In each issue of the Journal of General Practice Nursing, we investigate a topic currently affecting our readers. Here Toby Capstick, consultant pharmacist, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS trust, looks at why correct inhaler technique matters.
Why should general practice nurses (GPNs) be concerned about psychological care? It is relevant in two key ways: identifying and addressing mental health in consultations with patients; and identifying and addressing psychological distress (which may be temporary, e.g. coping with stress) in patients.
The recently launched campaign to transform the perceptions of nursing and midwifery aims to make young people know about the exciting breadth of careers available in nursing. The campaign also wants teachers and careers advisors to promote nursing and midwifery as a career of choice; nurses and midwives to reignite their pride in the professions; system leaders and decision makers to make sure that nursing and midwifery expertise is at the heart of shaping future healthcare policy; and the media and politicians to more accurately reflect our extraordinary careers.
Like many new ideas within the NHS, success relies heavily on a mixture of collaboration, grit determination and timing. This was very much the case with the Somerset dietetic-led gastroenterology clinic, which was established in 2012.
Why is there a lack of male nurses entering general practice nursing? I believe that the answer lies in a lack of understanding of the job role and clinical area.
The adrenaline rush and exciting demands of other clinical areas, such as A+E, ITU and trauma/ orthopaedics, attract many male nurses. The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI, 2015) recognised this by identifying that only 2% of the current general practice nurse (GPN) workforce is made up of male practitioners, thus severely under-representing the male nurse workforce.
One in two people born after 1960 will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime (Cancer Research UK, 2018a). But, four in 10 cancers can be prevented (Cancer Research UK, 2018b), and, for some of the most common cancers survival at one year is more than double when diagnosed at its earliest stage compared to the latest stage (Office for National Statistics [ONS], 2016).
Debridement is a key component of wound bed preparation, which should not be seen as a one-off procedure, but rather as something to be done on a regular basis and included in the patient care pathway. It plays a vital part in removing dead and contaminated tissue, which harbour bacteria posing a barrier to timely healing. Debridement can also remove the presence of biofilm. Wound cleansing is also an integral part of wound care practice. However, there is little evidence about the best method, frequency, or solution to use, which causes wound cleansing often to be seen as a controversial procedure. With developments in the wound care product market and smarter dressings and wound care therapies becoming available, little attention has been given to the use of cleansing solutions. Wound cleansing is technically defined as the use of fluids to remove loosely adherent debris and necrotic tissue from the wound bed to create an optimal wound healing environment.
Holistic patient assessment remains central to informing wound management plans, despite the nature and origin of the wound. As with any other type of wound, the management of surgical wounds is multifaceted, with both intrinsic and extrinsic factors needing to be addressed to achieve wound healing. In addition to the challenges these pose to the wound healing process, surgical wounds are at risk of dehiscing and overgranulation. Advances in research and technology have resulted in an increase in the use of disposable topical negative pressure devices in the community to manage surgical wounds (Khanbhai et al, 2012; Hudson et al, 2015), which has demonstrated positive patient outcomes in most studies (World Union of Wound Healing Societies [WUWHS], 2016).
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relatively rare chronic, progressive lung disease with a poor prognosis. General practice nurses (GPNs) have a pivotal role in supporting patients and their families at all stages of the disease trajectory. This article aims to raise the profile of this terminal lung condition and provide nurses with an introductory understanding of the disease, the diagnostic pathway, and treatment options available for patients. As core members of the multidisciplinary team, GPNs are well-placed to provide access to other healthcare professionals and services who together can improve the lives of patients living with this condition.
