Life at the sharp end

At the Sharp End: developing and validating Safety Critical Software

Whatever methods and tools are used to generate and maintain the safety case for a project, at some stage the software needs to be developed, verified and validated. With its associated documentation set, this can easily become a very expensive and time consuming exercise, which is largely repeated for each version. This paper examines some of the key issues that impact time and cost, shares pr...

Chapter 2. Nurses at the “Sharp End” of Patient Care

The work environment in which nurses provide care to patients can determine the quality and safety of patient care. As the largest health care workforce, nurses apply their knowledge, skills, and experience to care for the various and changing needs of patients. A large part of the demands of patient care is centered on the work of nurses. When care falls short of standards, whether because of ...

Dimensions of Futility at the End of Life: Nurses’ Experiences in Intensive Care Units

Background and aims: The concept and meaning of futile care depends on the existing culture, values,religion, beliefs, medical achievements, and emotional status of a country. In Iran, futile care hasbecome a challenge for nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs). Considering the differencesobserved in defining futile care based on the patients’ conditions and the nurses’...

Celebrating life at the end of life: the Birthday Brigade.

Do we ever really stop to think about what our birthday means? A birthday is a celebration created especially for us. It can be a once-a-year reflection on the true celebrations in our lives: our accomplishments, the hurdles we have conquered, and the tears we have cried. A birthday can be a chance to spend time with those who feel blessed because we were born; the people we choose to stand bes...

Conversations at the end of life.