Nursing Standard Podcast

In this episode of the Nursing Standard podcast two experienced nurses share their experiences of the challenges and benefits of working shifts, including how irregular hours can lead to social isolation, poor diet and disrupted sleep. They emphasise the importance of good quality rest and the need for nurses to prioritise self-care.·     For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

Pressure ulcers are one of the most common preventable ways by which patients are harmed during their care.They can be serious and even life-threatening, causing pain and distress to people of all ages and across all care settings.Nurses have an essential role in preventing pressure ulcers, and often the first action in prevention is to complete a pressure ulcer risk assessment. This can provide a foundation for care planning. Risk assessment and using risk assessment tools are the focus of the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast. This episode features tissue viability nurse consultant Julie Tyrer, who has written a continuing professional development (CPD) article headlined Implementing the PURPOSE T pressure ulcer risk assessment tool into clinical practice for RCNi specialist journal Nursing Older People. Talking with RCNi continuing professional development editor Nick Lipley, Ms Tyrer discusses her work at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the latest pressure ulcer recommendations from the National Wound Care Strategy Programme, in particular the advantages and challenges associated with PURPOSE T.

Whatever gripes nurses may have about modern uniforms, they reflect that they at least have it better than previous generations. Nurses at trusts which take on the new national uniform in England will be wearing a smart scrub or dress in a lightweight fabric. In this Nursing Standard podcast we get an overview of the history of the nursing uniform from the 1860s to the modern day and how it is linked to the nursing identity.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

‘Everybody’s going to get pain at some point in their lives. It’s something we’re all going to experience.’ And that’s why it is vital that all nurses have a firm grasp of essential pain management (EPM), according to RCN Pain and Palliative Care Forum chair Martin Galligan.In this episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, guest host Martin – who is also a lecturer practitioner at the Royal Marsden School – discusses what EPM is and how nurses can use it to provide holistic treatment for patients who are experiencing pain.Then, along with Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust pain management nurse consultant Karin Cannons and Birmingham Children’s Hospital nurse consultant Rachel Desai, he looks at how it can be used in practice.Martin, Karin and Rachel use the RAT structure of recognise, assess and treat to explore some real-world examples of pain management.How would you apply the RAT structure to a 51-year-old man with a two-year history of lower back pain who presents with increased pain and trouble walking after a recent fall? Or a 12-year-old girl who presents with abdominal pain which has been ongoing for a few days, but suddenly worsened the previous night? For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

The ‘glacial pace’ of fitness to practise (FtP) investigations into nursing staff breached human rights, says the review team that examined the running of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).Following the publication of their damning report into the internal culture at the NMC, project manager Matt Baker from specialist consultancy Rise Associates spoke to senior reporter Alison Stacey for the latest Nursing Standard podcast episode about the most worrying and shocking aspects of their findings.But Mr Baker praised the NMC for opening its doors for the investigation to be carried out, and  said the regulator had accepted the review’s recommendations, including a commitment to reaching much swifter decisions in FtP cases, getting the process right and reducing the backlog.‘This has to be a watershed moment for them,’ he said.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

Ahead of the general election on 4 July, Nursing Standard met with cancer nurse and parliamentary undersecretary at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Maria Caulfield to talk to her about what nurses can expect if the Conservatives hold on to power next month.Still working part time as a nurse, the MP for Lewes spoke to us to discuss the Conservative Party’s priorities for the NHS and the nursing workforce, including whether she agrees that England’s emergency departments are in crisis.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

Nursing and other staff cannot continue to be ‘emotionally blackmailed’ into keeping the NHS going, the Nursing Standard podcast hears.In an interview on the latest episode, shadow health and social care secretary Wes Streeting speaks about how NHS staff goodwill is now exhausted.Mr Streeting tells senior news reporter Alison Stacey that action on pay and working conditions must happen to restore professional pride in nursing.He also talks about his own experience of receiving treatment for kidney cancer, saying the care he received was fantastic, as were NHS staff, but there were too few of them.The episode is an extract of a longer interview with Nursing Standard ahead of the UK going to the polls in the general election on 4 July.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

Do you have a job interview coming up and it’s making you feel increasingly anxious?If the thought of showcasing your talents to an interview panel is making your stress levels go through the roof, don’t worry, you are not alone.The key to success is preparation – prepare well and you are giving yourself the best chance to show the interviewers that you are the ideal candidate for the job.In the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, hosted by RCNi career development editor Clare Lomas, independent careers coach Dave Cordle offers advice on what to do before, during and after your interview.Using the STAR technique to answer questionsShould you go for an informal visit? Practise your answers out loud? How can you use the STAR technique – situation, task, actions and results – to answer questions? And how important is asking for feedback?He advises on all this and more, with examples of how to answer some common interview questions, including the classic icebreaker ‘tell us about yourself’.If you want to hear more from Mr Cordle, visit an RCNi Nursing Careers and Jobs Fair, where he is a regular speaker. You can also look at the RCN’s nursing careers resource, which has information, advice and support, including free coaching sessions for RCN members.Note: This is a recording from a panel discussion at an RCNi Nursing Careers and Jobs Fair in Manchester.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast