Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
The literature supported the use of appropriately timed and planned
phone contacts as a cost effective means of providing a continuum
of nurse-patient contact (Hawkshaw, 1994). In this pilot study the
authors tested the telephone method not only for data collection but
also for delivering the Nurse-Coached Intervention. All subjects
responded positively to the phone call (O’Neil et al, 2000).
A series of studies by members of our research team identified the
following symptoms as most frequently causing distress: pain,
nausea/vomiting, constipation, immobility, fatigue and sleep pattern
disturbances (O'Neil & Fairchild, 1995). Since this study involved
several nurses providing the coaching intervention, it was necessary
to develop guidelines to assure consistency and reliability. For each
of these symptoms, the authors developed symptom management
guidelines. (Figure 1. Symptom Management Guideline: Pain) Each
guideline addressed: assessment, method of current management,
evaluation of adequacy of current management, specific
interventions and instructions and reported outcomes.
In addition the authors wrote and produced a training video
demonstrating a coaching intervention using the pain symptom
management guideline (Fairchild, Olivieri, & O’Neil 2001). This video
was used in orientation of the hospital nursing staff, students and
faculty.
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