Jennifer Sprinks
When one question leads to another
From February, NICE guidelines call for enhanced support for patients in emergency departments or maternity units who are thought to have experienced domestic abuse. The Royal Stoke University Hospital’s Steps to Safety team, set up in partnership with the charity Arch, is already seeking to help such patients and provide the support they need by referring them for specialist practical and emotional support.
Palliative care of people with learning disabilities must be improved, says senior nurse
Great Ormond Street Hospital's Jim Blair says too often staff fail to observe end of life needs
RCN launches a year of celebration to mark its centenary
Nurses and healthcare leaders gathered at a celebration last night in London to launch the RCN's centenary year
Sepsis action plan supports prompt diagnosis and treatment
NHS England publishes action plan with five focus areas aimed at improving healthcare professionals' care of people with sepsis
Up to 47,000 extra nurses will be available to NHS by 2020, predicts HEE
Health Education England's commissioning and investment plan for 2016/17 shows that an additional 80,000 healthcare staff will be available for employment by 2020, including almost 47,000 extra nurses
Signs of dementia most often detected during festive period
Research conducted for the Alzheimer's Society's shows there is confusion surrounding what the signs of dementia are, and often people wait too long before seeking help
Petition in favour of nursing bursaries hits more than 100,000 signatures
A second-year nursing student's petition calling on the government to keep bursaries for students on nursing degrees has received more than 113,000 signatures in just days
Hospital opens facility to speed up patient discharge process
James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough has opened a 'discharge suite' to provide somewhere for patients to wait after being discharged from hospital
NHS hospitals in England had 1,200 more admissions per day in 2014/15 than previous year
Latest figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show there were 15.9 million admissions to NHS hospitals in England in 2014/15 – 1,200 more per day than in 2013/14
Revalidation is a chance to challenge practice, improve and innovate
In just over five months, nurses and midwives will need to fulfil the requirements of a new revalidation model. Following the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) decision to launch revalidation at its council meeting last week, nearly 16,000 nurses will be first through the system when their registration is due for renewal in April.
Seven-point plan focuses on care of older people in remote area of Scotland
A ‘radical shift in resources’ is required to meet the needs of older people in remote and rural areas, according to a report published by the RCN with support from Age Scotland. The report, Going the Extra Mile, is drawn from interviews with community nurses and survey responses from more than 170 older people
Give nursing research stronger clinical foundations, argues nursing professor
Plymouth University professor in clinical nursing told the NET2015 Conference in Cambridge that nurse researchers like herself should be recruited from clinical backgrounds rather than academia
Care Quality Commission wants more expertise in mental health inspections
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) wants to tap into the ‘best, current expert thinking’ to improve the way it inspects and regulates mental health services across England, according to deputy chief inspector of hospitals (mental health) Paul Lelliott
One in five dying patients do not receive the treatment they want, research shows
A survey of patients' family and friends conducted by YouGov for charity Compassion in Dying reveals that one in five patients do not receive the treatment they want at the end of their lives
Taking the lead on mental health
What qualities do you need to be a national adviser? Jennifer Sprinks talks to Jonathan Warren and Vanessa Ford, who advise the CQC on mental health nursing
MPs join forces to highlight and debate key patient safety issues
Improving patient safety has been the stated ambition of the government since Sir Robert Francis published his report into care failings at Stafford Hospital in February 2013.
New leader wants to inspire nurses to speak up for themselves
It is hard to believe RCN’s new general secretary Janet Davies has been in her role for only two weeks when I meet her at the college’s London headquarters. Orchid plants adorne her office and her feet seem firmly under the table. It is only the presence of ‘good luck’ cards that provide a clue she is new to the job.
Nurses appointed as CQC national advisers for mental health regulation
Care Quality Commission appoints two nursing advisers for mental health services