The cost of diabetic foot ulcer management is estimated at around £300 million a year, but the true prevalence of diabetic foot disease is unknown, making the potential economic and personal burden of diabetes treatment and complications inestimable. This article will explore diabetic foot aetiology, risk factors for diabetic foot disease, prevention strategies and briefly discuss the management of people with diabetic foot disease
Maureen Benbow MSc, BA, RGN, HERC, Senior Lecturer, University of Chester
Article accepted for publication: May 2012
The prevalence of incontinence is significant in care settings. However, care is often focussed on containing the problem rather than establishing and treating the underlying cause. In order to assess the appropriateness of product usage, and therefore give an indication of quality of continence care within our organisation, we undertook a review. This article, a previous entry in the JCN Writing Awards, describes the methodology and results and identified areas for practice improvement.
Tendayi Masuko, Bsc. Hons. Health and Social Care, BSc Hons. Specialist Practitioner/ District Nursing, Dip. Higher Education (RGN), PG Cert. Dev. Mgt, Nurse Independent/Supplementary Prescriber. Continence Nurse Specialist, Project lead, Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust
Millions of people across the world are affected by lymphoedema. Physical treatments commonly combine skin care, compression therapy, exercise and manual lymphatic drainage. Increasingly, surgery has been recognised as providing benefits for some individuals with lymphoedema, although the evidence is still limited. This article overviews lymphoedema types and treatments, discusses different surgical approaches for people with lymphoedema, and the implications for community nurses.
Dr Anne Williams Nurse Consultant/ Researcher, Esk Lymphology, Midlothian
Article accepted for publication: January 2012
People with leg ulceration are predominantly treated in a community setting either in their own home, a clinic or a general practice surgery. Access to high quality, effective care is vital for timely healing. This article will consider aspects of the National Health Service quality agenda and how these align to leg ulcer care using national venous leg ulcer guidelines as a framework. The purpose of this is to prompt both practitioners and managers to consider the current provision of leg ulcer care and how this might stand up to scrutiny from a quality perspective.
Irene Anderson reader in Learning and Teaching in Healthcare Practice, and Programme Tutor, Tissue Viability, University of Hertfordshire.
Article accepted for publication: May 2012
Mental health is a serious public health issue that warrants attention and action by all involved in health and wellbeing strategies. The recent National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for Common Mental Health Disorders highlights that Common Mental Disorders (CMD), such as anxiety and depression can be found in one in six people in the community at any one time. Of those identified, half will have significant symptoms that require interventions from healthcare professionals. In view of the suffering and impact that this has on the holistic aspects of the individual, family and society, it requires a whole systems proactive approach in detecting, managing and preventing further episodes.
Thomas J. Currid RMN, RNT, BSc (Hons) PGCE, Pg Dip (CBT), M.A., Senior Lecturer in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, London South Bank University, London, UK
Marie Horgan RGN, RMN, Dip Mgt, CLTHE, MSc, Principal Lecturer in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, London South Bank University, London, UK
Article accepted for publication: October 2011
Smoking has been identified as one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and smokers are almost twice as likely to have a myocardial infarction compared to non-smokers This article, a JCN Writing Award entry, will analyse the smoking-related disease process associated with nicotine. An appraisal of the cost of smoking prevalence on the National Health In relation to government strategy, an exploration of its efficacy, cost and uptake of the programme across the socioeconomic groups will be analysed.
Emma Sadler RGN, Staff Nurse, Leighton Hospital, Crewe
This article critically evaluates the evidence and guidelines relating to the current cervical screening policy in England. The findings are benchmarked against policies in the rest of the developed world to enable both a comparison of the interpretation of research and guidelines by other agencies, and identification of good practice worldwide. Evidence pertaining to the age at which screening is commenced will constitute the prominent discussion point.
Robyn Lotto, RGN, Dip HE, BA (hons), MSc (merit) NIHR Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Glenfield Hospital, Groby Rd, Leicester
Jane Williams, MA, BSc (Hons), RCNT, RNT, RGN., Senior Lecturer, Huddersfield University
Article accepted for publication: February 2012
