The roles of health care professionals are rapidly evolving. Over recent years, the nursing profession has taken on new challenges and extended roles in respect of patient care. Many nurses in senior roles work autonomously and at a higher level of practice, engaging in flexible cross boundary partnership working. In order to undertake such roles effectively, guidance is required to maintain standards. This article presents an overview of the development and implementation of a new dermatology pocket guide in Scotland.
Janice Bianchi, Medical Education Specialist/Honorary Lecturer Glasgow University MSc, BSc, RGN, RMN, Pg Cert TLHE,
Barbara Page, RGN, DipN BN, ENB 25, Dermatology Liaison Nurse, NHS Fife
Sheila Robertson, RGN, Dermatology Liaison Nurse, NHS Fife.
Article accepted for publication: June 2012
Frequent or complex mealtime difficulties can have adverse effects on relationships within families. Such issues require community-based prevention and early intervention to optimise the emotional well-being of families.
This article describes the relational component of mealtime difficulties, the effects on the emotional well-being and family relationships and the perceived needs of families for new service developments at a community level. In contrast to most of the literature regarding mealtime difficulties, which focus on behaviour training, parenting skills and nutrition education, this article concludes that the primary aim of an intervention for mealtime difficulties in the community should be to optimise interactions and relationships within families through a holistic, interdisciplinary approach.
Acknowledgements:
The authors would like to express heartfelt thanks to caregivers who participated in this study, colleagues who reviewed the questionnaire and LINK, Communities For Children and Regional Development Australia who funded this project.
Denise Stapleton Accredited Practising Dietitian, PhD, Private Practitioner, Perth, Australia.
Gillian Griffiths, Occupational Therapist, Private Practitioner, Karratha, Australia
Jill Sherriff, School of Public Health, Associate Professor, Lecturer, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Australia.
Article accepted for publication: June 2012
Mary Hickson & Margaret Hill describe the development, audit & training of community nurses in the use of a nutritional assessment tool for the elderly.
A report by the National Patient Safety Agency based on an analysis of over 200,000 falls, found that the majority of falls resulted in no harm; however other consequences such as a loss of confidence, increased likelihood of discharge to a residential or nursing home or an increased length of stay in the hospital cannot be easily captured or quantified. This article reports on a study undertaken to identify the risk factors and trends present in a cohort of patients that have suffered a fall in a community hospital.
Chetan Shah MPharm, Dip Clin Pharm, Cert Psych Ther., Principal Pharmacist – Community Services, Ealing Hospital NHS Trust,
Gillian Williams, MSc,BSc, RGN, Modern Matron, Ealing Hospital NHS Trust,
Jaikishan Joshi and Roobi Aziz, Research Students, School of Pharmacy, University of Hertfordshire.
Article accepted for publication: January 2012
Caring for people approaching the end stages of their lives can be a challenging yet immensely rewarding area in which to work. Front line staff such as nurses and therapists are the visible face of care provision; however, the organisation and co-ordination of service provision from support and administrative staff can have a tangible impact upon the quality of service provision received by the patients and their families. This article aims to give a brief outline of how one community healthcare organisation developed a system and associated processes to provide a single point of referral for end of life care from a range of community nursing services.
Sue Pender PGDE, BSc (Hons) RN, Modern Matron, City Health Care Partnership Community Interest Group (CIC), Priory Park East, Hull
Fiona Pearce, NVQ, IV, RSA, Secretary to the End of Life Care Team, City Health Care Partnership CIC
Article accepted for publication: July 2012
It is estimated that approximately 820,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, and numbers are rising. Optimising treatment and care outcomes for those with dementia is vital. However, studies have shown that care is falling far short of what it needs to; people with dementia are not being supported in the early stages of the condition due to lack of early diagnosis and poor community support. This article outlines a novel approach to dementia care.
Zoë Elkins, Head of Care Strategy, The Good Care Group, London
Article accepted for publication: May 2012
