Practice Nurse articles from March 2003

Practice Nurse archives from March 2003

First nurse consultant posts in primary care. (News).(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... CAMDEN Primary Care Trust has announced that is to appoint the first nurse consultants in primary care nursing in the UK. The three specialist nurses will pioneer new ways of working in primary care--in partnerships with practice nurses,...

GP contract ballot suspended after doctors say they will be worse off. (News).(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... A BALLOT on the proposed GP contract has been suspended after hundreds of doctors complained that the new deal would make them worse off. The BMA and the NHS Confederation, who negotiated the agreement, have delayed the ballot to...

Out-of-hours services.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... The Government has announced that more than 100m [pounds sterling] over three years will be spent reconfiguring out-of-hours services as part of the proposed new GP contract. This will help PCTs provide an integrated services network staffed...

NSPCC campaign.
March 28, 2003... Psychologist Dr Penelope Leach joined in the fun in the ball pool, as part of a new campaign by the NSPCC to support parents under stress and protect babies and toddlers from harm. Email: infounit@nspcc.org.uk

National Condom Week.
March 28, 2003... Practice nurses can win Durex condoms in a competition to promote National Condom Week which runs from 12-18 May. Durex are looking for imaginative displays or events that effectively highlight this important sexual health campaign. * To...

NMC aim for clear definition of specialist nurse roles. (News).(Nursing and Midwifery Council )(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... THE Nursing and Midwifery Council is to regulate specialist nursing--which could mean that in future anyone calling themselves nurse practitioner will have to be registered to use the title. The Council intends to prescribe the...

New tech for cervical screening. (PN News).
March 28, 2003... PLANS to revolutionise cervical screening in England by introducing liquid-based cytology (LBO have been delayed pending a review of data from pilot studies. In the liquid-based method the nurse collects the sample from the patient with...

AfC practice nurse profiles: the Agenda for Change (AfC) practice nurse job profiles have finally been published--enabling individuals to calculate their new salary band. But it's not all plain sailing. (Analysis).
March 28, 2003... Practice nurses can decide whether to accept the MC scheme in the RCN's ballot, which closes on 11 April. Unison and Amicus, the parent union of the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association (CPHVA), have postponed their...

Do GPs and nurses already make the perfect partnership? (Editorial).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 28, 2003... Anne Hitchen has certainly sparked a debate with her letter about practice nurse employment (Practice Nurse 14 March, p27). She thinks it's not necessarily better for practice nurses to be directly employed by primary care organizations--for...

Simple remedies for insomnia: patients presenting in general practice often complain of sleep disorders. Marilyn Edwards suggests some simple remedies that practice nurses can recommend to help address insomnia. (Sleep Problems).
March 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * Prolonged insomnia can have a damaging effect on the systems and functions of the body * Psychological factors are present in 50% of cases of insomnia * Behavioural therapy can be more successful than sleeping pills...

The prescription: legal and professional requirements: a prescription must comply with statutory legislation and the principles set out by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. (Nurse Prescribing).
March 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * Statutory legislation sets out the specific legal requirements for writing presciptions. * The Nursing and Midwifery Council sets out the regulatory principles that must be followed. * Together these requirements...

Exercise can halve COPD relapse rate.(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Thorax 2003; 58: 100-5. Exercise can halve the risk of relapses requiring hospital admission in patients with COPD, according to Spanish research. A study of 340 patients with COPD showed that a relatively high level of physical activity...

Doctors influence parents' child jab decisions.(Brief article)
March 28, 2003... Canadian Medical Association Journal 2003; 168: 39-41. General practice advice is a major factor influencing parents about whether to have their children immunised, research suggests. Canadian investigators surveyed 203 parents of...

Keep watch on patients after parasuicide.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... British Medical Journal 2002; 325: 1155. We should in general practice pay particular attention to the management of patients immediately after an episode of parasuicide because the risk of such patients attempting suicide in the future...

GPs need help to give patients welfare advice.(general practitioners )(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Family Practice 2003; 20: 48-53. GPs should be given specialist support to help patients needing welfare advice, say UK researchers. A survey of 153 GPs from 66 London surgeries found that a large amount of consultation time was...

[Beta.sub.2]-agonists safe in patients with COPD.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Thorax 2003; 58: 43-6. Short-acting inhaled [beta.sub.2]-agonists are safe in COPD patients, contrary to previous reports of a link to acute myocardial infarction (MI), say Canadian researchers. They studied 12,090 COPD patients aged...

NSAIDs can cause acute diarrhoea.(nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs)(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Gut 2003; 52:260-3 We should consider recent NSAID use as an underlying cause of acute diarrhoea, French researchers suggest. A thousand GPs volunteered to collected data on NSAID exposure among 285 patients who had presented with...

Look behind pain for depression.(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... Archives of General Psychiatry 2003; 60: 39-47. Patients presenting with chronic pain should be screened for depression, study findings suggest. A telephone survey of nearly 19,000 adults from the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal and...

Your role in the prevention of pneumococcal disease: immunisation offers safe cost-effective prevention of pneumococcal disease, but as Adrienne Willcox explains the challenge for practice nurses is to ensure those at risk are vaccinated. (Respiratory Disease).(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * The pneumococcal disease spectrum causes significant illness and death in at-risk groups * Pneumococcal immunisation offers a cost-effective preventive service. * The practice nurse role includes identifying and...

Improving healthcare provision for teenagers: Sarah Bekaert has been looking at ways to improve services for young people at her north London practice. (Adolescent Health)(Cover Story).
March 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * Young people are not fully aware of the role of the practice nurse, with boys in particular far more likely to consult a GP * They face many barriers to consultation with perceived lack of confidentiality a major issue...

Handy new treatment for thrush. (What's new: latest products and useful resources).(Brief Article)
March 28, 2003... CANESTEN ORAL is a new and convenient option for the treatment of thrush in women. Just one capsule per day is required to clear the internal infection. It can also be combined with Canesten 2% cream to relieve external itching...

No more wet beds. (Bulletin board: what's in).
March 28, 2003... THE SOFT `n' dry Bedmat protects bedding and mattresses from waters breaking, milk overflow and post natal bleeding. It is also ideal for babies. * Bedmats are available from The Bedmatz Company and cost 22.50 [pounds sterling] including...

Grandparents care. (Bulletin board: what's in).
March 28, 2003... THE CHILDREN'S Heart Foundation has produced an information sheet for grandparents of children with a heart disorder. It addresses the fact that they may not have the direct access to knowledge about the heart condition and treatments that...

Monitoring diabetes patients: a huge UK diabetes study suggests that increased blood pressure could be a stronger risk factor than raised blood glucose for developing complications. Hilary King describes the practice nurse role in monitoring diabetes patients. (Diabetes).
March 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * The prevalence of hypertension in patients with diabetes is twice that of the general population. * Practice nurses face the challenge of achieving target blood pressure levels. * Targeting at-risk groups could...

Managing high-risk patients: Carole McCallum highlights cholesterol levels as an area where there is much to gain from improved management, and describes how a nurse-led coronary heart disease clinic is being piloted in her practice. (Cardiovascular Disease).
March 28, 2003... KEY POINTS * The risks of CHD and stroke are directly related to cholesterol levels in the blood * Fewer than one-third of patients with a history of CHD or stroke received cholesterol-lowering treatment * A nurse-led CHD clinic...

Food- and water-borne diseases. .(Travel Health, part 9)
March 28, 2003... Learning objectives By the end of this section you will be able to: * define travellers' diarrhoea and list common symptoms * discuss the prevention and management of travellers' diarrhoea, including the possible use of...

Me and my job: we continue our series, with Bea Nash. She plays an important role in the rehabilitation of patients following heart attack or coronary bypass, as Naomi Kemper discovers.
March 28, 2003... Bea Nash is a fitness instructor with a difference. She has a specific qualification from the British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation (BACR) and the people who take her classes are referred by practice nurses, GPs and local hospitals....

Fighting pneumococcal disease in children: pneumococcal infection is responsible for a range of serious illness in children, but nurses can help to prevent it.
March 28, 2003... Pneumococcal disease in children Pneumococcal infection can cause serious, and sometimes fatal, conditions in children (1)--including meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia. More commonly, infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause...

April-June 2003: travel immunisation & malaria prevention.
March 28, 2003... Travel immunisation & malaria prevention VACCINATIONS ADVISED COUNTRY POLIO TET TYPH A AFGHANISTAN R R ...

Inner-city pilot sites to offer diabetes screening. (News).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... NINE pilot sites in inner-city areas have been chosen to pioneer screening programmes to diagnose and treat the one million people at risk of type 2 diabetes. GPs and practice nurses working in the pilots will introduce blood sugar level...

CMO praises PNs for immunising more older people against flu. (News).(Chief medical officer Liam Donaldson)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... CHIEF medical officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson has praised practice nurses for immunising record numbers of older people against flu this winter. Over 350,000 more pensioners were immunised this year than last: 5.5 million people...

Prescribing guide.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... The DoH has published a guide to supplementary prescribing on its website. The guide outlines the administrative and procedural steps to enabling nurses to act as supplementary prescribers, and provides advice on good practice for...

Tobacco facts.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... The BMA's Tobacco Control Resource Centre (TCRC) has launched `Tobacco FactFile', an online database for health professionals, educators, the public and the media. It is the first one-stop information source about tobacco of its kind, and...

Progress report.(preventing heart disease)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... A progress report on the Government's programme for tackling heart disease shows that there has been a 30% rise in statin prescribing, saving up to 6000 lives a year. There has also been a dramatic fall in waiting times for heart surgery, and...

Better access to primary care reduces teenage pregnancies. (News).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... EFFORTS by general practitioners and practice nurses to improve teenagers' access to primary care may be helping to reduce teenage conception rates. A campaign called `Getting it right for teenagers in general practice', run jointly by...

NICE guidance on flu. (News).(National Institute for Clinical Excellence )(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... THE National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended that amantadine (Lysovir) is not used to treat flu. It also says that zanamivir (Relenza) or oseltamivir (Tamiflu) should not be used to treat a flu-like illness in...

First inter-professional course on supplementary prescribing. (News).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... TWO leading universities are joining forces to pioneer a new course on which nurses and pharmacists will study together to become supplementary prescribers. It is believed to be the first time that nurses and pharmacists have been taught...

Scottish GP surgeries to benefit from increase in investment in IT to 48.7m [pounds sterling]. (News).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... GP SURGERIES in Scotland will benefit as investment in IT doubles from 26m [pounds sterling] this year to 48.7m [pounds sterling] by 2005-6. The funds will help pay for a national call-recall system that will standardise cervical...

New national clinical director for diabetes to support good practice. (News).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... THE Department of Health has announced the appointment of consultant physician Dr Sue Roberts as national clinical director for diabetes with a remit to spread good practice and provide professional leadership. Dr Roberts, who is based...

Steroid dose.(Correction Notice)
March 14, 2003... The prednisolone dose for children aged over five years is 30-40mg. This years, as incorrectly stated in the 28 February issue (Mead M. New asthma guideline, p52).

The GP contract: the proposed new GPs' contract looks good on paper. The Government has promised an unprecedented level of investment to improve primary care services, the practice will be rewarded for providing higher quality care and GPs will be encouraged to improve the working lives of their staff. (News Analysis).
March 14, 2003... There are certainly many `goodies' for nurses in the new contract. At the heart of the contract is a new quality framework setting out the standards of care based on the latest evidence. Instead of being funded for the number of patients they...

Practice nurses and the GP contract. (Editorial).
March 14, 2003... You might wonder why at Practice Nurse we're making such a fuss about the proposed new GP contract. But as you'll realise if you read the Analysis in this issue (p12), and our news stories when the contract first appeared (Practice Nurse 28...

Combination therapy in COPD benefits patients.(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... The Lancet 2003; 28 Jan. http://image.thelancet.com/extras/ 02art5284web.pdf Combining an inhaled long-acting [beta.sub.2]-agonist with an inhaled corticosteroid improves symptom control, lung function and quality of life in people with...

Folic acid does not increase likelihood of twins.(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... The Lancet 2003; 361: 380-4. Taking folic acid supplements during pregnancy does not increase the likelihood of multiple births, say researchers. A study of more than 240,000 pregnant Chinese women found a similar rate of multiple birth...

A men's health MOT: an inner-city practice chose the local supermarket as the venue for an outreach clinic for men. Jodie O'Regan explains how the event helped to break down some of the barriers to men seeking professional healthcare advice and raised the profile of men's health issues. (Men's Health)(Cover Story).
March 14, 2003... KEY POINT'S * Men's health is marginalised by health services, healthcare providers and policy makers. * An outreach clinic was organised outside a local supermarket and attended by a variety of healthcare professionals. * The...

Diary notes. (Men's Health).
March 14, 2003... Events coming up National Depression Week DATE: 7-13 April CONTACT: 020 7633 0557 www.depressionalliance.org Mental Health Action Week DATE: 21-27 April CONTACT: 020 7802 0312 World No-Tobacco Day DATE: 31 May...

Don't push us towards PCT employment. (Letters).
March 14, 2003... Dear Editor, I read with interest your article in the 14 February edition of Practice Nurse (News, p6) regarding the benefits of transferring to Trust employment from 2004. Is it me? Or am I the only PN in the country who is quite...

Diary dates: courses and conferences.
March 14, 2003... Conferences Communities on Prescription A two-day national conference to share good practice from successful primary care and voluntary sector community projects. DATES: 9-10 April VENUE: Robinson College, Cambridge...

Legal issues: a patient group direction (PGD) relates to the supply and administration of a medicinal product. Helen Caulfield describes the legal requirements. (Nurse Prescribing).
March 14, 2003... KEY POINTS * Any PGD that does not comply with the requirements set out in the Statutory Instrument (2000) will be unlawful. * The PGD must be must be drawn up by a multidisciplinary group, including a doctor, a pharmacist and a...

Safe sex poster series. (What's in: latest products * leaflets * books and useful resources).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... Marie Stopes International UK has launched a series of health education posters to encourage young people to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The posters feature cartoon...

Migraine relief. (What's in: latest products * leaflets * books and useful resources).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... Drug-free cooling patches have been developed for use on their own, or in conjunction with medication, to ease migraine pain. Migraine Ice, which incorporates a water-based gel, can be applied to the forehead, temples and the back of the...

Online reunions. (What's in: latest products * leaflets * books and useful resources).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... A website has been launched to help people working in the health services to get back in touch with former colleagues. The site (healthservicereunion. co.uk) enables users to search for past friends and colleagues. Users will also receive...

Pregnancy. (What's in: latest products * leaflets * books and useful resources).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... The fpa has produced a new booklet entitled Pregnancy: a young person's guide. The booklet is aimed at 12-16 year olds, and covers key aspects of conception, pregnancy and birth in clear language, including colourful cartoon-style...

Mental health. (Bulletin Board).(Brief Article)
March 14, 2003... A new booklet entitled Physical illness and mental health has been published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The booklet explains what might make someone who is ill more likely to become depressed and when they should seek help. It...

The safety of HRT--the facts: in 2001, six million prescriptions were written for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in England alone. (1) Recently, doubt has been raised about the safety of HRT. (Advertisement Feature Sponsored By Aventis Pharma).
March 14, 2003... HRT is effective in the treatment of menopausal symptoms and reducing osteoporosis. Its ability to reduce bowel cancer is also fairly well established (2) and, until recently it was also believed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease...

Address parental fears over childhood vaccinations: now that childhood diseases no longer pose the serious threat they once did thanks to the routine provision of child immunisation, parents are increasingly concerned about the potential affects of the vaccines themselves. Harriet Griffey examines the evidence. (Child Health).
March 14, 2003... KEY POINTS * For many parents fear of vaccine damage now far exceeds fear of the disease itself. * At present there are no plans for routine immunisation against chickenpox in the UK * Anxiety about the MMR vaccine has affected...

The practice nurse role in minor surgery: Frome Medical practice in Somerset trained Jayne Elton, one of its practice nurses, to perform minor surgery. Jayne, who is Practice Nurse of the Year 2002, explains what was involved. (Minor Surgery).
March 14, 2003... KEY POINTS * Practice rationale was to improve patient access to primary care. * Management of patients and staff in the transition was clearly set out. * It was agreed that the practice nurse spend half a session each week...

Hepatitis B--a deadly virus: hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most widespread diseases in the world. Lynda Christopher looks at how practice nurses can influence the incidence of HBV and make a positive impact at a local level. (Sexual Health).
March 14, 2003... KEY POINTS * Hepatitis B is a growing problem in the UK. * The current hepatitis B vaccination policy in the UK is that all those in at-risk groups should be offered the vaccine. * Practice nurses are in the fortunate position of...

Managing to improve quality of life: male incontinence is a significant health burden. With a good understanding of how the whole team are involved in management, K Thomas and N Watkin explain how practice nurses can reduce the impact on sufferers' qualify of life. (Continence).
March 14, 2003... KEY POINTS * A diary over several days, detailing fluid consumption, and the time and amount of urine voided, is more useful than a simple history. * Lifestyle interventions, pelvic floor exercises and bladder retraining are all...

9c climatic problems. (Part 9: travel health).
March 14, 2003... Learning objectives By the end of this section you will be able to: * describe the risks associated with inappropriate exposure to sunlight and heat * identify the symptoms of hypothermia and cold injury and provide advice on...

Me and my job: ever wondered what everyone else does all day? Now's your chance to find out in our new series. We kick off with Jackie English, a breast health nurse specialist, who talks to Rebecca Gallagher.
March 14, 2003... Jackie joined the charity Breast Cancer Care in July last year, as a specialist in benign breast disease and breast awareness--areas that the charity felt now needed addressing just as much as cancer itself. She works a three-day week and...