses work-related injuries, violence toward and abuse of nursing staffs, and stress among nursing personnelâ€"and examines whether these problems are related to staffing levels. Included is a readable overview of the underlying trends in health care that have given rise to urgent questions about nurse staffing: population changes, budget pressures, and the introduction of new technologies. Nursing Staff in Hospitals and Nursing Homes provides a straightforward examination of complex and sensitive issues surround the role and value of nursing on our health care system.

Medicines Management for Nurses at a Glance is the perfect companion for study and revision for pre-registration nursing and healthcare students. Combining superb full colour illustrations with accessible and informative text, it provides an easy-to-read and supportive guide to the key pharmacological knowledge nursing students and registered nurses need to know. Divided into three sections, the first introduces key topics within clinical pharmacology and medicines management including, numeracy, pharmacokinetics, routes of administration, and pharmacodynamics. The second and final sections cover the management of medicines for common medical conditions, drug interactions, side effects, and safe and effective prescribing. Written specifically for nurses, it covers the fundamentals of pharmacology as they apply to nursing practice. Breaks down complex concepts in an accessible way, providing helpful overviews of all key pharmacological topics. Includes practical issues relating to practice, and is written to support the Essential Skills Cluster of the NMC, and the content of the BNF. Includes content relevant to each of the four fields of nursing, and covers drugs for specific groups such as children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly. A companion website is available at www.ataglanceseries.com/nursing/medicinesmanagement featuring interactive multiple choice questions.