What practice nurses need to know about acute kidney injury

NICE (2021a) define AKI as:.

NEWS FOCUS

New legislation has been introduced to allow nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to certify fit notes. The change aims to take pressure off of GPs and cut bureaucracy....

Understanding autoimmune diseases in primary care

The function of the body's immune system is to recognise foreign elements and destroy them before they cause problems. In healthy individuals, specialised systems regulate the immune system to ensure...

Dysphagia in the older person: an update

There are four phases in a normal swallow (Table 1). Oropharyngeal dysphagia is described as difficulty initiating a swallow or passing food through the region of the mouth or throat. Oesophageal...

Setting standards for specialist practice

Exploring the individual experiences of LGBT+ patients with general practice staff: an interview-based study

Six participants were included (Table 2): three gay men, two lesbians and one non-binary person, aged 21–77 years (mean=36 years, SD=20 years). Five participants were white; one was British...

Tools, guidance and key events for general practice nurses

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has developed guidance on the diagnosis and management of gout. It includes recommendations on diagnosing gout, managing flares, diet and...

RESEARCH ROUNDUP

Globally, around 137 million women and 21 million men have a high osteoporotic fracture risk, but although exercise and physical activity can improve bone strength and the risk of falls, there is no...

U-turn on child obesity measures is a public health disaster

‘Practice Nursing provides nurses working in general practice with the tools to reach their full potential and deliver the best possible care to their patients. Our monthly journal informs and...

NEWS FOCUS

Cases of monkeypox have been identified in England, Scotland and Wales, as part of a wider global outbreak. Monkeypox is a viral infection, usually associated with travel to West or Central Africa....

Improving outcomes for people living with breathlessness

The experience of breathlessness is complex and influenced by a number of factors including emotional, environmental, cultural and social and requires a holistic approach to optimise its management...

Understanding pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women

POP is the downwards descent of one or more of the bowel, bladder, womb or – in women who have had a hysterectomy – the vaginal cuff (Haylen et al, 2016). While not life threatening, POP can cause...

The future of general practice nursing: ARRS, DES and students

Presented here have been several factors that will impact the GPN role as the nursing workforce in primary care and there are advantages and threats to each consideration. It is important to reflect...

Seasonal asthma: should it be managed differently?

Asthma is an inflammatory condition where the airways have become hyperreactive in response to a trigger (eg house dust mite, pollen, cats, viruses and temperature changes). The inflammatory cascade...

Using motivational interviewing to improve health outcomes

Exercise is found by many researchers to have a positive effect on mood, self-esteem and other aspects of mental health, as well as a high impact on physical health and therefore the risk of long-term...