Practice Nurse articles from October 2000

Practice Nurse archives from October 2000

PCTs to appoint lead clinicians for cancer care.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... THE DoH and the charity Macmillan Cancer Relief are investing a total of 3 million [pounds sterling] a year to fund a lead clinician for cancer care within each primary care trust. The initiative forms part of the National Cancer Plan...

Overtime paid to practice nurses for flu vaccinations.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... CENTRAL government money is being made available for the first time this year to pay practice nurses for working overtime to cope with the extra numbers of patients being called in for flu vaccinations. A 10 million [pounds sterling] fund...

RCN endorses NHS guidance on violence.
October 20, 2000... Are you being paid overtime for flu jabs? The RCN has welcomed practical advice on tackling violence against NHS staff, issued in the latest stage of the Government's zero tolerance campaign. The new guidance covers risk assessment,...

Longer needles better for infant vaccinations.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... LOCAL reactions such as redness and swelling can be significantly reduced by using longer needles to deliver routine infant vaccinations, a general practice study has found. A total of 119 infants attending for third primary immunisation,...

Nurses win national awards to fund primary care research projects.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... TWO nurses have won research funds in a prestigious national award scheme to encourage studies to improve patient services in primary care. Gina Higginbottom, from Sheffield, is to receive a share of the 3.5 million [pounds sterling]...

United Kingdom leads the world in breast cancer management.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... WOMEN with breast cancer are surviving longer than ever before as Britain now leads the world in treating the disease, according to encouraging figures announced at the recent second European Breast Cancer Conference in Brussels, Belgium...

BRIEFING.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... TA NEEDS MORE NURSES Nurses are in demand by the Territorial Army. The TA aims to recruit 1500 more nurses who are looking for new experiences and personal and professional challenges. The age limit is 45 -- and nursing expertise is more...

Patient group directions.
October 20, 2000... Practice nurses are angry that patient group directions have not improved their prescribing rights. NEW legislation that requires health care professionals to supply and administer medicines according to patient group directions (PGDs) is...

editorial.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
October 20, 2000... Do we practise what we preach? We heard the week before the Labour Party conference, late last month, that MPs are an unfit bunch despite claiming to be healthy. But most of us don't put our health top of our list of priorities. The...

Coping with headache.
October 20, 2000... A guide to the signs, symptoms and management of migraine, tension headache and chronic headache KEY POINTS * Identify the type of headache through careful assessment * Management options include drugs, alternative remedies and...

More than just a headache.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... As nurse gives a moving account of her own daughter Rebecca's battle with a tragic and incapacitating migraine attack. Rebecca was a gifted child who won a scholarship to train in contemporary dance. However, after she graduated in July...

Flu jabs -- choices to be made in 2000.
October 20, 2000... Constance Martin discusses the implications of the new government guidelines on administering the flu vaccine and the problem of prioritising different risk groups with limited supplies. KEY POINTS * This year the flu immunisation...

Results of our wound care survey.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... Practice nurses play an important role in wound management in primary care, according to the results of a survey carded out by Practice Nurse with NSM Research. KEY POINTS * 75% of respondents see venous ulcers at least once a week...

Targeting teenage pregnancy.
October 20, 2000... Nurse-led clinics are often the most accessible source of advice on contraception. Christine Dowell looks at the practical issues involved and considers the prescribing options. KEY POINTS * Practice nurses have a growing role in...

Can we do more for CHD?
October 20, 2000... Biological factors such as hypertension and cholesterol levels are undoubtedly important in cardiac care but Catriona Clark urges practice nurses also to consider the psychological aspects. KEY POINTS * Primary care plays an...

PRACTICE NURSE AWARD 2000.
October 20, 2000... The Practice Nurse of the Year Award pays tributes to the dedication of general practice nurses throughout the country. It is held as part of the annual Doctor awards -- regarded as the most prestigious event in the primary care calendar. ...

In focus ...(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... Different forms of psoriasis as illustrated in the new book Quick Reference Atlas 1 FLEXURAL PSORIASIS SLIDE 1 This is a non-scaling psoriasis affecting the axillae, anogenital folds and sub-mammary region. The erythematous plaques...

Why asthma patients may avoid rheumatoid arthritis.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... The immunological factors underlying the atopic illnesses, hay fever, asthma and consitutive eczema, may protect against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) later in life. A survey conducted by researchers in Pads has shown that the cumulative...

Young heart patients fail to name their disease.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... Many young people with heart disease have a poor understanding of their medical condition, according to a study in Leeds. Interviews with 63 patients aged 7-18 showed that understanding was good in only 30 per cent, partial in 21 per cent...

Low risk of long-term shingles pain in patients under 60.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... The probability of important long-term pain after a first dose of herpes zoster (shingles) is low. A total of 62 GPs in Iceland reported every new case of herpes zoster diagnosed between 1990 and 1995. The point prevalence of...

Antioxidant oil.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... Researchers may have pinpointed the constituents in olive oil which are associated with good health. Three major classes of phenolic compounds were identified -- simple phenols, secoiridoids and lignans -- all of which have known...

Smart fact file for sufferers of kidney disease or renal failure.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... A new and innovative fact file packed full of up-to-the-minute information on renal failure and kidney disease is now available for patients. The smart A5 binder file has been produced by the National Kidney Federation in conjunction...

RESOURCES ITEMS.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... * THE latest worldwide scientific evidence is now available to practice nurses at the click of a button. The BMJ has launched a new web site specifically aimed at nurses wanting to improve their knowledge of the benefits of common clinical...

Leaflets, information, products and pharmacy items.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... * The Haemophilia Society has released a new range of leaflets aimed specifically at helping young people to live with haemophilia and hepatitis C. There are three booklets in the series and all are aimed at a different age range. The...

Men's health: sowing the seeds.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... I was interested to read the article `Sexual health is an issue for young men, too,' Practice Nurse, 15 Sept 2000. I work as a practice nurse in Cambridge. When seeing young people for their booster DT & polio immunisations, we take the...

Asthma: feeling in control.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... What should the next treatment step be for asthma patients who remain poorly controlled, despite taking a low-to-moderate dose of inhaled steroid? The evidence suggests that, for the majority of adult and adolescent patients, the most...

Evidence from a recent systematic review.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... To clarify the benefits achieved by adding an inhaled LAB to an inhaled steroid, researchers conducted the MIASMA (meta-analysis of increased dose of inhaled steroid or addition of salmeterol in symptomatic asthma) systematic review, which...

Putting the evidence into practice.(Brief Article)
October 20, 2000... There is now a wealth of evidence in adults and adolescents that adding an inhaled LAB to a low-to-moderate dose of inhaled steroid is more effective in improving asthma control than a higher dose of inhaled steroid.[9-20] However, when...

Teamwork may help reduce falls in elderly people.
October 6, 2000... OLDER people who have fallen should have access to a programme to prevent further falls, the latest Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin has recommended. The authors of the report, which came out on 21 September, say that as many as one in...

Continence help for women who suffer in silence.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... URINARY and faecal incontinence are tackled head-on in a new booklet aimed at pregnant women and new mums, produced by The Continence Foundation. The charity wants to increase awareness of the problem and advise on how to prevent it, but...

NICE issues guidance on inhalers for under fives.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... NEW evidence-based guidance on inhalers for children under five will enable practice nurses to reassure parents that their children are being given the most suitable treatment for their asthma. The National Institute for Clinical...

NHS Executive plan extension to nurse recruitment campaign.
October 6, 2000... NHS NURSES who have left the National Health Service to pursue other careers or to bring up their children are to be lured back by a new recruitment campaign, its organisers hope. The NHS Executive announced on 20 September that,...

NURSES INVITED TO CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH.
October 6, 2000... In our News Analysis about the research conference in Pract Nurse, Sept 15; 256-9, we gave the wrong email address for organiser Felicity King. We apologise to anyone who tried unsuccessfully to email her to find out about the conference, and...

National computer system for NHS Direct aims to improve services.
October 6, 2000... A NEW 22 million[pounds sterling] national computer system has been installed at NHS Direct, the nurse-led telephone helpline, which will improve the quality and consistency of advice given by nurses to callers. The clinical decision...

BRIEFING.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP Lack of sleep can have a stronger effect on reaction time than drinking alcohol, research has shown. A paper published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that after being awake for 17-19 hours,...

Consensus on levels for lipid-lowering.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... STATINS share a `class effect' with respect to LDL-cholesterol lowering -- and reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality -- so choice of statin should be based on their potential for drug interactions, according to a consensus...

Over-65s flu campaign will have 'huge impact' on practice nurses.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... THE Government's flu campaign, extended for the first time this year to people over 65, has raised concerns about an unpaid increase in practice nurses' workload. Stung by criticism that last year's flu crisis was partly caused by GPs'...

NHS cervical screening programme to pilot LBC along with HPV testing.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... THE National Institute for Clinical Excellence has recommended that liquid based cytology (LBC) along with the use of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing should be piloted as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. The new...

Pay and working conditions.
October 6, 2000... Nursing unions and the Government have begun their annual war of words about how much nurses should be paid next year as they submit their written evidence to the independent Nurses Pay Review Body. Francesca Robinson finds out what practice...

editorial.(nurses' pay)(Editorial)
October 6, 2000... At last, good news on pay for practice nurses -- but only the lucky few. Nurses whose practices are in PMS pilots have been reassured that they should receive full pay awards from their employers, but the Government must not forget the...

Patient group directions for POMs.
October 6, 2000... New legislation regarding patient group directions for prescription only medicines is now in force, Jeannett Martin discusses the implications for healthcare professionals. Protocols are an agreed framework outlining the care that will be...

Treating sexually transmitted infections.
October 6, 2000... Diseases spread by intercourse can have psychological as well as physical symptoms. Jill Shawe considers the impact on women's health and wellbeing. The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reported in recent years has risen...

Crossing the barriers to diabetes education.
October 6, 2000... Many patients from ethnic origins cannot benefit from health promotion literature and ignore minor complaints. Elaine Alexander tells us how she overcame this in her diabetic clinic. Ulceration of the foot, sometimes leading to...

In focus ...(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... Ian Williams and Vivienne Ankrett's illustrated guide for practice nurses, on HRT and the menopause . HRT IMPLANT BEING PERFORMED SLIDE 1 HRT can be delivered in the form of subcutaneous implants of either oestrogen alone or in...

Management of smoking related COPD.
October 6, 2000... The diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of this smoking-related disease are discussed by Pat MacDonald, with reference to a current case. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects six per cent of men and four per cent of...

A travel card fit for Lloyd George.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... Are you sick of searching for folded sheets of A4 paper in patients' notes? Jane Chiodini has designed a user-friendly alternative. The increase in overseas travel and the popularity of last-minute holiday deals have led to greater...

The problem Knee pain.
October 6, 2000... The minor illness series is presented as a tool for you to cut out and keep for quick reference. The series will cover conditions that are commonly presented in general practice and will aim to provide guidance on identifying, managing and...

Herbal remedy beats first-line drug.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... The herbal remedy Hypericum perforatum -- St John's wort -- is as effective as imipramine in the management of mild-to-moderate depression and produces fewer adverse effects, according to the first large-scale trial, in Germany. The two...

Breast screening cuts cancer deaths.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... Breast cancer deaths in England and Wales among women aged 55-69 fell by more than 21 per cent between 1990 and 1998. Researchers believe the fall is due largely to the introduction of the NHS screening programme, improved treatments and...

Tamoxifen users face endometrial risks.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... The increased risk and poorer prognosis of endometrial cancer in long-term users of tamoxifen has cast doubt over the safety of the drug as a breast cancer preventive in healthy women. The concern has emerged from the findings of a study...

Jogging for life.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2000... People who jog live longer, a study claims. Data on jogging were collected in the 1970s and 1980s in an observational study of 4658 Danish men. At the outset of the study, 217 of the men said they were regular joggers. Five years later,...

FACING HIV.
October 6, 2000... Centralan Consultants Limited. 29.38 [pounds sterling] This CD-ROM is a gem. It consists of a blend of excerpts taken from interviews with people affected by HIV. This includes patients, carers and professionals. It will undoubtedly help...

VITAL DIABETES.(Review)
October 6, 2000... Fox C, McKinnon M, Class Publishing, 96 pages, ISBN 187 2362 788 This book includes practical advice for diabetes management in primary care. Strongly biased in favour of consideration of the person with diabetes, and involving them in...

WHO GUIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH IN PRIMARY CARE.(Review)
October 6, 2000... Royal Society of Medicine Press, May 2000. 12.95 [pounds sterling], 195 pages. ISBN: 1 85315 451 2 This small book is a useful addition to any practice's library. Apart from advice on diagnosis, treatment and when to refer, the authors...

FERTILITY PROBLEMS: A SIMPLE GUIDE.(Review)
October 6, 2000... Ruth Chambers. Radcliffe Medical Press Ltd, 1999. Price 17.95 [pounds sterling], 111 pages. ISBN: 1 85775 302 X Ruth Chambers has managed to demystify the acronym-filled world of infertility. Of course there's jargon, but it is kept to a...

letters.
October 6, 2000... Aeromedical transport course In the article Making the most of your educational options,[1] I appreciate the inclusion of details about my training course -- clinical considerations in aeromedical transport -- but regret to say the...