With record-keeping featuring as prominently as ever in the new NMC Code of Conduct, Amanda Andrews and Bernie St Aubyn examine the importance of keeping your notes up to date, not only to protect your patients, but also to stay on the right side of the law... While keeping good records is an essential professional and legal requirement of being a nurse, we all know that in reality it is a job that many of us — at one time or another — have put off for later. Good records promote continuity of care through clear communication; demonstrate the quality of care delivered; and provide the evidence necessary for any legal proceedings. Conversely, poor records have a negative impact on care delivery and clinical decision-making (Inan and Dinc, 2013).
Community placements may be a great way to learn what goes on outside the hospital. But what are they actually like for students? Jason Beckford-Ball spoke to one adult nursing student, Elisa Mais, about her experience of life in the community...
In the not-too-distant past nursing students regarded a community placement as a chance to spend some time away from the hectic pace of the wards — the hours were 9–5 and you got to drive around in the community nurse’s car. How times have changed.
Thursday November 19, 2015 is this year’s STOP Pressure Ulcer Day. This will be the fourth year in a row that people across Europe have worked to increase the awareness of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment among health professionals, policymakers and the public. Each year the range and volume of activities has increased and 2015 promises to be the biggest STOP Pressure Ulcer Day yet.
Diane Cuff, head of family carers and community wellbeing, Shropshire Rural Community Council, Shrewsbury
Preventing pressure ulcers is essential for both the patient and the NHS, as failing to do so results in considerable pain and discomfort to the individual, delayed discharge, higher treatment costs and the threat of legal action. In this article however, I will consider the costs to the family, in particular the carers, and the key role they play in preventing pressure ulcers within the home. To help illustrate these issues, I have focused on the experiences of one family carer and the questions this case raises for community care and carer support.
Alex Munro is a registered nurse with a background in unscheduled care as a nurse practitioner. He is the co-founder and clinical director of Hallam Medical, the primary care recruitment specialist.
Is it me, or is simply being a nurse becoming more difficult than ever before? What with the pressures of the workplace, constant media coverage and ever-present politics, nurses could be forgiven for forgetting why they chose the profession in the first place.
Jayne Hollinshead, regional project lead, Midlands, Institute of Health Visiting.
The Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) was established as a national charity over two years ago, with the aim of supporting excellence in health visiting by strengthening professional leadership and providing high-quality training and education. The hope is that this will lead to improved health for children, families and communities.
Advances in health care mean a longer life expectancy for many patients, however quality of life has not improved proportionately. Sana Zakaria looks at the pressures to provide health care for a rapidly ageing population living with multiple comorbidities.
By 2018, it is predicted that about three million people will be living with multiple long-term conditions, which will cost the NHS and social care an extra £5 billion (Department of Health [DH], 2012a). Cardiovascular disease is a long-term condition affecting around seven million people in the UK, and is often accompanied by a plethora of other conditions in the ageing population. Cardiovascular disease was responsible for nearly 30% of all deaths in the UK in 2013, and is one of the largest causes of disability in the country (DH, 2013).
With the government looking to cut costs across the healthcare landscape, identifying comparable but cheaper treatment options can help you make savings. Here, Tracey Morgan, clinical nurse specialist tissue viability, takes a look at the facts...
The challenges facing the NHS now and in the future are well publicised, as is the need for significant change if it is to avoid widespread overspend, or decline in the quality of care delivered (NHS England, 2014). The population is ageing and this, coupled with medical and technological advances, means that more people are living for longer with multiple comorbidities such as diabetes, putting increasing strain on NHS budgets (NHS England, 2014).
Plenty of scare stories surrounded the NMC’s release of its new revalidation requirements, with anything from excessive practice hours and patient feedback making many nurses uneasy about their future registration. Here, Alex Munro takes a look at the facts...
As a nurse or midwife, you will no doubt be aware of the impending changes to the way that you will have to renew your professional registration with the NMC. So what are the changes and what will they mean for you?
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...
