It’s time to start looking after nurses to boost careNews
Future of NHS Direct becomes more uncertain
Nurses working for NHS Direct face yet more uncertainty as it emerged that their employer may not continue to deliver the new NHS 111 service beyond the end of next March.
NMC council members swept away in overhaul
Almost all the nursing regulator’s council members have been replaced in a complete overhaul designed to improve how the Nursing and Midwifery Council operates.
In the hotseat
Trish Morris-Thompson: 'The plan to make students work as HCAs is wrong on so many levels'
The healthcare assistant proposal is expensive, will lead to an unstable workforce and it adds risks to patient care, says Trish Morris-Thompson
This Week's Practice
Community matrons’ views of readmission
Community matrons work closely with people with long-term conditions and are well placed to identify the reasons why this group are often readmitted to hospitals
Continence care is every nurse’s business
Francis has called for a focus on compassion and caring, continence is a vital aspect of care and nurses need to ensure high standards
Behind the Rituals
Does opening windows reduce infection rates?
We reported this week that the chance of infection in wards varies dramatically depending on whether nursing staff leave the windows open.
Practice comment
'Why did no alarms ring when children caught measles?'
If your kitchen smoke detector starts to shriek, do you: (a) cover your ears and assume the din will eventually stop, or (b) act immediately to keep you and your loved ones safe?
Putting it into practice
What lessons can be learnt from witness accounts in the Francis report?
Now the initial flurry of media attention relating to this year’s Francis report has subsided, it is a good time to take stock.
Looking for a job in nursing?
Behind the Headlines
Nursing Book club
Placement Learning in Cancer and Palliative Care Nursing. A guide for students in practice
‘This book should be considered by students of nursing who are going to embark on placements within cancer wards and palliative care’
Leadership Academy
Coping with life’s ups and downs
Developing your emotional resilience will have a positive effect on your mental health
Weekly news focus
Exclusive: Francis criticises nurse leadership
The nursing profession and its leaders have failed to adequately respond to the problems highlighted by the care failings at Mid Staffordshire, according to Robert Francis QC.
Practice blog
Are nurses too quick to use rapid tranquillisation?
Rapid tranquillisation on mental health wards is much-debated.
Speak out Safely
Is your trust signed up to help you Speak Out Safely?
Are you on our side? Do you want to show your staff that you support their genuine patient safety concerns?
Social media
Who should you follow on twitter?
Like it or loathe it, social media is becoming increasingly important for sharing vital information. But as a nurse, who is worth listening to?
60 seconds with
60 seconds with...Jan Quallington, head of the Institute of Health and Society, University of Worcester
We talk to Jan Quallington, head of the Institute of Health and Society, University of Worcester, who has been a nurse since 1981.
