Practice Nurse articles from June 2008

Practice Nurse archives from June 2008

What are your views on extended opening?(Editorial)
June 20, 2008... At the surgery where I work we have been debating the practicalities and impact of implementing extended hours for our 11,500 registered patients. The Government's intention is to increase patient access to GPs for routine bookable...

Teens may not be protected against meningitis C.(Vaccination)
June 20, 2008... One in five adolescents aged 11-13 years may not be adequately protected against meningitis C and may need a booster dose of vaccine as teenagers, say researchers. Adolescents always used to be a group considered at high risk of...

Hepatitis bus comes to town.(news)(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] North Central London Viral Hepatitis Network has marked Hepatitis Awareness Month by taking an open top bus around the northern suburbs of London to raise awareness of the disease. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

NHS Direct takes the pressure off surgeries.(NHS Direct)(United Kingdom. National Health Service)(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... NHS Direct nurses are helping to take the pressure off GP surgeries and A&E departments as they continue to advise an increasing number of callers to treat themselves at home. An evaluation of calls to the service reveals that nearly half...

Charity helps retired practice nurses.(Professional)(Queen's Nursing Institute)(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... A retired practice nurse, who has had to pay privately for drugs to prevent her eyesight from fading, has been given 1,000 [pounds sterling] in financial assistance by the Queen's Nursing Institute. Cora Slade, aged 74 years, from...

Women urged to be cervix savvy.(Women's health)(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... A viral marketing advert has been created by Camden Primary Care Trust and the cervical cancer charity Jo's Trust to encourage young women to come forward for smear tests. This novel concept uses social networks to increase and spread...

255m [pounds sterling] funding boost for carers.(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... A 255m [pounds sterling] strategy to improve the lives of Britain's carers has been launched by the Government. The money will fund a 10-year programme to provide carers with short breaks, extra support to enter or re-enter the job market and...

Children missing pneumococcal jab.(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... One child in five in England is still without protection from pneumococcal disease through missing their booster dose, with one in 10 missing their primary vaccination, according to data from the Health Protection Agency. The figures,...

Queen's nurses.(Carol Stonham and Ruth Thomas awarded)(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... Two practice nurses have been awarded the prestigious title of Queen's Nurse at the Queen's Nursing Institute 2008 Awards ceremony. They are Carol Stonham, a practice nurse from Stroud, Gloucestershire and Ruth Thomas, a practice sister who...

PNA celebrates 25 years.(Practice Nurse Conference)(Practice Nurse Association)(Conference news)
June 20, 2008... Places are still available for the RCN Practice Nurse Association annual conference, which is being held this year at City Hall, Cardiff, from 9-11 July. This year the event will celebrate how much the practice nurse profession has...

Respiratory nurse groups join forces.(Respiratory)(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... Key respiratory organisations have come together to establish the Respiratory Nurse Alliance (RNA). The alliance has been formed to provide direction and national leadership to guide and promote standards of excellence as new figures...

Call for free retinal screening.(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... The charity Diabetes UK is calling for everyone aged 12 years and over who is diagnosed with diabetes to have free retinal screening with a digital camera every year. This follows the publication of the latest Government figures, which show...

Healthy towns campaign.(Brief article)
June 20, 2008... The DH has launched a healthy towns initiative, Communities are being invited to bid for a share of a 30m [pounds sterling] fund for schemes to improve the health of their inhabitants. Ideas could include: increasing the number of cycle...

New baby for former editor.
June 20, 2008... Former Practice Nurse editor Louise Prime has given birth to a baby boy, George, a brother for Charlie. He was born at home, weighing 81b 12oz. Both mother and baby are well.

Maximising quality of life in COPD: a forthcoming NSF will focus attention on COPD, and a survey has shown the need to rethink the management of the condition.(news analysis)(Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)(national service framework)(Survey)
June 20, 2008... Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is moving up the health agenda, but a new survey has revealed that practice nurses could be playing a greater role in the management of the disease. A long-awaited national service framework...

The deadly risk of rabies: rabies has appeared in parts of France, which previously was rabies free, and practice nurses have been advised to be vigilant for people reporting dog bites that occurred there.(travel health)
June 20, 2008... Rabies is probably one of the most deadly diseases in the world, and is one of the oldest known zoonotic diseases (a disease that infects animals but can be transmitted to humans). Its name is Latin for madness or fury. Rabies is a viral...

Urine testing: urinalysis (urine testing) can provide valuable information about a patient's condition, allowing the detection of systemic disease and infection.(practice nurse trainer)
June 20, 2008... Urine comprises the liquid waste products of the body. Its excretion serves to rid the body of waste products filtered from the blood by the kidneys, and to maintain the balance of body fluids. Urine passes from the kidneys, via the ureters,...

Supporting patients during breast cancer care: this article provides practical advice on breast cancer treatment and its potential complications, as well as resources for those who require more detailed information.(women's health)
June 20, 2008... Breast cancer treatment is multi-modal and is often given over a number of years. The increasing number of women who survive breast cancer as well as a tendency to care for more patients in the community mean that practice nurses may find...

Progressive supranuclear palsy: nurses have a key role in helping to ensure patients with progressive supranuclear palsy are correctly diagnosed and have access to appropriate care and support.(neurology)(Disease/Disorder overview)
June 20, 2008... Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that gradually robs people of their ability to walk, talk, eat, drink and see. Patients become trapped inside their bodies, unable to communicate, but remain mentally...

ENT in primary care: part 5: ear pain: this article will explore acute otitis media, an acute infection of the middle ear that is the most common cause of earache.(ENT in primary care)(ear, nose and throat)(Disease/Disorder overview)
June 20, 2008... The differential diagnosis of ear pain is very wide. Anything causing pain on one or both sides of the face can be experienced as or described as earache. Sources of pain that do not involve the ear at all include trigeminal neuralgia,...

Making ends meet: practice nurses who are parents and feel financially forced to return to work rather than stay at home to look after their children are part of a growing band.(finance)
June 20, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It is invariably a big dilemma for any parent--should you stay at home and look after the kids or pay someone to care for them? Whether it's a child minder or nursery, help does not come cheap. Nursing salaries are...

Multi-disciplinary team working: building and using the team.(advanced practice--module 08.7, part 1)
June 20, 2008... Primary care is becoming increasingly complex. Recent health and social care reform has focussed on improving the efficiency of the NHS, making services more accessible and reducing inequalities. (1) It is the Government's wish to shift...

It must be summer ...(reflections of a practice nurse)
June 20, 2008... The weather is improving at long last and the Great British Summer is on its way. Or has it been and gone already, like last year? Some of our regulars, like dear old Mrs Gripe, have rediscovered their old, favourite ailments. Those pesky,...

Encouraging men to access primary care.(Editorial)
June 6, 2008... Men of working age get a raw deal when it comes to their health, and their well publicised reluctance to access primary care can have dire consequences; 16% of men and 6% of women die while still of working age. (1) This reflects the fact...

Survey highlights growing practice nursing workforce.(Professional)(Survey)
June 6, 2008... The practice nursing workforce continues to grow year on year, but there are significant regional variations in numbers, a survey has revealed. Three times more nurses work in general practice in the southern counties of England...

Charity calls for universal Hep B jabs.(Vaccination)(hepatitis B)(Brief article)
June 6, 2008... Only half of GP practices are following the Green Book guidelines in vaccinating patients against hepatitis B, a survey commissioned by the British Liver Trust has revealed. Reasons for not offering the vaccine included perceived low...

NICE updates type 2 diabetes guidance.(Diabetes)(United Kingdom. National Institute for Clinical Excellence)(Brief article)
June 6, 2008... The importance of optimal blood glucose control and the need for a more holistic approach to managing patients with type 2 diabetes are emphasised in new guidance issued by NICE. The guideline updates existing NICE recommendations for the...

Oral HRT increases risk of blood clots.(Women's health)(Report)(Brief article)
June 6, 2008... Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) given in skin patches may cause fewer blood clots than HRT given orally, say researchers. Also women who take the oral form of HRT more than double their risk of developing a blood clot, according to the...

Support your surgery campaign.(Women's health)(Brief article)
June 6, 2008... The BMA has launched a campaign to promote and defend NHS general practice. GPs are concerned about government plans for new health centres (polyclinics) and GP practices, many of which may be run by commercial providers on short-term...

Services for ethnic minorities.(Brief article)
June 6, 2008... GP practices have been told they must make their services more accessible to and responsive for black and minority ethnic (BME) groups. This follows issues raised by a GP patient survey, which was conducted last year. Health secretary Alan...

Tackling lifestyles of youngsters.
June 6, 2008... A new set of DH-funded interactive resources called Making Sense of Health have been produced to help young people take better control of their health. Pilots in schools have demonstrated clear evidence that the resources, which target...

New approach to care in old age.(Brief article)
June 6, 2008... A raft of new measures to improve services for older people have been announced by the DH. These include a new focus on telecare to help older people manage their conditions in their own homes; an expert group to improve services for falls,...

NICE issues new targets on lipid modification.(Cardiovascular)(United Kingdom. National Institute for Clinical Excellence)
June 6, 2008... Practice nurses will be expected to hit tough new targets on the identification of people at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and for lipid modification, following the publication of new guidance from NICE. NICE says that practices...

France loses rabies-free status.(Infectious disease)(Report)(Brief article)
June 6, 2008... Practice nurses are being advised to be vigilant for people reporting dog bites that have occurred in France following a declaration that the country has lost its rabies-free status. French officials have confirmed that there is a low but...

Survey links asthma and hayfever.(Survey)
June 6, 2008... More than two-thirds of people with asthma also experience hayfever symptoms, according to a survey conducted by the charity Asthma UK. Overall, 72% of people with hayfever symptoms said their asthma became worse as a result. The findings...

Patients reassured after data loss.(Report)
June 6, 2008... The Isle of Wight NHS Primary Care Trust and the Sandown Health Centre are taking action to reassure patients after a computer tape containing the medical records of 38,650 current and past patients went missing. The tape was sent in March to...

Hayfever campaign.(Brief article)
June 6, 2008... An awareness-raising campaign to encourage practice nurses to take hayfever more seriously has been launched by Schering Plough based on a study published last summer by Education for Health. The survey showed that young people with hayfever...

A practice nurse lead in every PCT: a campaign calling for every primary care trust (PCT) to appoint a practice nurse lead has been launched by the NHS Working in Partnership Programme (WiPP).(news analysis)
June 6, 2008... A recent survey (1) carried out by WiPP has revealed stark inequalities in employment conditions and professional development opportunities for nurses in general practice. Researchers found that two-thirds of practice nurses still require...

Healthy eating for children and adolescents.(nutrition)
June 6, 2008... Infants' taste preferences, food acceptance and tolerance for different tastes and textures begin to take shape from the day they are weaned. By the time they become toddlers, they will have started to develop their own likes and dislikes for...

Urinary tract infection: UTIs are common, especially in women, and a GP or nurse prescriber will probably see one person with a UTI during each surgery session.(new practice nurse)(Disease/Disorder overview)
June 6, 2008... Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that involves any part of the urinary tract, from the kidneys to the urethra (Figure 1). As a rule, the further up the tract the infection is located, the more serious it is. [FIGURE 1...

Mental health problems in men: men tend not to go to the surgery often and may ignore or fail to recognise depression. Therefore, service provision needs to reflect the importance of positively engaging with men.(mental health)(Cover story)(Statistical data)
June 6, 2008... More than 18 million men in the UK experience mental health problems at some time in their lives, anxiety and depression being the most common difficulties. (1) Government statistics show that 5,671 adults aged 15 years and over...

Superbugs: managing the risks: by considering transmission routes, people in the community can do a great deal to prevent the spread of problem pathogens and minimise the risk of infection.(infection control)
June 6, 2008... The term 'superbug' is not defined in the dictionary, and in a world where the media bombard us regularly with headlines about them, it is not surprising that people are confused about what they are and how much we need to worry about them....

Abortion: the debate continues: abortion has been a matter for debate and policy since ancient times and now, 40 years after the Abortion Act came into force in the UK, the complex moral and ethical issues around termination of pregnancy continue to perplex us.(talking point)
June 6, 2008... The debate on abortion has been a feature of British life since the 1960s, when the young Liberal MP David Steel introduced a Private Members Bill into Parliament. The Abortion Act came into force on 27 April 1968. Today, exactly 40...

Prescribing controlled drugs: practitioners should ensure they are up to date with current legislation before prescribing controlled drugs, and as with all medicines should only prescribe within their own speciality and scope of competence.(prescribing nurse)
June 6, 2008... The non-medical prescribing community is patiently awaiting the outcome of a public consultation held from March to June 2007. This consultation (1) canvassed opinion from a wide range of stakeholders on whether nurse and pharmacist...

Introducing some practice nurse leaders: practice nursing is well established--this year it's the RCN Practice Nurse Association's 25th anniversary--but needs leaders to help individual nurses develop and to move the profession forward.(professional)
June 6, 2008... Tracey Helliwell, specialist practice nurse, The Ridge Medical Practice, Bradford, West Yorkshire When Tracey Helliwell went on a leadership course, it made her realise just how many new skills she had gained in primary care and how much...

Complementary therapies for asthma.(advanced practice--module 08.6)(Clinical report)
June 6, 2008... A recent primary care based study found that 14.5% of patients had used complementary therapies to treat their asthma (1) and that half of these patients had not discussed this with a health professional. This may be because many patients do...

National Practice Nurse Conference: Cardiff, 9-11 July 2008.(Conference notes)
June 6, 2008... Planning for the 2008 RCN Practice Nurse Association annual conference and exhibition is complete. The time has flown, and our Welsh practice nurse organising committee has grown to seven-strong. We are fortunate to have practice nurses...