The current state of district nursing reminds me of the Rocky films of the 70s and 80s, where the plucky young boxer repeatedly climbs off the canvas to battle on while taking hit after hit, seemingly oblivious to pain and humiliation. While district nurses might not view themselves as heroes of the silver screen, the way they have absorbed blow after blow in recent years but continue to turn up and provide a service for patients deserves a Hollywood script all of its own.
Healthcare professionals are under increasing pressure to justify the quality of their work (Vowden and Vowden, 2010; Wound Care Today, 2020). To do so, comprehensive, accurate and current data which details and supports cost-effectiveness and the quality of the service provided is required. Audit and ongoing clinical data capture can provide the evidence to do this (Vowden and Vowden, 2010).
Sepsis is the body’s overreaction to an infection where, instead of fighting an infection, the immune system attacks the body’s own organs and tissues.
Sepsis can occur as a result of any infection, from a small cut or insect bite, to a chest or urinary tract infection (UTI). It is more common than heart attacks and kills more people each year than bowel, breast and prostate cancer and road accidents combined (Fleischmann et al, 2016).
This year brings international recognition of the contribution that the profession of nursing makes to global health. The executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO) met in Geneva on 30 January 2019 and designated 2020 to be the ‘Year of the Nurse and Midwife’, in honour of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale (WHO, 2019a). This coincides with the publication of ‘The state of the worlds nursing report’ (WHO, 2019b), which was developed in collaboration with the Nursing Now Campaign and the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
The total estimated cost of managing wounds in the UK is reported to be more than £5 billion per year, with a great deal of that cost coming from nursing time (Guest et al, 2015). Patients with lower leg wounds should receive an ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) before compression therapy (Wounds UK, 2019). Measuring ABPI using the traditional Doppler probe, however, can be unreliable, time-consuming and can only be carried out by practitioners with specialist training and knowledge (Al-Qaisi et al, 2009). Waiting times for appointments can also delay treatment. Automated ABPI assessments are speedy, accurate and do not require specialist nurses, thus freeing up nursing time and lowering costs, as well as reducing waiting and assessment times (Boast et al, 2019). This article assesses the introduction of the MESI ABPI (medi UK) automated device at a Leg Club in North East Essex. The challenges faced by the Leg Club are discussed, along with the benefits seen over a two-month period after acquiring the automated ABPI device.
Non-cystic fibrosis (CF) (bronchiectasis) is a common chronic lung condition, which occurs due to damage to the airways leading to persistent cough, sputum production and recurrent chest infections (Hill et al, 2018). This article focuses on the adult patient and describes the pathophysiology, aetiology, investigation, and management of bronchiectasis in the primary care setting. The aim is to raise awareness of this disease, which is increasing in prevalence and to empower community nurses with information to support patients through the bronchiectasis disease trajectory.
