In each issue of the journal we speak to general practice nurses and hear what they have to say about their role in primary care. Here, Kim Badcock talks about her special interest in dementia care.
Welcome to this latest issue of GPN, which we hope you enjoy reading. We are delighted to share our news with you and hope to see you learning with us soon. Please visit www.educationforhealth.org to find out more about us or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Improving the care of people in the early stages of dementia
Dementia diagnosis and care has become a national priority, for it is estimated that the number of people with dementia will double to 1.4 million by 2038. Linked to the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework — and delivered by expert clinicians with practical experience in dementia diagnosis and care — Education for Health’s one day workshop will help you to recognise the symptoms of dementia and to work with other providers to coordinate effective diagnosis and support.
In each issue of the Journal of General Practice Nursing we investigate a topic currently affecting our readers. Here, Louise Ross, stop smoking service manager, Leicester, looks at: Nicotine: time for a rethink?
Anne Moger gives her views on the new national framework.
Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England, officially launched Leading Change, Adding Value: a framework for nursing, midwifery and care staff on 18 May 2016. The event was held in London and live streamed, and with 1,200 devices linked in and connections through Twitter using the hashtag #Lead2Add the estimated reach to people participating globally was over 3.5million.
The framework follows the success of Compassion in Practice (NHS England, 2012) and positions all nursing, midwifery and care staff as leaders who will shape the actions needed to meet the challenges of today and the changing health and care landscape of the future. One of the great legacies created through Compassion in Practice is the 6Cs, and these will remain the foundation of our value base and central to reducing unwarranted variation.
Inspiring the next generation of nurses to work in primary care.
In collaboration with the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) Scotland, the QNI are working to update the standards for general practice nursing (GPN) education and practice (http://bit.ly/1tvBCKb).
There are only a few universities accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the general practice nurse specialist practitioner qualification (GPN SPQ). However, in recent years, there has been a range of newer educational
developments aimed at providing the knowledge and skills needed for nurses moving into general practice — hence the need to update the ‘standards’ to ensure consistency across the four UK countries and the universities that offer this course.
Lung function or spirometry testing is a primary activity for many general practice nurses (GPNs). Spirometry testing is most commonly used to help diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and is likely to increase in importance as the proportion of individuals living with the condition is on the rise in the UK (Gibson et al, 2013).
In the UK, there are an estimated one million, one hundred thousand people over the age of 65 who are chronically lonely (Victor et al, 2005).
In 2015, a report by the Campaign to End Loneliness, Hidden Citizens, explored current understandings of and approaches to identifying loneliness and offered innovative insights into how policymakers and healthcare professionals can improve their outreach. Since its launch, public and political attention to loneliness has continued to sharpen as the social, economic and moral case for tackling loneliness grows in awareness, evidence and support.
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