Maxillofacial Nursing Care

This book aims to provide understanding of clinical conditions which can rapidly deteriorate, as this is fundamental to safe clinical practice, irrespective of professional background. It will help practicing nurses maintain their knowledge base at a level appropriate to their clinical practice, including management of these conditions.

Maxillofacial surgeons are commonly involved in the management of surgical specialties affecting the head and neck. Many maxillofacial units now provide a regional service and are therefore not present in all hospitals. Nevertheless patients may require specialist care before being discharged or transferred to another ward/hospital. Nursing care of such patients can be considered as 'generalised' (the basic nursing care that all patients receive) and 'specialised' (the care specific to the patient's circumstances). While many maxillofacial conditions and their treatment are non urgent, a few are considered life or sight-threatening and require immediate nursing and medical care. Maxillofacial nursing is therefore a highly specialised area of nursing, but practice and exposure to this during undergraduate training may be limited. Qualified nurses trained in other specialist areas may also be called upon to care for these patients as they may also have coexisting problems while in hospital undergoing treatment for unrelated conditions.