"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

This unique, spiral-bound handbook is compact, portable, and written with busy home health nurses in mind! Organized by body system, it offers instant advice on assessment and care planning for the disorders home health nurses are likely to encounter. Providing assessment guides for all body systems, the home environment, and the client's psychological status, it includes full care plans for over 50 illnesses and conditions most commonly encountered in the home. Each plan lists nursing diagnoses, short- and long-term expected outcomes, nursing interventions, and client caregiver interventions. Care plans are organized by body systems to allow for quick retrieval of information. Both short-term and long-term outcomes are included in the care plans to aid evaluation of the care provided. Detailed assessment guidelines are provided for all body systems to facilitate complete and comprehensive client examinations. Guidelines for environmental and safety assessments aid in the appraisal and improvement of clients' living conditions. Client and caregiver interventions are outlined in the care plans to promote active client participation in self-care. The convenient pocket size makes transportation and use convenient to home health nurses. Appendices on documentation guidelines, laboratory values, medication administration, home care resources, and standard precautions provide quick access to useful home care information. Related OASIS items are identified in the assessment section, and ICD-9 diagnostic codes in the care plans section assist with proper home care documentation. Visit frequency and duration schedules are suggested within each care plan to assist nurses in evaluating and planning care. NANDA nursing diagnoses are consistent with the latest 2001-2002 nomenclature. An increase in suggested therapy referrals within the care plans and in a new appendix helps nurses identify indicators for specialized services. A fully updated Resources Appendix includes websites for easy access to home health service information.

Professional reference for Nurses on Home Health Care

Now in paperback—the most comprehensive home health reference bestseller Millions of people around the world have relied on The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook for quick access to authoritative, accessible health information. Written by more than 300 internationally respected medical experts, this comprehensive medical resource features extensive, up-to-date coverage of health care for newborns, the elderly, and everyone in between. Contains reliable, up-to-date information on a broad range of medical conditions, illnesses, and situations, including accidents and injuries, aging, cancer, diabetes, digestive disorders, heart disease, mental health disorders, and many others Covers men's, women's, pediatric (both newborns and older children), and geriatric health issues Well organized and extensively indexed to make information easy to find An extraordinary bargain at a penny a page The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook is filled with essential medical information that’s both easy to find and easy to understand in order to help you communicate more effectively with your doctor, understand a diagnosis or treatment option, or simply know more about your health and the health of those you care about.

The second edition of Providing Home Care: A Textbook for Home Health Aides, the accompanying workbook, and the instructor?s guide are now available!This book will help your aides master what they need to know to provide excellent, compassionate care to clients with very different needs.This book is organized around learning objectives with colored tabs for easy location of material.The second edition contains new and/or updated information on: HIPPA and protecting a client's privacy MRSA and VRE Care for the client with COPD Cultural sensitivity Hip replacement care Mercury-free thermometers Disinfection and sterilization NEW two-step procedure for taking blood pressure We also condensed and made the anatomy and physiology chapter more basic, added chapter review questions, and updated the design and many of the illustrations.

This book is designed to foster quality care to home care recipients. It is written for companions, home health aides, and other care givers who deliver non-medical home care. Prieto provides information, tips, and techniques on personal care routines as well as additional responsibilities that are often necessary in this work, including home safety and maintenance, meal planning, errand running, caring for couples, and making use of recreational time. Going beyond standard nurses' aide training manuals, the book focuses on the psycho-social needs of home care recipients, stressing the need to maintain the house as a home and sustaining the recipient's way of life throughout caregiving situations. Prieto stresses interpersonal skills that benefit recipient and caregiver, creating a systematic, easy-to-follow plan for delivering quality service and maintaining, or improving, quality of life.