Nursing & Health

Living with Dementia: A practical guide for families and personal carers provides a sensitive, direct and highly accessible account of the complexities and challenges that a diagnosis of dementia presents. Written by aged care experts including academics, nurses, medical practitioners and family advocates, Living with Dementiaoffers evidence-based research, supported by clear chapter outcomes, key terms and real-world vignettes. Practical strategies are integrated throughout to support caregivers, paid and unpaid, in the home environment and in residential care settings.

The book offers advice on how to manage everyday activities such as feeding, toileting, personal hygiene and grooming, and coping with challenging behaviour. In recognising the needs of the whole person, mental stimulation and spirituality are also addressed. An introduction to commonly used medications, complementary therapies and effective communication strategies are provided, as well as information about caring for the dying, and most importantly, looking after you – the carer.

Whether you are an Assistant in Nursing, an Enrolled Nurse, a family member or a friend caring for a loved one, Living with Dementia will assist you to move beyond the negative perceptions, and enable a meaningful life for the person with dementia, within the limitations of the disease.

Much of the research which has investigated adaptation after spinal cord injury (SCI) has focused upon the physical and psychological challenges confronting the injured person. There is a growing body of evidence however which suggests that many people with SCI and their family members can overcome these challenges and move forward, drawing upon a range of resources and strengths. Spirituality, hope, and resilience are three constructs that have been associated with positive outcomes after SCI. This chapter outlines the research findings to date about these constructs within the field of SCI. The relationship between these variables will be examined and explored. Implications for SCI practice will be discussed, and the findings from the trial of one intervention program conducted with rehabilitation staff outlined.

This book is a re-telling of the story of the mission of the Sydney Adventist Hospital - even today still known fondly to many as "the San" - based on the many stories and vignettes shared by people, and about people, who lived the San's mission, contributing to a hospital that has had an impact on many lives.This is not a chronological and systematic historical narrative, but it uses the motivation and inspiration of individuals and events to illustrate how the mission of the hospital has been fulfilled through its healing and restorative ministry since 1903. It also illustrates how mission inspired individuals, decisions, strategies and the pioneering work that remains the hallmark of the San.

A simulation-based education programme was created to help clinicians in New South Wales (NSW) lead difficult conversations about organ and tissue donation (OTD) with the families of dead or dying patients. Participants led a planning meeting with the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) team, then a family donation conversation (FDC) with the family of the potential donor. Professional actors played family members during scenarios based on real cases. A three-stage debriefing process including video-reflexive feedback followed the FDC. Eighty participants completed the training, which was universally well received, with participants reporting a wide range of educational benefits and increased confidence. There has been an increase in the family consent rate for OTD in NSW over the duration of the programme. Whether the training contributed to this increase is unclear at this stage.

The focus of this product package is to provide students with a strong knowledge base, an understanding of contemporary practice issues in Australia and the capacity for sound clinical reasoning. You will use these professional attributes in order to provide safe and effective nursing care. This easily understood, straightforward Australian edition integrates the following concepts: epidemiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, legal and ethical issues, therapeutic communication, interprofessional communication and cultural safety. Multiple learning strategies have been developed to help the student succeed: MyNursingLab includes audio files, case studies, self-study material and videos, while the text includes boxes, tables, special features, illustrations as well as synthesis and critical thinking exercises to help students build skills for class and clinical learning for practice as a professional nurse.

The author provides a commentary of the short article written by Miles Little which discusses why we might be tempted to think that poetry could make a contribution one or both kinds of "clinical betterment" - technical or moral.