Drug Administration: rules and regulations for health care practitioners

These narrated slides explain the roles, responsibilites and practicalities in administering drugs. Although it has been developed with student nurses and midwives in mind it will be of use to students of all health care professions.

Doing and using educational research : engaging researchers, practitioners and policy makers in productive partnerships. 'Haciendo y usando la investigación educativa : involucrando investigadores, docentes y diseñadores de políticas en asociaciones productivas'.

Resumen de la autora. Este artículo pertenece al monográfico 'John Elliott: su pensamiento y su influencia'

Promoting effective group work in the primary classroom : a handbook for teachers and practitioners.

Recurso que muestra a los profesores cómo crear un aula comprensiva y solidaria mediante el desarrollo de habilidades sociales, comunicativas y de trabajo de todos los alumnos. Anima a los niños y a sus maestros a desarrollar relaciones de apoyo para facilitar el rendimiento académico, el comportamiento social positivo y la motivación. También da consejos prácticos para la creación y funcionamiento de grupos de trabajo eficaces. El manual se compone de dos partes; la primera proporciona recomendaciones e información acerca de cómo pueden ser utilizados correctamente, y aplicados en las aulas de la escuela primaria, los grupos de trabajo; la segunda proporciona ejemplos de un programa de desarrollo de las actividades. Estas actividades están organizadas en una secuencia que pretende construir habilidades de trabajo de grupo, donde los niños pasan más tiempo en la tarea y son menos dependientes del profesor.

Multiple intelligences and adult literacy : a sourcebook for practitioners.

Este trabajo presenta una visión general de la teoría de las Inteligencias Múltiples (MI) con ejemplos que los educadores pueden utilizar en el aula con los estudiantes de alfabetización de adultos. Este práctico libro de consulta, realizado con las experiencias de los profesores que participaron en el estudio de las Inteligencias Múltiples de Adultos (IAM), incluye: los fundamentos de la teoría de las Inteligencias Múltiples (IM); las reflexiones cara al futuro sobre los éxitos y desafíos del uso de la teoría de MI en la educación de adultos, además de una serie de actividades para explorar esta teoría con los estudiantes; discusiones sobre cómo esta teoría puede ser utilizada para desarrollar experiencias de aprendizaje y estrategias educativas que aprovechen los puntos fuertes de la inteligencia de los estudiantes; lecciones y actividades para utilizar la teoría de las MI en el lenguaje, el aprendizaje del inglés, la escritura, la lectura, las matemáticas, la ciencia; preguntas de discusión para la reflexión individual y grupal y la experiencia de las aulas para probar estas ideas en el marco docente.

Establishing a community of practice of researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and communities to sustainably manage environmental health risks in Ecuador

The Sustainably Managing Environmental Health Risk in Ecuador project was launched in 2004 as a partnership linking a large Canadian university with leading Cuban and Mexican institutes to strengthen the capacities of four Ecuadorian universities for leading community-based learning and research in areas as diverse as pesticide poisoning, dengue control, water and sanitation, and disaster preparedness. By 2009, train-the-trainer project initiation involved 27 participatory action research Master’s theses in 15 communities where 1200 community learners participated in the implementation of associated interventions. This led to establishment of innovative Ecuadorian-led master’s and doctoral programs, and a Population Health Observatory on Collective Health, Environment and Society for the Andean region based at the Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar. Building on this network, numerous initiatives were begun, such as an internationally funded research project to strengthen dengue control in the coastal community of Machala, and establishment of a local community eco-health centre focusing on determinants of health near Cuenca. Alliances of academic and non-academic partners from the South and North provide a promising orientation for learning together about ways of addressing negative trends of development. Assessing the impacts and sustainability of such processes, however, requires longer term monitoring of results and related challenges.

Description of a multifaceted strategy for recruiting general practitioners and community pharmacists to talk about medication errors

Objective: To describe the use of a multifaceted strategy for recruiting general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists to talk about medication errors which have resulted in preventable drug-related admissions to hospital. This is a potentially sensitive subject with medicolegal implications. Setting: Four primary care trusts and one teaching hospital in the UK. Method: Letters were mailed to community pharmacists and general practitioners asking for provisional consent to be interviewed and permission to contact them again should a patient be admitted to hospital as a result of a medication error. In addition, GPs were asked for permission to approach their patients should they be admitted to hospital. A multifaceted approach to recruitment was used including gaining support for the study from professional defence agencies and local champions. Key findings: Eighty-five percent (310/385) of GPs and 62% (93/149) of community pharmacists responded to the letters. Eighty-five percent (266/310) of GPs who responded and 81% (75/93) of community pharmacists who responded gave provisional consent to participate in interviews. All GPs (14 out of 14) and community pharmacists (10 out of 10) who were subsequently asked to participate, when patients were admitted to hospital, agreed to be interviewed. Conclusion: The multifaceted approach to recruitment was associated with an impressive response when asking healthcare professionals to be interviewed about medication errors which have resulted in preventable drug-related morbidity.

Patients' attitudes towards, and information needs in relation to, nurse prescribing in rheumatology

Aims and objectives: To assess the level of confidence that rheumatology patients would have in nurse prescribing, the effects on likely adherence and particular concerns that these patients have. In addition, given that information provision has been cited as a potential benefit of nurse prescribing, the present study assessed the extent to which these patients would want an explanation for the selected medicine, as well as which types of information should be included in such an explanation. Background: Nurse prescribing has been successfully implemented in the UK in several healthcare settings. Existing research has not addressed the effects on patients' confidence and likely adherence, nor have patients' information needs been established. However, we know that inadequate medicines information provision by health professionals is one of the largest causes of patient dissatisfaction. Methods: Fifty-four patients taking disease-modifying drugs for inflammatory joint disease attending a specialist rheumatology clinic self-completed a written questionnaire. Results: Patients indicated a relatively high level of confidence in nurse prescribing and stated that they would be very likely to take the selected medication. The level of concern was relatively low and the majority of concerns raised did not relate to the nurse's status. Strong support was expressed for the nurse providing an explanation for medicine choice. Conclusion: This research provides support for the prescription of medicines by nurses working in the area of rheumatology, the importance of nurses providing a full explanation about the selected medicines they prescribe for these patients and some indication as to which categories of information should be included. Relevance to clinical practice: Rheumatology patients who have not yet experienced nurse prescribing are, in general, positive about nurses adopting this role. It is important that nurses provide appropriate information about the prescribed medicines, in a form that can be understood.