Resources

Past editorials, both my own and others I have read, reflect on the joys of spring; the warmer weather and the beauty of gardens in full bloom. This year we have all of this, and I am enjoying the weather and taking time to value and appreciate nature each day. I find this form of mindfulness helpful for my overall wellbeing within a busy day-to-day routine. However, I am also aware that this time of year doesn’t bring joy for all. In particular, those with hay fever can really struggle with the kind of weather and subsequent hay fever levels we have experienced this year. Where I live, the goat willow seeds are blowing everywhere — beautiful to look at but potentially sensitising for those prone to hay fever.

Here, Callum Metcalfe-O’Shea, advanced nurse practitioner diabetes specialist and co-chair for the Practice Nurse Diabetes Forum for Norfolk, provides the first in a series of articles with direct insight into the changing practice of diabetes in primary care and how general practice nurses (GPNs) can keep up to date with new evidence. This article looks at new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for type 2 diabetes, identifying how the implementation of sodiumglucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) as second-line therapy now takes place and how you can use these guidelines to advance practice. Consideration will be given to SGLT-2i use in practice, while recognising the importance of patient preference and individualised care at all stages.

A correct diagnosis means a healthier patient, fewer repeat appointments and reduced antibiotic prescribing. As an advanced nurse practitioner, the author found that whether she prescribed antibiotics or not, too many patients were coming back a week later with ongoing symptoms of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). The fall in repeat appointments during a pilot project for C-reactive protein (CRP) testing which the author observed showed that point of care technology is key to an accurate diagnosis.