Why are we still reluctant to talk about end of life care?
Quality end–of–life care (EOLC) and decision making has been prominent in the literature over recent years with EOLC having a significant bearing on the process of dying and effect upon family and significant others during this time (Raijmakers, 2013, Caswell et al. 2015). The call has been to move beyond a ‘death denying culture’ but […]
The therapeutic lie: a reflectice account illustrating the potential benefits when nursing an elderly confused patient
Situation: The circumstances involved an extremely anxious, frustrated and distressed man named John, with a severe cognitive impairment. John was an inpatient on a dementia ward in a mental health hospital in the southwest of England, who wanted to use the telephone to contact his long-deceased mother. One of the author’s works as a staff […]
Spotlight on the harsh reality of suicide in Australian nursing homes
Almost 150 Australian nursing home residents took their own lives while in care between 2000 and 2013, a confronting new study has revealed. Nursing home residents who took their own lives most commonly died from hanging (31.9%), falls from height (17%) and plastic bag asphyxia (14.2%). The majority of these residents were male (68.8%) and […]
Negligent care leads to manslaughter convictions
A recent decision made in the Courts in England convicting a doctor of manslaughter has enraged many medical officers both in England and Australia; raising concerns that the court failed to look at the realities of practice in the public health system and the systemic wide failings that add pressure to an overworked and understaffed […]
The broad value of professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance is essential for all nurses and midwives. In 2010, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) set registration standards making it mandatory for all health practitioners in the 14 professions regulated under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act to have appropriate professional indemnity insurance (PII) arrangements in place in relation […]