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Quality Improvement
Following a donation of £25,000, the RCN Foundation LV= Quality Improvement Project Grants Programme has funded eight projects across the UK
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Discrimination: assessing and preparing your case
A guide for RCN members being supported by the RCN with a potential discrimination case.
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NMC: Self-referrals
A tool for RCN members who need advice on whether to self-refer to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
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Tribunal hearings
A guide for RCN members who are being supported by the RCN at a tribunal hearing.
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NMC: Attending a hearing
A guide for RCN members who need to attend a hearing before the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) .
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at work
An advice guide for RCN members covering Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the workplace.
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Extending the Newcastle Model: how therapeutic communication can reduce distress in people with dementia
This article identifies the importance of effective communication in delivering care to people living with dementia when their understanding of the situation may differ to ours. The Newcastle Model’s biopsychosocial framework is revisited to understand the context in which caregiving takes place, and the article goes on to consider the importance of communication to person-centred care delivery. The special case of lie telling or ‘therapeutic untruths’ as a communication tool is considered as an often essential way to join with the person’s reality, and the practical and ethical dilemmas this poses are considered.
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Understanding and managing depression in older people
Clinicians do not always recognise depression in older people as they attribute symptoms to the ageing process and the effects of failing health. Similarly, older people do not always appreciate that their symptoms relate to their mood. Understanding how depression affects older people can improve access to support, thereby improving overall health and quality of life. To ensure these outcomes we need a workforce with excellent communication skills that supports therapeutic relationships, promotes recognition of symptoms, and enhances assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management.
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Early diagnosis and effective management of sepsis
Sepsis is a complex condition defined as one or more life-threatening organ dysfunctions caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Nurses have a vital role in the early identification of those with or at risk of developing sepsis. Prompt early treatment delivered using care bundles such as the ‘sepsis six’ can optimise patients’ chances of survival and reduce the debilitating effects of this condition.
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Helping people live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term condition characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. It is preventable and treatable, but still results in high levels of morbidity and mortality. This affects health service costs, but more importantly it affects the person with COPD, and their relatives and carers. If healthcare services continue to focus on managing the disease process rather than the person living with the disease itself, they may continue to produce the same outcomes and fail to substantially reduce the burden of the disease. Helping people live with COPD requires clinicians to communicate effectively with people, families and carers and share multidisciplinary team decisions with patients. Clinicians must consider the physical, psychological, social and spiritual implications of the disease. This article explores how nurses can have a positive effect on the lives of people with COPD and provides practical strategies and suggestions on giving them effective support.
