Evidence and Practice
Bereavement support standards for families following the death of a child
Planning surgery for young people with learning disabilities
Improving practice in accessing haemodialysis central venous catheters
Clinical
Bereavement support standards for families following the death of a child
Introduction to the National Children’s Hospitals Bereavement Network’s support standards
Planning surgery for young people with learning disabilities
Why you should read this article: • To be aware of the challenges of hospital admission for a young person with learning disabilities • To recognise the importance of comprehensive multidisciplinary planning, communication and teamwork to ensure a successful outcome • To identify the need for input from dedicated learning disability liaison nurses in acute children’s services Surgery for spinal deformity is complex and preparation involves a wide multidisciplinary team. For young people with learning disabilities, especially those who have behaviour that challenges, there are further considerations to ensure that their hospital stay is a positive experience and all their additional needs are met. Staff and carers need to be well informed and there must be effective communication. Evaluation of one patient’s journey through pre-assessment, surgery and rehabilitation has identified the need for more input from learning disability liaison nurses in acute children’s services.
Improving practice in accessing haemodialysis central venous catheters
Why you should read this article: • To enhance your awareness of the variation in practice between children’s haemodialysis units in relation to accessing haemodialysis central venous catheters (CVCs) • To learn about the changes to practice in haemodialysis CVC access and blood sampling technique made by one unit to improve patient safety • To recognise how reviewing one area of practice may lead to changes in other areas In children, haemodialysis is used as a form of renal replacement therapy and is typically delivered via a central venous catheter (CVC). It is necessary to access the CVC for dialysis and blood sampling regularly, and safe line practice is essential to minimise complications associated with CVCs, including infection. The authors had concerns about the rate of CVC infection in their children’s haemodialysis unit, which prompted a practice review. A questionnaire was emailed to all other children’s haemodialysis units in the UK, which identified variations in practice and training. The authors subsequently modified their unit’s CVC access guidelines and blood sampling technique, and developed a new competency-based ‘haemodialysis CVC access only’ training programme for nursing staff. A willingness to review practice in the unit, supported by comparison and communication with other units, assisted in implementing this change in practice.
Paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (...
Resuscitative care for a child with suspected PIMS-TS associated with SARS-CoV-2
Maternal experiences of domestic abuse and effects on the mother’s approach to parenting
Maternal experiences of domestic abuse can have detrimental effects on mothers’ parenting
Use of subcutaneous fluids in palliative care with children: a case study
A discussion of subcutaneous fluid therapy in the children’s palliative care setting
CPD articles
Biological basis of child health 6: skeletal system and orthopaedic conditions
An overview of the development of the skeletal system before and after birth
Biological basis of child health 5: development of the respiratory system and elements...
Development of the respiratory system and conditions that can occur in infants and children
BLS for children with a learning or physical disability and an altered body shape
Nurses need to undertake basic life support effectively while complying with guidelines
Equipping nurses to de-escalate conflict and communicate challenging information
This article considers some of the challenging situations children’s nurses may encounter
Biological basis of child health 4: an overview of the central nervous system and...
This article is the fourth in a series on the biological basis of child health
Biological basis of child health 3: development of the cardiovascular system and...
Cardiovascular system development during gestation and how congenital heart defects arise
Practice question
Debunking myths: can you over-oxygenate a child?
There are often inconsistencies about what the levels of oxygen for children should be
A to Z of syndromes
A-Z syndromes: Congenital Zika syndrome
First identified in 2015, there is no vaccine for this virus
A-Z syndromes: Yunis-Varon syndrome
An insight into this rare genetic disorder in which both parents are recessive gene carriers
A-Z of syndromes: X-linked ichthyosis
An insight into this genetic disorder occurring in 1 in 6,000 infant males
A-Z of syndromes: Waardenburg syndrome
Waardenburg syndrome is a genetic disorder that gives people a distinctive appearance
A-Z of syndromes: Usher syndrome
Understanding Usher syndrome which is found in approximately 10,000 people in the UK
A-Z Syndromes: Tay-Sachs disease
An insight into this genetic disorder which carries a poor prognosis and is often fatal