Key learning points: Given the increasing prevalence of type 1 diabetes in children and young people, it is important to maintain an up-to-date register, in line with the quality and outcomes framework, of those diagnosed with the condition in your area Know the signs and symptoms to ensure rapid referral for diagnosis, treatment and effective…
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A difficult situation was turned around by a capable, kind nursing professional In the last issue, I related the wretched experience of a hospitalised friend, berating the uncoordinated care that raised anxieties, unnecessarily delaying her discharge. She was a Monday admission to a teaching hospital, with an excellent staff ratio and no agency nurses –…
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Working with homeless families comes with its fair share of challenges, but what is it like on a day-to-day basis? Many health visiting teams across the UK currently have a ‘vulnerable families’ or ‘specialist team’ set up on a needs-led basis, with the aim of reducing the health deficit in complex families. One of the…
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Key learning points: Alcohol is linked to many conditions seen in primary care and its contribution is frequently not recognised Very few patients who present in primary care are dependent upon alcohol and in need of a medically assisted detoxification Drinkers often have a series of physical, psychological and social problems and positive outcomes are…
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Failures in the NHS aren’t unheard of, but how often does disorganisation get in the way of simple care Greater thinkers than I have implied that the NHS is a lumbering, archaic, uncoordinated organisation. Yet I have vigorously defended its virtues and excused its shortcomings having given 40 years commitment to it. But recently I…
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FGM is recognised as “child abuse” and “violence against women” but yet thousands of women in the UK have been subjected to it. Nursing in Practice speaks to FGM specialist nurse Juliet Albert about why she thinks it is still happening and how the UK can eradicate it In 2003 Juliet Albert, a then qualified…
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As the Government announces the end of training student bursaries, nurses are warning that this will make university courses unaffordable   From August 2017, student nurses starting undergraduate degree-level training in England will no longer have tuition fees and living expenses funded through the NHS bursary. Instead, they will need to take out a student loan,…
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Key learning points: Understanding pulmonary hypertension Recognising patients that might have pulmonary hypertension Investigations to carry out when this is suspected Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic condition affecting more than 6,000 people in the UK, although many more are thought to live with it undiagnosed. PH is an intricate condition and little known outside…
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Key learning points: Pneumonia is a common and serious condition, it’s one of the leading causes of respiratory admissions and mortality Certain groups are at higher risk of pneumonia – older people and children, smokers and people who are immunosuppressed It is essential to use a severity scoring system to identify which patients can be…
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The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has been asked by the Government to regulate the new nursing associate role.