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Accelerated Bachelor's of Nursing (ABSN)

This guide provides resources for students in the ABSN programs.

Top Clinical Tools

BMJ Evidence Based Nursing

Evidence-Based Nursing systematically searches a wide range of international healthcare journals applying strict criteria for the validity of research and relevance to best nursing practice. Content is critically appraised and the most relevant articles are summarised into succinct expert commentaries, focusing on the papers` key findings and implications for nursing practice.

  • Children are our future: challenges influencing the future of nursing care of CYPThis link opens in a new window This editorial is structured using Driscoll’s1 ‘what, so what, now what’ model of reflection to briefly summarise contemporary challenges influencing the health and wellbeing of children and young people (CYP) globally and in the UK. These challenges are considered in more depth across the 5-week series of EBN blogs (1 – 29 September 2024) along with factors influencing CYP nurse education, delivery of intensive care, mental health and palliative care services. What are the challenges? CYP under the age of 18 years old represent 28% of the world population2 and are 100% of our future. Globally, three major contemporary issues influencing children’s health and well-being are the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and countries in conflict. Save the Children3 data indicate that in 2022, 2985 children were killed across 24 countries and almost 200 million children were living in the world’s most deadly war... Sep 20, 2024
  • Building an NHS that truly supports people living with long COVID and ME: government action needed nowThis link opens in a new window The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our understanding of healthcare challenges, with long COVID emerging as a significant current and ongoing public health issue.1 For governments across the four UK nations, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity to build a National Health Service (NHS) that truly responds to the needs of all its patients, particularly, those with long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). A recent policy brief draws on the results of an online survey carried out in June–July 2024, which asked patients with long COVID and ME to evaluate parts of Labour’s mission plan for the NHS against their experiences of care.2 The report uses data from over 300 responses from patients and carers to identify the issues being faced. It also highlights challenges for the new Labour government in the UK to take clear steps to ensure the NHS provides for the... Sep 20, 2024
  • Strategies and barriers of illness control after hospital readmission: perspectives of patients with chronic heart failureThis link opens in a new window Commentary on: Turrise S, Hadley N, Phillips-Kuhn D, et al. A snapshot of patient experience of illness control after a hospital readmission in adults with chronic heart failure. BMC Nurs 2023;22:75. doi:10.1186/s12912-023-01231-x Implications for practice and research Healthcare professionals (HCPs) should support patients with heart failure (HF) to develop effective strategies to improve illness control. Further research needs to explore the cultural differences in illness control and how HCPs tailor best their support to promote illness control in patients with HF. Context Heart failure (HF) is a chronic illness with increased impotence and dependency where patients need to self-manage a complex treatment regime and adapt to a new lifestyle.1 The hospital readmission rates for HF within 30 days after discharge are up to 25%.2 Although many studies have investigated associated factors to hospital readmission in HF, the role of patient’s... Sep 20, 2024
  • Cuff size and shape for oscillometric BP measurement: a challenge for the clinician and the manufacturerThis link opens in a new window Commentary on: Ishigami J, Charleston J, Miller ER 3rd, Matsushita K, Appel LJ, Brady TM. Effects of Cuff Size on the Accuracy of Blood Pressure Readings: The Cuff(SZ) Randomized Crossover Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2023 Oct 1;183(10):1061-1068. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.3264. Implications for practice and research The use of a properly sized cuff when using oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement in clinical practice avoids underestimation of BP in individuals with small arms and BP overestimation in people with large arms. To avoid patient misclassification in clinical studies, healthcare personnel should always use properly sized cuffs according to manufacturers’ instructions. Context With traditional sphygmomanometry, the use of a cuff with a bladder of inappropriate size for the arm is a serious source of error.1 However, different criteria may apply to cuffs of automatic devices using the oscillometric BP measurement. This study by Ishigami et al Sep 20, 2024
  • Digital health systems may not fully incorporate the nursing process thus posing a risk to effective clinical decision-makingThis link opens in a new window Commentary on: Hants L, Bail K, Paterson C. Clinical decision-making and the nursing process in digital health systems: An integrated systematic review. J Clin Nurs. 2023 Oct;32(19-20):7010–7035. doi: 10.1111/jocn.16823. Epub 2023 Jul 24. Implications for practice and research Healthcare settings need to consider how to support the complete nursing process when designing and implementing digital health systems to ensure nurses can make clinical decisions more effectively. We need better quality research to understand how digital health systems can effectively incorporate the nursing process comprehensively. Context Digital health systems are now widely used in healthcare to facilitate communication, collect more complete patient information in electronic form and improve access to documentation.1 Digital health systems are designed to be used by the multidisciplinary health team with nurses being one of the key professionals interacting with digital patient data.2 Yet, it is unclear... Sep 20, 2024