In this article, Iwan Dowie discusses the role of the community nurse in relation to safeguarding. The key principles of safeguarding are discussed, and how the community nurse can approach various incidences where they feel their patients may be at risk.
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Using a case study approach, the authors describe the support available, spanning health and social care and third sector organisations. They discuss how this support can enable people with dementia and their carers to maintain wellbeing and cope with the impact of dementia.
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The role of digital technology in the delivery of patient care was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic when remote triage and consultations became part of everyday practice in healthcare settings. Yet despite growing evidence that a digitally literate nursing workforce can support and enhance patient safety and outcomes, many nurses report a reluctance to engage in the use of digital technology.
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Evidence-based practice is vital to nursing, and health and social care, but research suggests it is less widespread than it should be. One reason may be that front-line practitioners do not always have the support, time and knowledge to search for and review evidence.
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Leaving the nursing profession can cause some people to have a sense of lost identity. Find out how you can plan ahead, emotionally and practically, and also work toward a new purpose
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Advice for non-specialist nurses on adapting practice for people with a learning disability and autistic people
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Findings Several barriers and facilitators to the use of digital technology were identified, including around infrastructure, time, skills, training, support, leadership, familiarity and confidence. The use of digital technology may enhance care consistency and increase patient autonomy, but it may also erode nurse-patient relationships.
Conclusion Digital technology can enhance patient care but organisational barriers, notably in relation to digital literacy training, need to be addressed for nurses to fully adopt it.
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To understand how small group teaching sessions can assist participants to learn new knowledge and skills
To learn how to plan a small group teaching session by setting aims and learning outcomes
To appreciate the importance of assessing participants’ learning and addressing gaps in their understanding throughout the delivery of small group teaching sessions
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Knowing how to build a strong business case is a valuable skill for nurses in any band or setting as it means you can demonstrate the value of your work or proposed projects. With NHS funding severely stretched, organisational leaders are continually making difficult decisions about where to invest and where to cut back. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Isolation can cause harm in everyday life, even in the most benign conditions. Taking on responsibility for a patient in the community who is isolated can entail a responsibility to steer them on a course, which they might otherwise not have taken and which might redound to their benefit. In this article, John Finch, a freelance journalist specialising in clinical law and ethics, examines some of the legal responsibilities which are added by the effects of isolation to the already heavy burden carried by community nurses.
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this article discusses the benefits for nurse leaders to explore a new approach known as quantum leadership. This is a relationship-focused and value-based leadership style in which leaders understand that healthcare organisations have been in a state of flux and recognise how to respond constructively to change in the future. Quantum leadership enables nurse leaders to create and maintain synergistic team working, whereby the team works together towards the common goal of delivering optimal person-centred care. The author suggests that quantum leadership is an engaging and realistic approach to adopt, with benefits of all staff delivering healthcare services and ultimately for patients. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The authors concluded that the meta-analysis: 'revealed small to moderate positive effects of resilience training on resilience and other mental health outcomes immediately post-intervention (resilience, wellbeing) and in the short-term (anxiety symptoms, [perceived] stress), while there was a lack of evidence for training effects on depressive symptoms or any outcome at later follow-ups.'
Virtual wards are increasingly being used by the NHS to provide care to patients where they live, whether in a care setting or at home. The NHS has been set a target of 40–50 virtual wards per 100,000 people and, more immediately, to scale up capacity ahead of next winter, to above 10,000 beds by this autumn. This report sets out the critical factors needed to enable the NHS to succeed in achieving these targets and to make virtual wards a sustainable model in the longer term, where patient demand and satisfaction are met, as well as better productivity.
In part two of her two-part series on mental health, Sarah Palmer sign-posts community nurses towards relevant services, in cases where they may come across a patient with mental health issues. Furthermore, a case for digitally enabled mental health care is made by the author, as this would let individuals receive help sooner.
Cultural diversity is an evolving feature of modern-day society. It is recognised that many factors contribute to culturally competent care and evidence suggests there are still inequalities in care provision to some populations.
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This collaborative project aimed to understand and enhance the knowledge, confidence and capability of community nurses to manage frailty in a community setting. A person-centred coaching and educational programme was co-developed with community nurse participants to strengthen their leadership role in managing frailty within interprofessional teams.
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While clinical reflection has been an essential aspect of nursing practice for many years, some nurses may still find it challenging to constructively engage with this process and may not recognise the benefits and learning that can result from it. This article provides practical guidance for nurses on how to undertake reflection, to support them to reflect regularly as part of their practice. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
• Reflection is a process of engaging with and learning from one’s thoughts, emotions and actions in a supportive and critical manner.
• Reflection can assist nurses to learn from practice, support team working and promote self-care.
• Nurses can reflect alone or with others, and there are various structured models of reflection that they can use to support them.
Individuals living with severe mental illness can have significant emotional, physical and social challenges. Collaborative care combines clinical and organisational components. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The popularity of the nurse well-being app has inspired a new version offering personalised support for students. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
With as many as one in three nursing students leaving their course before they complete it, a new free app will offer personalised support to those who are struggling.
Off-duty texts or meeting-up with patients could indicate that boundaries have been blurred, and consequences could be severe. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Positive and therapeutic nurse-patient relationships are crucial to building the trust and respect that enables nurses to provide the best possible care.
Ben Hannigan explores a recent systematic review exploring the prevalence, risk factors and interventions for suicide and self-harm in nurses and midwives.
Not all nurses managers have experience so education in, and exposure to, compassionate leadership can be vital
What is the difference between a manager and a leader? All organisations need a manager, but they benefit from leaders. But when nurses become managers, are they managing, leading or both? To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The nursing profession is facing some of its greatest challenges. After providing society with highly skilled care during the pandemic, the effects of the demands made of nurses are becoming noticeable, leading to global staffing shortages. The positive impact of nursing leadership strategies on the profession’s response to COVID-19 have been significant, yet more recently we have seen the media portrayal of nurses shift from angels and heroes to disrupters. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Psychological first aid (PFA) is an intervention strategy to support people in severe distress following crisis events. These traumatic events might include natural disasters, accidents, violent crimes or trauma experienced in nursing work, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Leadership in nursing is about inspiring colleagues to deliver the best care and improve patient outcomes, whether you are a student, newly qualified or a team leader
It is an outdated notion that leaders are only those who manage a team, or call all the shots. There is increasing recognition in nursing that everyone – at every level – can demonstrate leadership and develop as a leader.
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The authors rapidly reviewed the international literature to identify determinants of workplace violence against hospital-based nurses and the effects of workplace violence on nurse outcomes. Twenty-one studies (22 articles) formed the final sample – 16 quantitative, three qualitative and two mixed-methods studies. Supervisors, other nurses and physicians were the major perpetrators of workplace violence against nurses. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This literature review focused on nurses in the NHS and found that self-rostering had a positive effect on their work-life balance and job satisfaction. However, a move to self-rostering can pose challenges and it should be assessed for suitability before implementation.
Nurse managers should consider how floating shifts are administered so that nurses feel supported when working on a different ward or unit. Nurse managers can greatly influence nurses’ ability to manage floating shifts. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Although low-certainty evidence suggests that professional oral care may reduce mortality compared to usual care when measured at 24 months, the effect of professional oral care on preventing NHAP remains largely unclear. Low-certainty evidence was inconclusive about the effects of this intervention on incidence and number of first episodes of NHAP.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has introduced an all-encompassing specialist practice qualification (SPQ) aimed at nurses working in any setting in the community, with the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) planning to build on this by producing a set of standards for nine different fields. Here is what is happening and what it means for nurses, employers and universities. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Despite the constant pressures and chronic shortages, the number of nurses leaving the NHS had flatlined over recent years. Now our analysis of new data shows there has been a large increase in nurses leaving the NHS, and that this trend is being driven by younger workers.
Empathetic and inclusive leaders enable teams to achieve better outcomes for patients, but can be difficult to find in the hierarchical organisations of the NHS
Compassionate leadership is good for staff and good for patients, with a growing evidence base showing that it results in staff being more motivated and delivering high-quality care.
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An education and career framework for general practice nursing has been launched by NHS England and Improvement, Health Education England (HEE) and Skills for Health. The framework has been heralded as a turning point for the sector – but what does it cover and aim to achieve?
Incivility can be overtly bullying or aggressive behaviour. It can also be covert, for example the rolling of eyes, ignoring someone or speaking over them. These behaviours dent staff morale and individuals’ confidence in their abilities, and create a feeling of apathy towards colleagues and patients.
Integrated care systems may seem like just another in a long line of health and care reforms – so how will they affect nurses and their ability to do their jobs? To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
"The authors concluded: –
Fluconazole and amphotericin B are recommended as topical antifungal agents for adults with oral candidiasis. Existing studies tend to recommend fluconazole for immunocompetent patients and itraconazole for immunosuppressed patients, whereas miconazole is recommended for infants."
The aim of this study is to describe the scope of the current literature on teamwork in home care nursing and outline needs for future research. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
School nurses’ role in safeguarding and child protection is critical, yet the workforce is in dire need of reinvestment to help us support those children most in need. As postgraduate specialist community public health nurses, we are experts who provide valuable, confidential services to children, young people and families. To read the full article, choose “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Listening to the voices of nurses working closest to patients and supporting them to implement positive change is a way to flatten traditional NHS hierarchies. Done properly, it can improve patient outcomes as well as increase job satisfaction for staff say nursing leaders.
This article provides an introduction to coaching and action learning as approaches nurse leaders and managers can use to promote leadership development among individual team members and within the team. It describes how coaching and action learning work and their potential benefits and challenges. It explains how the two approaches can be used to underpin effective problem-solving and goal setting, and support nurses in their professional development, the ultimate aim being to deliver safe and effective patient care.
Results Overall, the democratic style of leadership and the integrating style of conflict management were the most favoured by participants, while the laissez-faire leadership style and the dominating style of conflict management were the least favoured. Significant positive correlations were established between the leadership styles of participants and their conflict management styles. The regression analysis showed a significant predictive power of leadership styles, specifically the democratic and autocratic styles, on 30% of the variance in conflict management styles.
The review found that mindful self-compassion interventions had medium-to-large effect sizes for self-compassion, traumatic stress, burnout, stress and compassion satisfaction. There was also high intervention adherence (mean=86%) in the included studies. Since these interventions can improve self-compassion and compassion in nurses, they have the potential to enhance the quality of compassionate care provided by nurses who undergo training in mindful self-compassion.
Our analysis confirms that the supply of nurses into the NHS is not keeping pace with demand, that increasing the number of nurses is having no substantial impact on the number of vacancies and that there is a wide regional variation in the scale of the challenge.
The economic value of community nursing is not well understood, meaning it can be a challenge to make the case for investment in the service. The breadth of the service is so vast that it can be difficult to define all the activity and measure the outcomes achieved, which is essential to assess value. A roundtable, hosted by the Healthcare Financial Management Association, considered the challenge of measuring economic value in community nursing, to identify where further work is needed.
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