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Biological basis of child health 10: function and formation of blood and common blood disorders in children
This article, the tenth in a series on the biological basis of child health, focuses on blood. Blood has a crucial role in the transport of substances such as respiratory gases, nutrients and antibodies, as well as in acid-base balance, fluid balance, blood clotting and the immune system.This articl...
Updated: 22 November 2023 -
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Tourette’s syndrome: challenging misconceptions and improving understanding
Tourette’s syndrome affects about 1% of the school-age population. Children and young people with the condition exhibit involuntary motor and vocal (also known as phonic) tics. Only 10% of those with Tourette’s syndrome have coprolalia, which involves involuntary swearing and inappropriate language....
Updated: 22 November 2023 -
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Use of individual formulation in mental health practice
Formulation is a collaborative process that promotes shared understanding of a service user’s narrative to ensure their care is meaningful. This article provides an overview of individual formulation in mental health practice. It explores the interaction between formulation and interventions, and ho...
Updated: 16 November 2023 -
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Promoting healthy eating in nurses
Across the world obesity rates in the general population have been increasing in recent years, a trend that has also been seen among nurses. Alongside the negative health effects of obesity such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, the condition affects an individual’s ability to ...
Updated: 22 November 2023 -
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Effective nurse leadership in times of crisis
The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has meant that nurse leaders need to respond rapidly and decisively to the demands and challenges of a pandemic in a context of increased staff shortages and limited resources. This article suggests essential leadership skills and characteristics ...
Updated: 16 November 2023 -
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Effective communication with older people
Effective communication with older people is an important aspect of nursing practice. Ineffective communication can lead to older people feeling inadequate, disempowered and helpless. Nurses have a duty to ensure that older people think they are being listened to and that their concerns are being va...
Updated: 1 November 2023 -
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Approaches to managing older people using opiates and their risk of dependence
There is little doubt that opiates have transformed healthcare, particularly in relation to pain management. However, many patients prescribed this type of drug develop problems such as dependency. Although we do not know how many older people have developed such problems due to opiate use we know t...
Updated: 1 November 2023 -
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Ethical practice in dementia care
This article draws on a range of case study examples from dementia care and explains how ethical theory can be applied to enhance professional practice. Ethical concepts are critically examined in this context and tensions between them are explored. The article demonstrates how an established ethica...
Updated: 1 November 2023 -
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Sexuality and sexual intimacy in later life
Sexuality is as important in older age as it is throughout life, and its expression can be positive, empowering, joyful and life-affirming. The concept of sexuality has many dimensions including identity, need and desire, relationships and behaviour, all of which develop through ageing and life expe...
Updated: 1 November 2023 -
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Recognising and managing non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are organisms that live in water systems, soil and vegetation. Humans come into contact with NTM every day, but relatively few people become unwell as a result. In those that do, pulmonary symptoms are the most common effects. The incidence of NTM pulmonary disease...
Updated: 19 January 2023