Jennifer Sprinks
Changing perceptions of care homes
Bupa UK area manager of care homes in Glasgow Aileen Waton had never intended to work in the care home sector. Over recent years, however, she has ensured all nine care homes she manages have received the highest grades Scotland’s Care Inspectorate awards for the standards of care they provide
'I like the variety of care home work'
Aileen Waton says working at a good care home can lead ti career progression and personal development
Research matters
Susanne Cruickshank talks to Jennifer Sprinks about the joys and challenges of a research career, her role as chair of the RCN cancer and breast care forum, and her commitment to ensuring that the expertise of oncology nurses can be shared with healthcare professionals in other areas of care
Testing a new tool to assess patients’ fear of their cancer recurring
Nurse Susanne Cruickshank wants to build on her research into recovery and 'survivorship'
Passion for nursing
Claire Harris, ward sister at Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, South Wales, began training to be a nurse just ten years ago. Yet last year, she won the RCN Wales Nurse of the Year award for her role in delivering a stroke design programme and single-site stroke service at her local health board
'I want the Nurse of the Year award to raise the profile of nursing'
RCN Wales Nurse of the Year Claire Harris was recognised for setting up a new stroke service that cut the length of inpatient stay
A lifelong privilege working in palliative care
Helen Meehan’s dedication to improving palliative care led to her being awarded a British Empire Medal in the new year’s honours’ list. As lead nurse in palliative and end of life care at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, she says it is a ‘privilege’ to nurse people at the end of life. Here, she talks to Jennifer Sprinks about her career to date
Nursing people at the end of life; 'they never forget how we make them feel'
Palliative care nurse Helen Meehan says treating others as you would like to be treated is at the heart of what nursing is about
Insufficient pain relief for cancer patients at end of life
An analysis of views given by more than 21,000 people on the quality of care provided to their friends or relatives reveals that thousands of cancer patients in England are spending their final hours in pain
Improving services for older people
Independent consultant Abi Masterson decided to become a nurse after taking a Saturday job at a local care home. Since then she has been a nurse, teacher and researcher, and last year was appointed deputy chief executive of the Florence Nightingale Foundation
'Never stop believing you can change the world.’
Abi Masterston urges older people's nurses to ' never settle for second best'
Lord Carter’s model hospitals aim to save the NHS £5 billion a year
A lack of standardised procedures in the use of resources across acute hospitals is costing the NHS billions, according to Labour peer Lord Carter of Coles.
Supporting patients through gynaecological cancer
Clinical nurse specialist at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust Tracie Miles talks about her new role as lead for the Eve Appeal charity’s specialist gynaecological nurse information service, Ask Eve, as well as her passion for improving the support and advice available to women on gynaecological cancers
Women seeking information on cancer can now 'ask Eve'
The Eve Appeal charity has set up a nurse-led service – Ask Eve – to provide information on all five gynaecological cancers.
Queen’s Nursing Institute champions specialist qualification for district nurses
At the end of last year, a Queen’s Nursing Institute report stated that district nurses (DNs) who complete a specialist practitioner qualification are best placed to manage complex caseloads and make decisions about patients’ needs.
Manager training key to getting nurse recruitment right, private providers told
Poor interview skills and lack of emphasis on candidates' values lead to recruitment problems
A cap of 1% on pay means nurses will feel the squeeze even more
The Department of Health’s (DH) evidence to the independent NHS Pay Review Body (RB), published on January 16, argued that NHS nurses in England should receive a pay rise of only 1% for 2016/17.
When one question leads to another
A team set up to identify people living with domestic abuse not only benefits patients, it has supported staff too, writes Jennifer Sprinks