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JULY – DECEMBER 2007 VOL-8, NO.2 PELCE ROLES: A WAY TO QUALITY CARE IN NURSING * Kamala S, M.Sc (N)., Ph.D ABSTRACT Nurses’ roles and administrative responsibilities have multiplied over the past 20 years. The PELCE roles as coined by the author are Practitioner, Educator, Leader, Communicator and Evaluator and is presented as a model. The PELCE roles of clinical nurses are essential to strengthen the profession and to provide quality care in nursing. These pentagonal roles complement each other and strengthen the registered nurse as a professional. A nurse who possesses all these five qualities in the right proportion and uses them in her job, is an asset to the profession and to the society. The various strategies needed to strengthen these roles are discussed. TAKE HOME EXAMINATION IN ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION * Greeda Alexander, M.Sc (N) ABSTRACT Traditional methods of evaluation are widely used in a variety of educational settings. Educational evaluation is a systematic and continuous process of determining the effectiveness of the learning experiences provided in the classroom. An innovative method of evaluation that can be used by teachers in assessing learning is explored in this article. Take Home Examination is an evaluation method that gives opportunities to be self directing. It helps the students to think critically and analytically, synthesize and present argumentative and supportive reasons, and write effectively in the narrative way. The various forms of Take Home Examination, how to face this examination and its advantages are discussed. Many misconceptions which eliminate this type of evaluation in our educational settings are also presented. CARDIAC TAMPONADE – A CASE REPORT * Leah Macaden, M.Sc (N) ABSTRACT Cardiac tamponade is a serious and life threatening crisis that warrants prompt assessment and intervention. This often results following cardiac surgery on an inflammation of the pericardial tissue. Pericardiocentesis is the usual treatment of Choice which requires to be done within seconds of establishing the diagnosis. Nurses working in an Accident and Emergency setting have a crucial role to play in triaging and assisting with life saving measures in a patient who presents with a cardiac tamponade. This article describes the essential highlights of cardiac tamponade and an interesting case report of a 39 year old gentleman who presented with cardiac tamponade and was successfully managed by the team in the Department of Accident and Emergency Services of the Christian Medical College, Vellore. PATIENT SAFETY THROUGH PREVENTION OF HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS * Meenakshi Sekar, M.Sc (N) ABSTRACT Major concern of today’s health care is prevention of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs). Infections acquired during or as a result of hospitalization are known as Hospital Acquired Infections. HAIs are endogenous or exogenous. The common Hospital Acquired Infections, their causative agents and the preventive measures are presented in this article. LEARNING APPROACHES AND LEARNING DIFFICULTIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF JUNIOR AND SENIOR UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS * Shreemathi S. Mayya, M.Sc (N)., M.Ed., Ph.D ABSTRACT Approaches to Learning Inventory (ALI), developed in South India was administered to undergraduate students of College of Nursing, Manipal to compare the learning approaches and learning difficulties of junior and senior nursing students. First and second year nursing students were clubbed together and named as juniors (n=94) and the third and fourth year students were termed as seniors (n=90). The scores on various scales of the inventory indicated that juniors were more anxious and less confident regarding examination and course completion, and had significantly less positive perception about academic capability. They adopted more surface approach and were significantly poor in organized study. The language problem was significantly greater for junior students. Further, higher percentages of juniors experienced various academic and non-academic problems. Likely causes for the above problems and implications of the study are discussed. CONTINUING EDUCATION SERIES – NO:13 * Florence Segaran, M.Sc (N) ABSTRACT Nutritional support is a vital aspect in the care of critically ill patients. It is now widely accepted that the treatment and prevention of malnutrition depend on the early nutritional interventions which may favorably influence the course of critical illness. The critical care nurse needs sound scientific knowledge to assess and meet such nutritional needs. This article reviews the causes and effects of malnutrition, nutritional assessment, nutritional requirement of critically ill patients, methods of nutritional support and nursing interventions pertaining to nutritional support for the critically ill. |