Limiting Harm in Health Care: A Nursing Perspective

Limiting Harm in Health Care highlights the potential for unnecessary harm in health care practice. This harm is mostly unintentional, but it can result from many different aspects of medical treatment in a wide range of practice areas. Adverse events, events or omissions during clinical care resulting in physical or psychological injury, are increasingly being recognised as significant problems in health care. Following clarification of the nature and extent of medical harm in health care, separate chapters explore the potential for medical harm in diverse areas of practice. Topics include problems in the use of medication, the treatment of acute heart disease, the role of hospital routine and the potentially negative role of medically dominated treatment in mental illness and palliative care. The book includes recommendations for reducing unnecessary harm within the expanding boundaries of nursing practice. The reader is challenged to assess the potential risks inherent in the health care system, to reconsider established methods of treatment, and to re-examine professional working relationships.Content: Chapter 1 Introduction, Aims and Mapping Health Care (pages 1–16): Frank Milligan and Kate RobinsonChapter 2 Defining Medicine and the Nature of Iatrogenic Harm (pages 17–41): Frank MilliganChapter 3 Being a Professional ? A Defence Against Causing Harm? (pages 42–60): Kate RobinsonChapter 4 Harm Reduction in Context ? The Scope of Nursing Practice (pages 61–78): John Wilkinson and Joan P. McDowallChapter 5 Expanding Nurse Prescribing and the Hidden Harm within Modern Drug Therapy (pages 79–106): Jennifer KellyChapter 6 Shifts in the Care of Hyperactive Children (pages 107–126): Ponnusamy Ganeson and Uttom ChowdhuryChapter 7 The Medicalisation of Mental Health Practice ? Lessons from the Care of Patients who Deliberately Self?Harm (pages 127–148): Alastair McElroyChapter 8 Complaints as a Measure of Harm ? Lessons from Community Health Councils (pages 149–170): Angeline BurkeChapter 9 Nurse Diagnosed Myocardial Infarction ? Hidden Nurse Work and Iatrogenic Risk (pages 171–193): Denise Flisher and Marilyn BurnChapter 10 Talking Harm, Whispering Death ? An Exploration of Iatrogenic Harm in Palliative Care (pages 194–215): Valerie YoungChapter 11 NHS Direct ? Reducing Unnecessary Harm in Health Care through Information Technology and Shifting Nurse Roles (pages 216–235): Richard Winter and Stuart ThompsonChapter 12 Avoiding Harm in Medical Care ? A Doctor's Perspective (pages 236–254): Donald RichardsonChapter 13 Limiting Harm in Future Health Care ? The Role of Nursing (pages 255–273): Frank Milligan and Kate Robinson