Clinical
Our clinical nursing articles aim to inform and educate nurse practitioners and students. This is achieved through the publication of peer-reviewed, evidence-based, relevant and topical articles.
Addressing challenges in the management of long-term conditions in prisons
Why you should read this article: • To increase your understanding of the health risks associated with incarceration • To recognise the barriers to addressing prisoners’ long-term healthcare needs • To be aware of proactive health promotion initiatives within prisons The prison population is disproportionately affected by risk factors for long-term conditions, has greater healthcare needs than the general population and is, overall, increasing and ageing. There are multiple challenges to the management of long-term conditions in prisons, including a disjointed healthcare system, a focus on security, a lack of health promotion, limited scope for prisoners to self-manage their conditions and limited budgets, staffing and training. However, a prison sentence can be an opportunity to improve access to treatment for long-term conditions for a disadvantaged and marginalised population. This article describes the challenges in the management of long-term conditions in prisons and discusses how these can be addressed through a more joined-up approach, better health promotion and prisoner engagement and improved staff training.
Supporting previously bereaved parents following the birth of a rainbow baby: a health...
Why you should read this article: • To learn more about health visiting bereavement support • To understand how continuity is important following the loss of a baby • To recognise how health visiting can support parents expecting a rainbow baby A ‘rainbow baby’ is the term used for a live child born after the parents have experienced a previous miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death. In the community, health visitors are well placed to provide support to bereaved families after the death of a child. However, recent NHS budgetary constraints mean that health visitors are often unable to provide the additional support that families require at such a challenging time or when they subsequently find that they are expecting another child. This article details a service evaluation of a health visiting pilot, which sought to provide parents with targeted support after the birth of a rainbow baby. The pilot provided a named health visitor to monitor the parents’ general mental health and provide trauma-informed parenting support. The author describes the background, development and evaluation of the pilot. Five sets of parents were surveyed and all stated that they found the pilot supportive and beneficial.
Factors inhibiting self-care in African-American men with hypertension
Recognising cultural and psychological factors helps nurses encourage behaviour to reduce health risks
Nurses’ experiences caring for people who inject drugs with a physical health condition
Literature review identified lack of knowledge, emotional challenge, stigmatisation, fear and safety
Vaccinating preterm infants: a timeliness study
Parents must be supported in vaccination decision-making in the early weeks of a child’s infancy
Reducing health inequalities in cervical screening: a general practice project
Inequalities related to uptake of screening are addressed via interventions including staff training
Introducing a named nurse model of care into a community nursing service
How a named nurse model improved person-centred care and staff morale
Managing diabetes mellitus and dementia: a nursing overview
Integrated care across settings and single records for people with dementia and diabetes are recommended
Self-management care plans for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary...
How a quality improvement project helped to standardise COPD care among healthcare professionals
Recovery Colleges: supporting recovery and living well in local communities
Instead of treating illness as it arises, services must move towards prevention, recovery and living well
Exploring the implementation of the nursing associate role in general practice
The role is not fulfilling its purpose and needs to be better supported, accepted and implemented
Exploring fathers’ experiences of seeking support for postnatal depression
Nurses should ask fathers about their well-being and encourage them to discuss mental health issues