Issue 4
Editor's editorial

A focus on the 6Cs


Issue 4
News

On the 9th October, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) outlined how it will regulate, inspect and rate care homes and community adult social care in England. 


Issue 4
News

Attending Wounds UK Annual conference at Harrogate?  Then don’t miss the Activa Symposium, chaired by Angela Rippon


Issue 4
Practice

A large part of neuropsychiatry consists of medicines management. Patients may have been prescribed medicines for signs and symptoms which turn out to have no physical cause. Psychoactive drugs tend to need careful management, so there is often a lengthy process of weaning off one drug whilst introducing new ones (whose dosage needs titrating), all the while monitoring the patient carefully.

Changes in prescriptions may take some time to filter down to the pharmacists, who might continue to dispense repeat prescriptions for a lengthy period before they become aware of any changes. This article outlines how one nurse found a simple answer to this problem.


Issue 4
Practice

Incontinence Associated Dermatitis (IAD) is challenging to both identify and manage. The damage associated with IAD occurs when a patient’s skin is exposed for prolonged periods to sweat, urine, faeces and exudate. This article discusses IAD and provides case studies in which a barrier cream has proven effective in the management of these lesions.


Issue 4
Practice

The roles of nurses, midwives and care staff have significantly changed in recent years. We have learned new skills and our responsibilities have increased accordingly. This has presented some challenges. This article describes how the 6Cs can help guide staff.


Issue 4
Practice

Generally speaking, most clinicians know something about heart failure, even if it’s only the obviousness of the words. Rarely do you have the opportunity to experience catastrophic heart disease and survive to tell the tale. This article, written by a retired nurse and patient, explains in a very personal way, how you can and should make a difference to your patients, and asks you to be confident that you can make a patient’s life better.


Issue 4
Practice

This article gives a brief overview of hyperhidrosis, a debilitating condition affecting at least 1% of the population. Any part of the body may be affected, such as the face, head, neck, back or groin; but most commonly the hands, feet and axillae are the primary concern.


Issue 4
Comment and Opinion

The nursing hierarchy in 1979, the year I started nurse training, was awful; but even then, people yearned for the good old days in ways which some readers may accuse me of doing, should they ever get to the end of this article.


Issue 4
Comment and Opinion

Did you sleep well? Tucked up in a cosy bed? Had a nice bath? Smelling sweet?

Such thoughts take me back fifty years to working in Casualty at the (now 'old') Westminster Hospital, London SW1...


Issue 4
Policy & Management

Differentiating between sacral pressure damage and moisture lesions is not always straightforward. Fortunately, help is at hand.


Issue 4
Education & Societies

This article outlines the breadth of Changing Faces’ work, our perspective on what health care for people with disfigurements should look like – and what we offer in the form of training and advice for health and social care professionals.


Issue 4
Education & Societies

NMC updates
 


Issue 4
Education & Societies

Latest updates from RCN Northern Ireland


Issue 4
Product Review

Granulox (Infirst Healthcare) is an innovative haemoglobin spray which improves the oxygen supply to chronic wounds through simplified diffusion, thereby promoting wound healing. 


Issue 4
Tweets, Links and Letters

This month's selection of Tweets which caught our attention. 

If you have any comments, opinions or would like to submit an article, please email, Tweet us or leave a comment on our Facebook page. We would love to hear from you. 


Issue 4
Poll

What is your opinion on the proposed payment of £55 to GPs for every patient diagnosed with Dementia?


Issue 4
News

The EPUAP has announced the recent death of Dr. George Cherry.


Issue 4
Out of the Ordinary

According to the 2011 Census there are 200,000 young carers (under 18) in the UK; however, a BBC survey in 2010, estimated that there could be as many as 700,000.

This is Lauren's story