The clocks are turning back, and nights are drawing in; somehow, with a blink of an eye summer has gone for another year. This time of seasonal change brings lots of emotions - the more organised amongst you may have all but finished your Christmas shopping, others will be counting down the days until the annual ward night out whilst some of you will simply be wanting to hibernate for a few months. Yet, love it or hate it one thing is for sure: everyone wants to escape the winter bugs, especially the dreaded ‘flu'. Read More
The recent publication of the CQC report, Smiling Matters: Oral health care in care homes found that both a lack of access to dentists and insufficient support provided by care home staff is leading to a worrying state of affairs for residents' dental health. Read More
Caring for others can take its toll on your body, mind and emotions. Yet, even though you may be an expert at looking after your patients, are you giving your own wellbeing the same attention? Read More
If you were trying to improve your fitness, what’s the first thing you’d do? You might join a gym, get advice from a personal trainer or start working out with a friend. Either way you’d probably want to know where you were at before setting yourself some goals, whether it’s running a 5k or doing a triathlon. If you want to move forward you’ve got to find out where you are.
That’s the rationale behind The Charity Digital Skills Report. Read More
Whether you work in a major hospital or a care home setting; are a generalist or a specialist; are newly-trained or experienced; or are working at the front-line or a support role – any new employer (permanent or agency work) needs to know that you have up-to-date training. Read More
All of you will have found yourselves in public situations where powerful emotions bubble to the surface, e.g. on the ‘phone to a call centre or waiting for a delayed train. Often even if it doesn’t change the outcome of the situation, if you are dealt with in an open, honest and respectful way, you feel more in control and able to cope. Read More
Fortunately, 21st century healthcare is gradually moving away from the out-dated ‘doctor knows best’ model to one which is more person-centred. For you, as a health care practitioner, this means working with your patients - exploring what they already know, educating and empowering them to live the best they can with their conditions. Read More
Feb 4th, 2019 marks the 20th World Cancer Day (WCD) - a day that aims to bring people, communities and countries together to raise awareness and take action in the global fight against cancer. Read More
Working in the healthcare environment you have a duty to keep your patients safe and free from harm. However, in doing so you need to know that your health is not being put at risk and you are able to work in a safe environment. Read More
This past year has given us some extreme weather: who can forget the deluge of snow that the ‘Beast from the east’ brought us in March? And then, just a couple of months later we enjoyed unprecedented heat waves throughout the long summer. Unfortunately, we don’t have a crystal ball, so who knows what the next few months will bring weather-wise? However, what we do know is that, if you work in a care home, it’s not only the weather that you will be concerned about this winter. Read More
This past year has given us some extreme weather: who can forget the deluge of snow that the ‘Beast from the east’ brought us in March? And then, just a couple of months later we enjoyed unprecedented heat waves throughout the long summer. Unfortunately, we don’t have a crystal ball, so who knows what the next few months will bring weather-wise? However, what we do know is that, if you work in a care home, it’s not only the weather that you will be concerned about this winter. Read More
The weather has turned, the dark nights have settled in and winter is fast-approaching. For those of you involved in the annual influenza immunisation campaign it’s a busy time of year; you will have completed all your training, be familiar with this years’ schedule / PGDs, and now your ‘flu clinics will be in full swing. Read More
Whatever field of healthcare you work in, the ability to cope with change has become an important aspect of your role. Yet keeping abreast of clinical, organisational and administrative changes presents a logistical challenge for even the most dedicated professional Read More
Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction which affects the whole body. Without prompt treatment, it can quickly deteriorate into anaphylactic shock. Read More
Most people tend to think that dementia only affects older people. However, approximately 42,000 people in the UK are affected by what’s known as ‘young onset dementia’ each year.
This short article aims to give a brief overview of early onset dementia. However, to fully support people, both through the initial stages after diagnosis and as the disease progresses, it is advisable to undertake specialist healthcare training to help patients deal with the inevitable grief and confusion. Read More
I’m sure that you didn’t enter the caring professions expecting things to be easy, but as the song goes ‘no-one said it would be this hard.’ Unlike so many careers, what you are leaving behind at the end of a long and tiring day isn’t just a ‘to do’ list, it may quite literally be life and death. In addition, being frequently under-resourced means that so often your best is never quite enough. And that’s not easy to cope with. Read More
As the NHS celebrated its 70th birthday this summer there were plenty of nostalgic memories as we as we all reflected on how things were ‘back in the day’. The NHS has changed so dramatically since its inception in 1948 with technology and advances in medical science largely paving the way.
But the NHS landscape has also been shaped by those who use its services. We know that people are living longer with more complex conditions and this is reflected in the demand for services both in primary and secondary care. Read More
Both how much and what you eat and drink not only affects your weight but it impacts on your mood, concentration levels and how you feel. In essence, ‘good’ food and hydration are essential for general wellbeing. So, as a healthcare worker, ensuring that your patients receive adequate amounts of nutrition and hydration is a fundamental aspect of holistic care. Read More
Patients who receive PEG feeding will have a PEG tube (also known as a gastrostomy tube) inserted directly into their stomach. The tube allows all food, fluids and medications to pass directly into the digestive tract. Read More
After a while, the hospital or care home where you work becomes as familiar to you as your own home. But it’s important to remember that for patients and relatives these alien environments can often feel scary and add to the vulnerability they are feeling.
You can help to minimise anxieties by providing dignified and compassionate care and this should be a fundamental part of training for all nurses and healthcare assistants. Read More
