Editorial Resources

As we take time to reflect over the past eighteen months, I am sure that many of us find it difficult to process everything that has happened and all the changes that we have been forced to make. Throughout, we have worked to maintain the safety of our patients and teams and have barely had time to consider our own wellbeing. As we now try to return to some kind of normality, remember to take time for yourself — to renew and refresh. Consider a team night out to socialise and support each other and

have some fun in a different environment. Make plans, share thoughts and look after yourselves and each other. Read our community matters feature (pp. 10–17) — you are not alone.

It is always great to hear about inspiring initiatives in the community which are making a real difference to people lives, such as Gemma Hawtin’s wheelchair skills programme for children,‘Making Stuff Better’, to help them develop independence and participation (pp. 18–19). This piece shows how by working as a team and being open to new ideas, creativity and service improvement can flourish. The work of ERIC, the Children’s Bladder and Bowel Service, also demonstrates this, as despite the challenges of the pandemic, it has diversified to enable the charity not only to survive, but also thrive (pp. 30–31).

The journal again has a variety of clinical articles which cover conditions you face during your day-to-day caseloads. Annemarie Brown takes a thoughtful look at skin damage at the end of life and why some injury is perhaps unavoidable (pp. 36–41). There is also a useful article on catheter valves and how they can help to improve the chances of normal bladder function after removing a catheter (pp. 52–56), while the fourth part in our dementia series explores issues relating to dementia and continence and their impact on patients and families (pp. 58–62).

As always, I hope you enjoy reading this issue. If you have any ideas for articles, please get in touch, as it is always great to hear from our readers. And finally, here at JCN, we are delighted to say that our exhibition and study days are now back on the road. So, why not take a look to see when we are next in your area — www.jcn.co.uk/events/series/roadshow-study-day.

Annette Bades, editor-in-chief, JCN

An extremely important issue for all healthcare professionals working within the community is the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC’s) review of post-registration qualifications in specialist community and public health nursing. This issue’s ‘community matters’ piece gives you all the information you need to have your say on the potential changes (pp. 8–10). Please take the time to read the article and voice your views.

Burnout, mental health, stress, anxiety and depression are words which are constantly being associated with health and social care professionals as a result of the burden of the pandemic. So, it is encouraging to learn how Help for Heroes, which is all too familiar with the emotional toll that any traumatic event can cause as a result of working with veterans and their families, has drawn on its experience and knowledge to develop free resources to support healthcare professionals and their families during these difficult times (p. 18). Rona Dury also offers some useful insight into the impact of stress and anxiety in relation to Covid-19 and how the pandemic has affected the role of community nursing (pp. 62–65).

With cancer survival rates increasing and the disease being more and more seen as a long-term condition, community nurses inevitably play a crucial role in caring for patients living with cancer in their own homes. Education is thus vital, as the findings from a pilot project offering bespoke education on cancer to community nurses show, as well as how developing expertise in this area can better help us support vulnerable housebound patients with complex care needs (pp. 56–60).

I also urge you to read Sara Nelson’s editorial about the #RightInhalerImage campaign and get involved and support this social movement for change to ensure that those with respiratory conditions get the right treatment, in the right way, and at the right time (pp. 12–13).

As always, I hope you enjoy reading this issue. If you have any ideas for articles, please get in touch, as it is always great to hear from our readers. And remember, the JCN Facebook Live events are continuing throughout 2021, so look out for what is coming next — www.jcn.co.uk/events/series/facebook-live.

Annette Bades, editor-in-chief, JCN