Practice Nurse articles from May 2001

Practice Nurse archives from May 2001

Extension of prescribing a huge leap for nurses.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... THE CPHVA FEELS THAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT that nurse prescribing is to be extended -- to more nurses and to cover a wider range of medicines -- is a very positive one for nursing. It will mean that many more patients will get quicker and more...

Practice nurses should be seen and heard.(political activity)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... ON THE DAY that Practice Nurse went to press, the main political parties were just getting into the swing of their respective general election campaigns. But what can primary, care nursing hope for, from the new government? Having read...

Storm brewing over direct pay.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... THE ROYAL COLLEGE of Nursing (RCN) is launching a debate on whether practice nurses should be paid directly by Primary Care Trusts. The RCN hopes this would ensure they receive the same pay, terms and conditions as their colleagues in the...

Hep C resource centre launched.(hepatitis C)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A NATIONAL hepatitis C internet resource centre has been launched to provide health professionals with a reliable source of information about the disease. Specialists say that until now hepatitis C has not been addressed by UK governments....

Conservatives.(UK Conservative party to expand nursing duties)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Conservatives are pledging to increase the role of practice nurses to take on some of the GP's workload so that patients get faster access to high quality care. The party also wants to offer GPs the choice of whether to operate as Primary...

Labour.(UK Labor Party to boost Primary Care Trust role in local care)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Labour wants all local care to be organised by Primary Care Trusts (in England) which will be in charge of 75 per cent of the NHS budget by 2005. With more power for PCTs, Labour hopes to cut the number of health authorities by two-thirds and...

Plaid Cymru.(Welsh Nationalist Party calls for strengthening community health councils)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Plaid Cymru is calling for the abolition of trusts, which it calls the last remnant of the internal market. It recognises that the number of doctors, nurses and other health professionals needs to be increased, but pay and conditions are...

Liberal Democrats.(UK Liberal Democratic party to increase medical screening and access to alternative medicine)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... The Liberal Democrats only mention primary care in relation to making more tests available in GP surgeries and pharmacies -- such as for diabetes, cholesterol, anaemia, HIV/AIDS, TB, prostate and colorectal disease. The party also wants to...

SNP.(Scottish National Party calls for more nurses and other health service improvements)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... The Scottish National Party says it is determined to improve health in Scotland. It pledges more nurses, cleaner hospitals, shorter waiting times, free personal care for elderly people, no more postcode treatment and free fruit in schools....

Cash for charity dedicated to transcultural nursing.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A CHARITY working to help nurses to improve their skills at working with patients from different cultural groups has received a cash boost from the Government. The Department of Health has donated 45,000 [pounds sterling] to the...

Diabetes management gets the hi-tech treatment.(Diabetes Audit and Research in Tayside project is to expand to all Scotland)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A PILOT computer database system for managing patients with diabetes has been so successful it is being rolled out as the national diabetes system for Scotland. The Diabetes Audit and Research in Tayside (DARTS) project has been...

Pager scheme helps with tablet taking.(reminder for Parkinson's disease patients)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... TRIALS of a pager scheme to help people to remember to take their medicines have helped people with Parkinson's disease to better manage their condition. The PatPro or patient prompting scheme offers people with memory problems a...

Survey shows voters want free care for older people.(King's Fund poll supports chronically ill)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... ALMOST two-thirds of the general public believe that people with long term illnesses should not face means tests for either nursing or personal care services, according to a pre-election poll conducted by the King's Fund. The survey...

Nurse-led care plan could help reduce angina attacks.(York Angina Nurse Intervention Study report)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A NURSE-LED care plan has helped to significantly reduce angina attacks in some patients. A recent study has shown that patients following a trial of a new nurse-facilitated angina care plan had almost half the number of attacks of...

Abortion help for men.(British Pregnancy Advisory Service leaflet)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A LEAFLET to help men support women who want an abortion has been published by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BRAS). Men Too has been produced in response to a BPAS survey of 200 London men which found that 74 per cent would support...

Nurse prescribing: fears over who will be eligible for training.(new Government proposal issues)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... THE long-awaited Government proposals on nurse prescribing have had a mixed reception from the nursing community. Five different options were originally being considered by the Department of Health (DoH) and it was announced earlier this...

TIMETABLE.
May 25, 2001... Spring 2001 20,000 district nurses, health visitors and practice nurses already prescribing will be able to prescribe nicotine replacement therapy such as gum, inhalers and patches. Summer 2001 Community nurses may be able to prescribe...

First national tool kit for practice nurses.(professional development planning)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... THREE nurses have written the first national `tool kit' for practice nurses which is now being distributed through some health authorities. The document, which took a year to put together, is divided into three parts: quality indicators,...

ANALYSIS.(nursing and the use of cannabis for medical reasons)
May 25, 2001... As we enter election campaign season, community nurses are urging the new Government to act by making cannabis legal for medicinal use. Cannabis has been used to alleviate pain and ease the symptoms of people suffering from certain medical...

ANTIOXIDANTS.(diet improvement in disease prevention)
May 25, 2001... The latest dietary advice focuses on foods that fight disease-inducing oxidation. Ursula Arens explains what they are and how they work. KEY POINTS * Oxidation reactions in the body are associated with cardiovascular disease,...

1: THE GLITAZONES.(new drug treatment to postpone full insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes)
May 25, 2001... What are these new drugs? The glitazones, which are also known as the thiazolidinediones, provide a new way of treating patients with type 2 diabetes. How do they act? They have a different mechanism to all the other agents used...

INFECTION CONTROL.(survey of nurses and clinical procedures indicates gaps in knowledge)(Statistical Data Included)
May 25, 2001... Cleaning and sterilisation are just as important in primary care as they are in a hospital. So why is it they are often neglected. David Casey, Carol Roberts and Richard Roberts explain. KEY POINTS * Nurses in primary care have a...

DRESSINGS.(wound care)
May 25, 2001... Maureen Benbow guides us through the types of dressings for use in the management of different types of wounds. KEY POINTS * Dressings do not heal wounds * Providing the optimal wound healing environment is secondary to...

YOUR ROLE.(changes in nursing)
May 25, 2001... STAY UP TO DATE WITH CHANGES IN THE PROFESSION The nursing workforce is changing. One in ten nurses are now men but they are still very much outnumbered. Jackie Cresswell talks to five men working in community nursing and asks how they...

ASTHMA IN PRIMARY CARE.
May 25, 2001... about part 2 Part 2 of the Learning to Support Practice series, on asthma, consists of four sections: 2a AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL OVERVIEW 2b THE DIAGNOSIS OF ASTHMA AND THE EFFECTS OF ASTHMA ON THE AIRWAYS 2c ASTHMA TREATMENTS,...

No-smoking training option for nurses.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A smoking cessation training package for nurses has been launched by Pharmacia, manufacturer of Nicorette. The programme covers tobacco dependence, health risks and treatment options including advice on the whole range of nicotine replacement...

snoring.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... Relief is at hand br people who have to put up with a snoring partner -- for this week sees the launch of Snoring Amnesty Week. Organised by the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association (BSSAA) and the makers of Breathe Right nasal...

ibs helpline.(irritable bowel syndrome)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... PEOPLE suffering with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can now benefit from the extended opening hours of the IBS Network helpline. The service, which offers a staff of trained nurses, will now take calls on Saturdays from 10am to noon. The...

scar reduction.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... A NEW self-help treatment for coloured and raised scars is now available for patients. The Elastoplast Scar Reduction patch has been proven to reduce the appearance of scars -- including keloid and hypertrophic. The patches work by activating...

newborn advice.
May 25, 2001... TWO leaflets packed full of information on the care of premature babies have been produced for pregnant women and health care professionals. Weaning your premature baby and Going home on oxygen are both full of practical advice and tips and...

hearty food.(Marks and Spencer PLC introduces soy foods for cholesterol management)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2001... MARKS AND SPENCER has launched a range of foods that claim to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. The new range called `&more' comprises a wide selection of everyday foods and drinks from cereals, pasta and sauces to smoothies and...

INTERVIEW.(Brief Article)(Interview)
May 25, 2001... * A CHANCE TO MEET A FELLOW PRACTICE NURSE Sara Richards has been nursing in primary care for over 30 years. But his hasn't made her complacent -- she is now testing her skills at the local NHS walk-in centre, which opened last autumn....

Adults miss out on sex education.
May 11, 2001... This week is National Condom Week, designated as such by one of the UK's well known condom manufacturers. The aim of National Condom Week is `to educate young adults about good sexual health, helping prevent unplanned pregnancies and...

Charity welcomes new drug for type 2 diabetes.(Novartis AG's Starlix and Diabetes UK)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... A NEW drug could help in the fight against the long term complications of type 2 diabetes. Nateglinide (Starlix), has been launched by Novartis, and is designed to reduce the peaks in blood glucose that occur after eating (postprandial...

Nurses support GPs on doctor day.(May Day protest)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... MOST practice nurses continued to work normally during National Doctor Day -- although many supported the campaign. The May Day protest was organised by Practice Nurse's sister paper, Doctor, to highlight a crisis in morale among GPs. ...

Joint guide to diabetes care.(Novartis AG and the Royal College of Nursing Practice Nurse Association)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... The RCN Practice Nurse Association and Novartis are developing a training handbook on diabetes. The RCN saw a need for the book as more Government initiatives on diabetes management give extra responsibility to primary care. Sara Richards,...

Tool to detect breast cancer.(fluid cells process)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... Breast-duct fluid could be used to help identify breast cancer according to an American study published in The Lancet. The technique involves testing fluid cells using a process called methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Researchers say larger...

Big brother is watching you.(National Patient Safety Agency error reporting service)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... Patients, staff and carers will be able to report mistakes, failures and near-misses in the NHS through a new agency. The National Patient Safety Agency will log all errors and try to ensure mistakes are not repeated. There are thought to be...

Skin care group calls for nurse training and prescribing rights.(Dermatological Care Working Group report completed)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... PRACTICE nurses have a key role to play in the development of skin health services. That is the message in a report by the Dermatological Care Working Group (DCWG) which warns there is an urgent need to improve the quality of...

Protocol for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.(developed by Primary Care Rheumatology Society)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... A GUIDE to help practice nurses and GPs spot the first signs of rheumatoid arthritis has been launched by the Primary Care Rheumatology Society. The four-page protocol produced by practising specialists and nurses in clinical...

District nurses' parking victory.(Scotland grants nurses same privileges as doctors)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... Community nurses in Scotland have secured free parking rights after a year long union campaign. The Community Health Visitors and Practitioners and the Community Psychiatric Nurses Associations have lobbied to give nurses the same parking...

Practice nurses targeted for MS.(encouraged to specialize in multiple sclerosis care)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... Practice nurses ore being targeted to become multiple sclerosis (MS) specialist nurses following the launch of a new document to improve care of people with the condition. Specialist Nursing in MS -- the Way Forward: Key Elements for...

One practice nurse for every full time GP, says taskforce.(British Medical Association General Practitioners Committee recommendation)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... ONE practice nurse should be employed for every full-time GP, says a special medical taskforce. The British Medical Association (BMA) General Practitioners Committee has recommended a boost in the number of practice and other nurses. ...

Reducing nurses risk of infection.(needlestick injury prevention)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... HEALTH care professionals across Europe suffer more than one million needlestick injuries every year. With this in mind the healthcare workers organisation Frontline for Europe has organised its first two-day conference in London on...

Bid to raise COPD awareness.(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality rates)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 11, 2001... DEATHS from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are 14 times more common than deaths from asthma yet there is still a lack of awareness of the condition. So says the British Thoracic Society which has now producted a poster, leaflets...

Over-forties are still reluctant to discuss sexual health.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 11, 2001... MANY older people are still reluctant to discuss sexual problems with their doctor or nurse, according to a recent survey. The survey looked at 1000 men and women over 40 in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Results, which were...

One in three nurses suffers from stress.(Neurolink report from the Health Media Group)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... NEARLY a third of nurses suffer from mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, a survey of 11,000 NHS staff claims. The research, carried out by Neurolink, an independent board of mental health, suggests that stress in the...

Nurse help with benefits.(National Audit Office urging nursing help to clear assessment backlog)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... The National Audit Office is urging the Government to employ nurses and other health professionals to help GPs with assessments of the 4.3 million people applying for incapacity benefit or disability benefit. But a shortage of doctors is...

ANALYSIS.(role of exercise programmes in disease prevention)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... The Government is hoping practice nurses will take a lead role in the development of NHS exercise programmes after the launch of the first national guidelines for exercise referral schemes. The new national guidelines for exercise...

WALK-IN CENTRES.(opportunities for nurses)
May 11, 2001... Practice nurses can flourish in the new NHS walk-in centres. Many have been promoted to lead the nursing team, as Moira CrawFord learns. KEY POINTS * Walk-in centres offer a no-appointment service for people needing minor...

DEPRESSION ONLINE.(evaluating internet health information sources on depression)
May 11, 2001... In the current climate of Government recommendations regarding the dissemination of information in the health sector, it seems surprising that the Internet, the brain of the information age, is not integrated more widely in the delivery of...

ATOPY, ASTHMA & ALLERGY.(diagnosis and management)
May 11, 2001... Many of the manifestations of allergic disease can be diagnosed and managed in general practice KEY POINTS * The prevalence of diseases associated with atopy has increased in many parts of the world over the past 20-30 years ...

ECZEMA.(assessment and management)
May 11, 2001... Practice nurses can help their patients with eczema by taking a combined approach to treatment KEY POINTS * Rubbing and scratching stops eczematous skin from healing * Much scratching is in response to something other than...

LIPIDS.(impact on coronary heart disease management)
May 11, 2001... With the NSFs focusing firmly on our need to reduce the incidence Of CHD in the UK, every nurse will be heavily involved in screening for CHD risk factors. Hyperlipidaemia is a key cardiovascular risk but to assess the risk properly...

PERIMENOPAUSE.(contraceptive needs of middle-aged women)
May 11, 2001... Seeking the best contraceptive option for the perimenopausal woman is not a straightforward task. KEY POINTS * Contraceptive needs for the older woman often pose difficulties. * Sex can be unpremeditated and unprotected and...

CHLAMYDIA.(risk factors and management)
May 11, 2001... There is a need to improve both public and professional awareness of the most common, treatable STI. Rosemary McQuarrie explains why. KEY POINTS * Genital chlamydia is a cause of serious complications, including infertility ...

BENEFITS OF SOYA.
May 11, 2001... Whether it's in tofu, special infant formula or functional foods, the humble soya bean courts controversy. Harriett Ainley considers the arguments. KEY POINTS * Health claims for soya embrace osteoporosis, menopausal symptoms,...

Gardening tips to promote healthy lifestyles.(from Thrive)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... A NEW website promises to bring the health and social benefits of gardening within everyone's reach. The site has been created by Thrive, a national charity that has been working with Arthritis Care, the RNIB and the Nuffield Orthopaedic...

Stroke factsheet.(use of aspirin as preventative)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... A FACTSHEET for stroke patients wanting to know about aspirin and its role in preventing subsequent ischaemic strokes or transient ischaemic attacks has been produced by the Stroke Association. Aspirin and Stroke contains details on how the...

Barrier cream.(Cavilon from 3M Health Care Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... A BARRIER cream designed to protect the skin against bodily fluids and from damage caused by stripping of tapes, has been launched by 3M Health Care. The cream, called Cavilon, is intended for intact skin at risk of breakdown. Unlike normal...

book for your back.(Anne McNeill, Occupational Therapist)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... A LITTLE Book about your Back has been written by occupational therapist Anne McNeill and shows how people can take care of their backs while carrying out everyday tasks. She illustrates the right and wrong way for everything from driving a...

flight socks.(from Scholl Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... NEVER mind your toothbrush -- next time you pack for a holiday don't forget your socks. Following air travellers' concerns on the risk of deep vein thrombosis, Scholl has produced Flight Sacks. Approved by the Aviation Health Institute, they...

soothing stars.(eczema treatment chart for children)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... A SOOTHING Stars Wallchart could be answer for children who would rather play than treat their eczema. It is designed to make the daily routine of applying emollients fun. Children can follow the Mr Itch and Mrs Soothe characters and apply...

TRUE LIFE.(exercise goals changing)(Brief Article)
May 11, 2001... Even to the little insulated worlds of health professionals it has become apparent that we should be encouraging our patients to take adequate exercise. But what is adequate? I was forced to consider this after an incident last week when...