Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)最新文献

Pain is a significant issue for women accessing healthcare services in the UK, with reports showing that they are disproportionally affected by chronic pain compared with men. Not only are women more likely to experience pain than men, but their pain is also often under-managed. This article examines the gender pain gap, which can result in acute and chronic pain in women being treated differently than in men, and describes the physical and psychological effects this can have on individuals. The author also discusses the limited evidence which currently exists regarding the gender pain gap in the UK and presents some practical interventions that nurses can use to ensure that women's pain is treated equally.

The demand for high-quality end of life care services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or trans, queer and other sexual or gender minority (LGBTQ+) people will continue to increase alongside that of the wider population. However, there does not appear to be the expected, representative numbers of LGBTQ+ patients within such services. In this article, the author examines some of the challenges experienced by LGBTQ+ people in accessing long-term and end of life care services, and discusses issues related to the concealment and disclosure of sexual orientation and gender identity. The author also explores some of the ways in which nurses, educators and healthcare organisations might improve the representation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in end of life care services.

Evidence demonstrates that trans patients and service users consistently experience poorer health outcomes compared with the general population across all aspects of healthcare provision, with one of the reasons for this being a lack of trans-inclusive education for healthcare professionals such as nurses. This article outlines some of the challenges experienced by trans people when accessing healthcare services, such as discrimination and stigma. The author also explores some of the educational resources that can assist nurses in all roles and fields of practice to improve care for trans patients and service users.

While resilience is often promoted by healthcare organisations as a personal coping strategy, this approach risks overlooking systemic issues and structural inequalities that significantly affect staff well-being. This article critically explores the growing emphasis on resilience as a strategy for managing the stresses and demands experienced by nurses. It also examines how an overreliance on resilience can shift responsibility from organisations to individuals, potentially distorting perceptions of harm and internalising blame. Although the authors acknowledge the value of resilience, they advocate for a more balanced and integrated approach that combines individual resilience with organisational accountability and collective action to support the nursing workforce more effectively.

Rationale and key points: Sepsis is a serious, life-threatening condition in which a dysregulated host response to infection causes organ dysfunction, potentially leading to death. It is a time-critical condition, so early recognition of deterioration potentially due to sepsis, escalation to a senior clinician and rapid initial treatment are key for improving outcomes and saving lives. Nurses screening patients for sepsis must have the knowledge and skills required to do so effectively, working within their level of competence. • Sepsis is a life-threatening and time-critical condition that requires prompt recognition and treatment. • To ensure comprehensive and accurate screening, it is recommended to use an early warning score observation chart and a sepsis screening tool. • The 'sepsis six' is a bundle of six activities that must be carried out to improve patient outcomes when sepsis is suspected. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: 'How to' articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence-based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: • How this article might improve your practice when screening and providing rapid initial treatment for sepsis in adults. • How you could use this information to educate nursing students or colleagues about screening and providing rapid initial treatment for sepsis in adults.

Mental health and physical health are closely linked, and people diagnosed with mental health conditions need to be offered regular physical health assessments. Cardiovascular health is an important consideration when prescribing antidepressants, as side effects of these medicines can include serious cardiovascular events. Therefore, mental health nurses working at an advanced level of practice need to be able to assess service users' physical health as well as their mental health. Conducting a physical health assessment and checking cardiac health is crucial to guide decision-making when prescribing antidepressants. This article uses a case study to discuss the role of advanced practitioners in assessing the physical health of mental health service users, underlining the importance of physical health competence in advanced level mental health nursing practice.

Nurses and other healthcare professionals are required to provide care in an increasingly pressured and complex environment, placing greater demands on the workforce. Compassionate leadership offers a values-driven alternative to traditional hierarchical leadership. Rooted in empathy, active listening and meaningful action, compassionate leadership can help to establish psychological safety, whereby team members feel safe to speak up, raise concerns, share ideas and learn from mistakes without fear of blame or punishment. This article explores the critical relevance of this leadership approach for modern nursing and explains how it aligns with the evolving needs of the healthcare workforce. It also offers practical, evidence-based approaches for nurses to embed compassionate leadership into their daily practice, promoting inclusive, supportive and empowered teams where every voice is truly heard and valued.

Hoarding disorder is a complex mental health condition that is increasingly recognised as both a health concern for the individual and a wider public health issue. Supporting individuals with hoarding disorder requires multi-agency intervention, involving collaboration between local authority environmental health teams, fire safety experts, mental health specialists and health and social care professionals, including community nurses. This article examines hoarding behaviour through a health promotion lens, with a focus on the role of the nurse. The author discusses potential underlying causes and consequences of hoarding behaviour and emphasises the importance of a health promotion approach to initiating and supporting behaviour change. The author also provides guidance for nurses on starting conversations about hoarding behaviour with individuals, assessing the severity of the issue and initiating and supporting behaviour change.

The concept of planetary health explains how human health and the health of the planet are intrinsically linked. As such, nurses have an important role in caring for the environment. Nurse leaders who consider the health of the planet alongside providing patient care can ensure that they offer effective leadership in a world threatened by growing environmental concerns. This article provides an overview of the concept of planetary health and examines the practical, ethical and relational dimensions of planetary health leadership in relation to nursing practice. The author also makes the case for broader action from healthcare organisations and leaders to contribute to the preservation of planetary health.

Evidence suggests that opioids are no longer appropriate for long-term use in chronic non-malignant pain, due to lack of efficacy and risks to patients such as increasing tolerance and dependency, multiple physical side effects, mental health issues or even death from accidental overdose. This article considers the evidence on the appropriate use of opioids, and ways to safely implement and manage their long-term use. The author details best practice for nurses on subjects such as the use of opioids in the treatment of various types of pain, the principles of opioid stewardship, optimising the effects of opioids, and the risk of tolerance, dependency and dose escalation.