IN BRIEF Blood pressure treatment rates in England between 1994 and 2011 went up from 13 per cent to 21 per cent, according to a study published in the Lancet. Authors say the findings indicate that if improvements in blood pressure management continue until 2022, 80 per cent of hypertension patients will be in control of their management, preventing about 50,000 cardiovascular incidents. press.thelancet.com/hypertensioncontrol.pdf District nursing students can compete for an award established by the Queen’s Nursing Institute in memory of one of its fundraisers. The Philip Goodeve-Docker memorial prize will be offered across district nursing programmes at universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Mr Goodeve-Docker died in April 2013 trying to cross the Greenland Ice Sheet to raise funds for the QNI, and his family and friends have raised £60,000 to fund the prize. Contact [email protected] Nurses at the charity Breast Cancer Care have produced an information pack for men. It covers signs and symptoms, changes to their body as a result of treatment, plus tips on how to manage side effects. Around 350 men a year are diagnosed with the disease. Rachel Rawson, senior clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care said: ‘Men often do not receive the specific information they need.’ www.breastcancercare.org.uk/ publications/men More than half of people surveyed by older people’s charity the Royal Voluntary Service believe there would be fewer cases of patient neglect if there were more hospital volunteers. A survey of 2,025 members of the public, carried out to mark volunteers week from June 1-7, also found that 49 per cent of people would be reassured by the presence of a volunteer on a hospital ward. Diabetes UK has published two free information packs to improve support for children with type 1 diabetes in schools. From September, schools will be legally required to have individual care plans for affected children. The schools pack contains a guide to implementing the rules, while the parents’ pack sets out the care parents can expect their child’s school to provide. Visit www.tinyurl.com/ky8dopn Multiple sclerosis specialist nurses will be taking part in a study investigating the care of people with the condition. A group of 30 nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists in England and Scotland will be involved. Staff, led by charity the MS Trust, will collect data about how their services are used, and will carry out surveys with patients and other health professionals. www.mstrust.org.uk/gemss Three nurses in north west England have been presented with long service awards by the RCN. Catherine Leach, Janette Marchbank and Carol Gregson have each completed 15 years’ continuous service as RCN representatives. The college’s north west regional director, Steve Flanagan said: ‘The RCN’s representatives are the backbone of the organisation.’ 10 june 4 :: vol 28 no 40 :: 2014
CALL FOR TRAINING TO FIGHT OBESITY Small amounts of weight loss maintained over a lifetime can have long-term health benefits. That is the message in guidance for healthcare professionals dealing with obese adults, published last week by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Jane DeVille-Almond, senior lecturer in adult nursing at the University of Wolverhampton, who helped draw up the guidance, said nurses need to tell their patients that relatively small amounts of weight loss is beneficial to their health. Ms DeVille-Almond, who chairs the British Obesity Society, urged nurses to push for extra training in weight management. ‘If nurses are going to run successful weight management services they need to be trained in the complexities of the problem and know where to signpost patients to external services,’ she said. The guidance says health professionals should be aware of the effort needed to lose weight and to be respectful of the stigma many adults who are overweight may feel. It also recommends referring patients to slimming organisations. tinyurl.com/m5vt3f9
Prison term for nurse who exposed child to HIV risk Nursing leaders have expressed dismay over the imprisonment of an HIV-positive nurse found guilty in Uganda of criminal negligence for placing a patient at risk of infection. Rosemary Namubiru, sentenced to three years in prison, said no malice was intended and she accidentally pricked herself with a needle, then used it to give a child an injection. RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘Nurses around the world are concerned that a workplace accident has been immediately treated as a criminal offence rather than a matter for the professional nursing board. ‘This immediate criminalisation may discourage others from getting tested or disclosing their HIV status,’ he added. Director of the Uganda UK Health Alliance Maura Buchanan said nurses in the country often worked without even basic resources, such as electricity. ‘Prosecuting health staff makes things worse and ignores what are often underlying problems of training and resources,’ she said.
NURSING STANDARD
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CALL FOR TRAINING TO FIGHT OBESITY Small amounts of weight loss maintained over a lifetime can have long-term health benefits. That is the message in guidance for healthcare professionals dealing with obese adults, published last week by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Jane DeVille-Almond, senior lecturer in adult nursing at the University of Wolverhampton, who helped draw up the guidance, said nurses need to tell their patients that relatively small amounts of weight loss is beneficial to their health. Ms DeVille-Almond, who chairs the British Obesity Society, urged nurses to push for extra training in weight management. ‘If nurses are going to run successful weight management services they need to be trained in the complexities of the problem and know where to signpost patients to external services,’ she said. The guidance says health professionals should be aware of the effort needed to lose weight and to be respectful of the stigma many adults who are overweight may feel. It also recommends referring patients to slimming organisations. tinyurl.com/m5vt3f9
Prison term for nurse who exposed child to HIV risk Nursing leaders have expressed dismay over the imprisonment of an HIV-positive nurse found guilty in Uganda of criminal negligence for placing a patient at risk of infection. Rosemary Namubiru, sentenced to three years in prison, said no malice was intended and she accidentally pricked herself with a needle, then used it to give a child an injection. RCN general secretary Peter Carter said: ‘Nurses around the world are concerned that a workplace accident has been immediately treated as a criminal offence rather than a matter for the professional nursing board. ‘This immediate criminalisation may discourage others from getting tested or disclosing their HIV status,’ he added. Director of the Uganda UK Health Alliance Maura Buchanan said nurses in the country often worked without even basic resources, such as electricity. ‘Prosecuting health staff makes things worse and ignores what are often underlying problems of training and resources,’ she said.
NURSING STANDARD
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 21, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
