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).
Success!