Gender bias in leadership roles: how to unleash female nurses’ full potential
Women are held back from promotion by complex factors, but we may have found a solution
08 Mar 2023
Fiona Cowdell
Role of nurses in promoting the skin health of older people in the community
The age-associated changes that affect the skin, and what advice to give
15 Jul 2019
Practice question: How can I care for older people in a more human way?
We all want to provide efficient and effective care for older people, but sometimes we focus so much on efficiency, effectiveness and achieving targets that we forget we are caring for fellow humans.
26 Feb 2016
Developing the evidence base for hygiene and emollient practices
Maintaining skin integrity is an essential part of ensuring health and wellbeing in older people, and personal hygiene and emollient practices are central in achieving this aim. As nurses we are expected to deliver evidence-based care. However, there is a significant lack of evidence about how best we should provide day-to-day care that promotes skin health for older people. This article briefly examines the concept of evidence-based practice, reveals the gap in knowledge on skin hygiene and emollient practices for older people and justifies the need for a systematic review in this area. Finally it introduces a Cochrane protocol for a review that will collate and review existing knowledge and identify areas for future research. The application to practice of the new evidence generated either by the Cochrane review or by subsequent research is examined.
30 Apr 2015
Care and management of patients with pruritus
Pruritus is one of the most common skin conditions in older people. People may develop pruritus for many reasons but often it is not possible to diagnose the cause. Pruritus can cause physical and psychological suffering, affecting quality of life. The persistent itch leads to scratching which is a threat to skin integrity. It can also disrupt sleep and affect relationships. Pruritus should be treated actively. It is essential that people with pruritus receive a holistic assessment and that treatment plans are negotiated to maximise concordance and thus effective outcomes.
23 Sep 2009