Incontinence can affect people of all ages and genders and can have devastating psychological, social and financial implications for the individual and his or her family. Many people may fail to seek help with incontinence for years due to embarrassment and stigma, which in turn can lead to social isolation. The prevalence of bladder and bowel incontinence is increasing worldwide, in part due to an ageing population — more people are being looked after in residential and nursing homes than ever before and admissions to acute care due to incontinence-associated conditions have increased. All of these factors increase the burden of care on health and social care staff, potentially leading to a lack of quality services. Dignity is internationally accepted as a fundamental human right, yet a host of public inquiries (such as the Francis Report [2013] in the UK) repeatedly raise the issue of failure to respect patient’s dignity, particularly in relation to continence care. This article explores why continence care causes such complicated issues and how community nurses can help to ensure it is seen as an essential element of care, rather than being dismissed as only requiring basic skills.
Shingles is a condition caused by reactivation of the herpes virus that is responsible for varicella (chickenpox). It results in a painful, vesicular rash that can have a devastating effect on patients. It can also have long-lasting effects such as pain and increased risk of vascular conditions such as stroke for patients under the age of 40. Being that shingles is not a notifiable disease, most of the information available on its incidence is inaccurate and based mostly on estimate studies. The health prevention of this virus is of extreme importance as a vaccination programme is made available to eligible individuals. Patients that develop shingles under the age of 40 can also be assessed for the risks of developing vascular conditions.
Sue Hill was previously a district nurse in the New Forest and is now the community nurse advisor for NHS England.
Through events and consultations held by the Queen’s Nursing Institute’s (QNI) homeless health network, community nurses are identifying emerging issues affecting their patients and their workforce.
We’ve grown used to reading headlines about the NHS on a daily basis recently — NHS in crisis; Casualty nightmare exposed; A&E performance dips to new lows — to the point where they start to lose their impact.
One of my New Year resolutions was to lose weight by the end of 2015. I’ve also vowed to start formally collecting my portfolio evidence in preparation for my own revalidation later in the year. I’m not entirely sure which of these resolutions it will be easier to stick to... Find out more.
Welcome to JCN’s learning zone. By reading the article in each issue, 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.
In each issue of the Journal of Community Nursing we investigate a hot topic currently affecting our readers. Here, Jason Beckford-Ball looks at icreased NHS privatisation and asks the question...
Student nurses have always learnt from qualified staff, in the past on the wards under matron and more recently on placement fro university. With job opportunities for nurses growing ever-more varied, Emily Carney explains what it was like to spend some time with a tissue viability team in Worcestershire...
