Nursing Development Unit Research Articles

Nursing development units: a force for changeNursing development units: a force for change Editors: Salvage Jane and Wright Stephen With Contribution from Black GillianMalby RebeccaPearson Alan, Vaughan Barbara, Scutari press, 180pp, £15.991-873853-25-41873853254

Nursing development units: a force for changeNursing development units: a force for change Editors: Salvage Jane and Wright Stephen With Contribution from Black GillianMalby RebeccaPearson Alan, Vaughan Barbara, Scutari press, 180pp, £15.991-873853-25-41873853254

Developing a centre for health information and promotion.

Following the successful application for nursing development unit funding, the children's outpatient department within the Child Health Directorate of the University Hospital, Southampton, has developed a number of ambitious plans to promote nursing initiatives, one of which was the creation of a centre for health information and promotion. This article describes this development.

Benchmarking quality rules.

Susan Waterworth and Clare Byrne give a practical overview of how they established benchmarks for clinical care at their nursing development unit

Attitudes can change.

Teamwork and flexibility are vital for nurses aiming to involve patients, a new report says. Five teams at nursing development units have told the authors of a King's Fund publication how they have tried to give patients a greater say in their care.

Complementary therapies. On the scent of a good night's sleep.

Staff in Ireland’s first nursing development unit have been experimenting with aromatherapy to help patients sleep. Graham Cannard reports

Learning disabilities: peer accreditation of a development unit.

This article details the process of peer review accreditation during the formation of a nursing development unit (NDU) in a community home for people with learning disabilities. The process involves thorough preparation and an accreditation visit. It necessitates professional openness, the sharing of ideas, and a willingness to collaborate with colleagues. The authors describe the aims of the new NDU, its philosophy of care and its ongoing quality management mechanisms.

The growth of an NDU in a paediatric outpatient department.

The granting of nursing development unit (NDU) status to a paediatric clinical area indicates the desire to promote excellence in child care. This article describes the progress of the children's outpatient department at Southampton General Hospital since it was granted NDU status.

Scheme for Accrediting Nursing Development Units

Scheme for Accrediting Nursing Development Units

Challenges in care

Some very different aspects related to caring for elderly people with mental health needs appear in this issue. Elderly Care is delighted to welcome a brand new series of articles by the staff of Seacroft Hospital’s Nursing Development Unit in Leeds, which provides care for this client group. Over the next few months, the I team will he sharing their successes and highlighting some of the problems they have experienced as they> strive to improve quality of care.

A shared vision.

Janine Gilley and Ray Cowell introduce a new senes charting the progress and pitfalls of a nursing development unit for elderly people with mental health problems in Leeds

Extending the role of mental health nurses.

This article describes the attempts of a mental health nursing development unit to combat the problems of limited access to its services and under-use of nurses' skills. By introducing a system of referral directly to nurses and allowing nurses to practise their skills on a sessional basis within the unit, a much wider and more comprehensive service has developed.

News

Judgement day: Judging for theNursing StandardNurse 94 awards took place in London recently. Pictured, left to right, are five members of the core judging paneL Jenny Hunt, Nursing Practice Consultant at Luton and Dunstable Hospital; James Marr, Consultant Nurse with Tameside Nursing Development Unit; Ainna Fawcett-Henesy, Deputy Director of Nursing at the Department of Health;Nursing Standard'sEditor Norah Casey; and Carol Jones, Matron at the BUPA Hospital, Leicester.

Primary nursing: a new philosophy.

Primary nursing is dynamic. To reflect belief and working practices accurately, the philosophy of primary nursing needs to be updated regularly. To maintain ownership of the philosophy it should be reformulated by the nursing staff themselves. Commonly shared beliefs about primary nursing are essential if it is to be practised successfully.

Catalysts for change.

Stephen Wright explores how nursing development units can unleash the potential not only of nursing, but of nurses themselves

Senior Rampton nurse dies of cancer.

Richard Ferry, the driving force behind the establishment of the Nursing Development Unit at Rampton Hospital, has died of cancer at the age of 35.

An evaluative study of a community health service development

This paper describes a research study designed to evaluate a community health service development in one health authority in rural England. The study compared two types of primary care teams working towards the same objectives. Surveys of patients and staff in the health authority were conducted about a range of issues, defined by the original aims of the scheme. Measures were made of care received by people over 75 years of age, consumer satisfaction, staff experiences of the multi-disciplinary team, job satisfaction and liaison with social services personnel. Few differences existed between the two forms of care on all of these measures. This paper contains a discussion of the findings alongside an examination of the implications for future health service developments, particularly flagship enterprises such as nursing development units. The importance of well established baseline measurements is emphasized by both the research findings and the discussion.

A healthy start in life.

In a London district Bangladeshi children older than 6 months and up to the age of 2 years and beyond are often exclusively or predominantly fed milk. When the infants or toddlers do eat solid foods they are commercial foods high in sugar and with limited nutritional value and little texture. They eat commercial baby foods into the 3rd year of life. In general Bangladeshi preschoolers do not receive the recommended intake of calories vitamin D and iron. Parents often force feed their children resulting in behavior management problems. They complain that their children are lethargic have frequent minor illnesses and are short. Health visitors and clinic workers have put much time and effort into providing culturally sensitive advice on weaning weaning demonstrations and using audiovisual materials to bring about changes in feeding patterns. These interventions have not been successful. Identified obstacles to changing feeding patterns are: Bangladeshis consider commercial baby foods to be superior; health workers had recommended egg custard as a suitable weaning food; and Bangladeshi weaning practices reflect those in the UK. A Stepney Nursing Development Unit (NDU) project examines ways to involve clients in identifying health problems and in planning and evaluating services. NDU proposes an action research project to encourage Bangladeshis to be active participants in research. The Dairy Council has provided funds for a Bangladeshi worker to lead discussions among parents and grandparents of Bangladeshi families with young children living in Stepney. This discussion will revolve around health and dietary beliefs feelings about weaning advice and support networks and environmental economic and cultural practices. This activity should result in effective community-based health promotion strategies. Video and audio recordings of group discussions will be used for data collection and to stimulate further discussion and plans for community action.

Nurses seen as a threat to authority of NDU managers.

Traditional managers in the NHS may fail to support Nursing Development Units (NDUs) because they are afraid 'increasingly assertive nurses' could pose a threat to their authority, a new report has warned.

Elderly care: meeting the needs of ethnic patients.

This article describes the attempts of a nursing development unit to address the difficulties of providing care for the increasing population of elderly people from ethnic minorities. The specific problems that occur and the measures introduced to combat them are highlighted, and the unit's plans for further improvement are outlined.

Book reviews

Books reviewed in this article: The Aftermath of Stroke: The Experience of Patients and Their Families by Robert Anderson. Nursing Development Units: Work in Progress edited by Gillian Black. Behind the Screens: Nursing, Somology, and the Problem of the Body by Jocalyn Lawler. Life Threatening Problems in the Emergency Room by Annie Sutcliffe.