A Rapid Review on the Management of Constipation for Hospice and Palliative Care Patients.

Constipation is a distressing symptom that has a high prevalence in patients receiving hospice and palliative care services, particularly in cases of opioid use. A thorough assessment, root cause analysis, monitoring, and prophylactic approach are essential for symptom management and quality of life. This rapid review assessed studies published between 2018 and 2023 to identify strategies implemented by health care professionals to prevent and/or mitigate this distressing symptom. We identified 12 articles that addressed constipation in palliative and end-of-life settings and reported on the need for multifactorial management approaches with a focus on patient-centered care that includes the caregiver(s). Bedside nurses play a key role in assessing, identifying, and managing constipation. Proper documentation and communication with the interdisciplinary team help direct earlier intervention and ongoing awareness of constipation issues. Additional research is needed on specific tools and enhanced guidelines to ensure constipation is frequently addressed and preemptively managed.

End-of-Life Doulas.

Doula is a Greek word meaning "woman caregiver", and an "experienced woman who helps other women" [4].

Why 4 years when 3 will do? Enhanced knowledge for rural nursing practice.

In Australia, debates over the appropriate length of undergraduate nursing programs have a long history. Submissions from both universities and industry to key government reports have consistently argued that the current minimum entry level of practice, a three-year program, is too short to enable students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for the contemporary nursing role. Despite these submissions, the established entry level for nursing practice in Australia remains a three-year undergraduate bachelor degree. However, there is a small group of high-achieving students who will begin practice at the end of a four-year program. Little is known about these programs, or the students who are currently enrolled in them. Designed as a collaborative endeavour, based on co-operative inquiry, the study discussed in this article aimed to provide an insight into aspects of a four-year undergraduate nursing program. Potentially, the broader theoretical and clinical preparation that is possible in a four-year program provides students with enhanced learning opportunities that will enable them to graduate with more confidence and greater ability. In this study a four-year program provided an opportunity for a regional university to prepare students for the demanding realities of a complex area of practice, rural nursing.