By reading the article, you can learn all about the key principles of subjects that are vital to your role as a community nurse. Once you have read the article, visit www.jcn.co.uk/learning-zone/ to evaluate your knowledge on this topic by answering the 10 questions in the e-learning unit; all answers can be found in the article. If you answer the questions correctly, you can download your certificate, which can be used in your continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio as evidence of your continued learning.
Compression therapy can play a vital role in improving the quality of life for those with chronic venous insufficiency, chronic oedema and lymphoedema (Lymphoedema Framework, 2006; World Union of Wound Healing Societies [WUWHS], 2008). In particular, compression bandaging can facilitate wound healing and oedema reduction in the treatment phase of management, before further healing and maintenance with compression hosiery.
Jason Beckford-Ball looks at the increase in lifestyle-related conditions like stroke and asks the question...
Is community nursing in danger of becoming an emergency service?
Ever complained about a lack of proper resources, the difficulty of getting the right dressing, or the traffic on your morning commute? Sue Hill takes us on a visit to rural Uganda, where access to any healthcare at all is a luxury that many can’t afford...
With the Conservative party defying the polls and exceeding the nation’s expectations by winning a clear majority, what could the next five years mean for the NHS and community nurses?
A new UK-wide community pilot project for people with chronic kidney disease is due to start in summer 2015. ASSIST-CKD — a programme to spread eGFR graph surveillance for the early identification, support and treatment of people with progressive chronic kidney disease — is supported by the Health Foundation and led by Kidney Research UK, the national charity dedicated to research that will lead to better treatments and cures for kidney disease.
At the end of 2014, Colostomy Association trustee, Wendy Hetherington, launched a new national helpline for parents of children with bowel and bladder dysfunction. The Junior Ostomy Support Helpline (JOSH) is staffed entirely by parents of children with bowel and bladder conditions and provides a much-needed lifeline to families.
Before any members of the general public jet-off for an exotic holiday this summer, there is one person they will have to see first — and it’s not their travel agent. The majority of UK travel health and immunisation advice is provided by practice nurses, and with the growth of foreign travel this is fast becoming an integral part of the service we deliver.
At Marie Curie we like to think we are there for people living with any terminal illness and their families. We offer expert guidance to help people get the most from their time and believe that everyone living with a terminal illness should have access to the care and support they need to meet their individual needs.
In each issue of JCN we ask a clinical expert in a particular field to take a look at a therapy area and examine some everyday problems that community nurses may experience. In this issue, we look at an important precursor to compression therapy...
Compression therapy is the ‘gold standard’ for patients with lower limb problems. But achieving success is about more than simply applying compression bandaging or hosiery. We asked Trudie Young, tissue viability nurse and director of education and training at the Welsh Wound Innovation Centre, how to ensure that the limb is properly prepared to receive compression, a process that involves assessment, good skin care and debridement.
