Query from a nurse in Australia

We have had a query in from a nurse working in Australia, requesting information regarding nursing publications/articles with regard to the Anaesthetic Nurse involvement in peri-operative trauma management.

Below is some further information from Paul. (if you have information that may be of use to this nurse, please contact him at: paulreeves@ozemail.com.au

The development of Nurse Practitioners have come along way over the past 6 years, however this has not been the case with-in the theatre environment. Anaesthetic, Perioperative, and Post Anaesthetic Care Nurses have not been successful in increasing their scope of clinical practice. There has been exploration based on the UK models andthe development of Surgeon's Assistants - but generally it remains quite political.

As for anaesthetic nurses - The Australian & New Zealand Collage of Anaesthetist has made clear position statements that nurses will not be supported in developing their role beyond their current scope. So this remain very political indeed. So the plight of Perioperative nurses continues today with little progress!

Nurse Practitioners has developed well in many other nursing disaplines including Community health care, Mental health, Accident and Emergency...etc.

There is no Anaesthetic Nurse Practitioners in Australia and we may never see Nurse Anaesthetist either!

BJARN

BARNA are very pleased to announce that the first edition of the electronic journal has been published on the CUP website. The first electronic edition of the journal also sports a new cover - its new, its funky and we hope you like it.

If you have issues accessing the online publication, please contact info@barna.co.uk

Emma Stalker - Better Blood Transfusion - Competencies, Expectations and Resources

Qualifying in 1990 as a Registered General Nurse, Emma has gained a range of experience working within Nurse recruitment and education in both the NHS and the private sector.

Emma joined the National Blood Service in 2005 and in her role as Transfusion Liaison Nurse she is supporting clinical colleagues to implement the iniatives within the Health Service Circular 2007/001: Better Blood Transfusion – Appropriate Use of Blood.

Emma is the elected Secretary of both the South East Coast Regional Transfusion Committee (RTC), and the South Coast Transfusion Paractitioner’s Group, and is actively involved in the proactive blood safety projects that the are currently being driven forward in the region.

Session Abstract

Since the inception and implementation of ‘Better Blood Transfusion’, a Health Service Circular first published in 1998 and revised in 2002 and 2007, the focus of the UK Blood Services has been to support clinical colleagues to effectively and competently manage the use of blood and blood products and to help raise awareness of the alternatives to transfusion.

The implementation of national guidelines and recommendations and the introduction of European legislation has had a major impact on the management of the available blood supply and on how we train all staff involved in the transfusion process to use blood and blood products appropriately, safely and competently in day to day practice.

Blood is safer now than it has ever been, but as a consequence it is an expensive and limited resource, and its use is coming under tighter and tighter training and legislative requirements and controls.

This presentation discusses the multiple factors that contribute to the day to day management and appropriate use of blood within the surgical environment, and highlights the potential impact of a national blood shortage.

Illustrated by the rationale, experiences and tools available to all practitioners, this presentation describes the need, within the transfusion process, for education and communication with all those who are employed in the care of the surgical patient from pre admission to discharge.

Biography for Dr David Watson - Surviving Sepsis

I am a Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Intensive Care Medicine at Homerton University Hospital, London and Barts and The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London. I work in The Centre for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics of The William Harvey Research Institute, Charterhouse Square, London.

This presentation will be presented within the new National Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines. Use the following link to access the pocket guide to the campaign guidelines.

http://www.survivingsepsis.org/system/files/images/2008_20Pocket_20Guides_1_.pdf