Nursing the Addison’s patient: notes for nurses July 2020

'Nursing the Addison's patient: notes for nurses' was written with hospital ward nursing staff in mind, for those times when anyone with Addison's becomes an inpatient. This might be for elective surgery or during the recovery from an adrenal crisis.

This leaflet has been authored by the Addison's Clinical Advisory Panel, with assistance from specialist endocrine nurse Nikki Kieffer.

The ADSHG's enquiries during 2012 suggest that over half of the UK’s nursing colleges do not yet cover steroid-dependence in their undergraduate curriculum. This means that many ward nurses will have no understanding of the importance of steroid medication or how quickly anyone with Addison's could experience the damaging effects of steroid deprivation, especially during the recovery from surgery or a crisis.

The leaflet is © ADSHG March 2013. It may be copied for personal use or by medical practitioners for the education of their colleagues. Otherwise it should not be reproduced without written permission of the ADSHG.