Community Health Nursing: Current Practice and Possible Futures (PDF 298 KB)

Community Health Nursing: Current Practice and Possible Futures

Key Indicators of PSS for NI (2002)

Key Indicators of PSS for NI (2002)

Best Practice - Best Care - Summary of Responses to the Consultation (PDF 318KB)

A Framework for Setting Standards, Delivering Services and Improving Monitoring and Regulation in the HPSS

Central nervous system stimulants and sport practice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants may be used to reduce tiredness and increase alertness, competitiveness, and aggression. They are more likely to be used in competition but may be used during training to increase the intensity of the training session. There are several potential dangers involving their misuse in contact sports. This paper reviews the three main CNS stimulants, ephedrine, amfetamine, and cocaine, in relation to misuse in sport. METHODS: Description of the pharmacology, actions, and side effects of amfetamine, cocaine, and ephedrine. RESULTS: CNS stimulants have psychotropic effects that may be perceived to be ergogenic. Some are prescription drugs, such as Ephedra alkaloids, and there are issues regarding their appropriate therapeutic use. Recently attention has been given to their widespread use by athletes, despite the lack of evidence regarding any ergogenic or real performance benefit, and their potentially serious side effects. Recreational drugs, some of which are illegal (cocaine, amfetamines), are commonly used by athletes and cause potential ergolytic effects. Overall, these drugs are important for their frequent use and mention in anti-doping laboratories statistics and the media, and their potentially serious adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Doping with CNS stimulants is a real public health problem and all sports authorities should participate in its prevention. Dissemination of information is essential to prevent doping in sport and to provide alternatives. Adequate training and education in this domain should be introduced.

Best Practice Best Care

A framework for setting standards, delivering services and improving monitoring and regulation in the HPSS åÊ

Key Indicators of Personal Social Services for Northern Ireland 2001

Social Services expenditure and provision in NI

Racial Equality in Health - Good Practice Guide - Consultation Document (PDF 261KB)

This good practice guide has been produced by the Equity Commission for Northern Ireland in partnership with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPSNI).

Revue critique d'instruments pour evaluer la douleur chez les personnes cérébrolésées non communicantes aux soins intensifs [Critical review of instruments to assess pain in the non communicative brain injured persons in intensive care].

The purpose of this review is to critically appraise the pain assessment tools for non communicative persons in intensive care available in the literature and to determine their relevance for those with brain injury. Nursing and medical electronic databases were searched to identify pain tools, with a description of psychometric proprieties, in English and French. Seven of the ten tools were considered relevant and systematically evaluated according to the criteria and the indicators in the following five areas: conceptualisation, target population, feasibility and clinical utility, reliability and validity. Results indicate a number of well designed pain tools, but additional work is necessary to establish their accuracy and adequacy for the brain injured non communicative person in intensive care. Recommendations are made to choose the best tool for clinical practice and for research.

Focus on Fitness For Practice (PDF 1.28 Mb)

Pre-registration nursing and midwifery education

Benzodiazepines: Good Practice Guidelines for Clinicians

Benzodiazepines are one of the most widely used prescription medicinal products in the world. Benzodiazepines may be prescribed safely in the short-term and are a highly effective treatment for anxiety, insomnia and some forms of epilepsy and spasticity. Benzodiazepines are only indicated when the disorder is severe, disabling or subjecting the individual to extreme distress. Dependence is now recognised as a significant risk in patients receiving treatment for longer than one month and the practitioner has to be conscious of this when evaluating the relative benefits and risks of continued prescription. Download document here