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Nurses, midwives and nursing students are legally responsible for their actions. This article discusses the legal standard of care required in relation to nursing and midwifery practice and nurses' professional standards and code of conduct. It examines how courts in the UK determine if nurses have met their duty of care and how nurses must ensure they maintain competence to provide safe care. It examines why organisational knowing - understanding the organisation in which one is employed; its people, values and how it works - is important for all nurses, regardless of their level in the organisation. It also discusses workplace incivility and its adverse effects on nurses, patient care and healthcare organisations. The article explains that if nurses are uncertain why they are doing something, they should investigate this further, because the law expects nurses to be able to justify their actions, or failure to act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article outlines the process of performing an episiotomy. Topics covered include the things that midwives and doctors should do before performing episiotomy including the need to inform the woman about the procedure and gain informed verbal consent, the step-by-step instructions for performing the procedure, and the difference between the two types of episiotomy namely mediolateral episiotomy and midline incision.

This is the first article in a series of 11 that will offer guidance to new and existing mentors and practice teachers to enable them to develop in their role and help them to gather a portfolio of evidence that meets the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Standards to Support Learning and Assessment in Practice (SSLAP). This article provides background to the development of the standards and outlines the SSLAP, including the four main stages of the framework, the eight domains and outcomes, and the five principles required for the roles of mentor, sign-off mentor and practice teacher. The requirements for maintaining the mentor and practice teacher roles are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the poor representation of black and minority ethnic (BME) nurses and midwives in higher National Health Service (NHS) Agenda for Change (AfC) positions due to institutional discrimination issues in Great Britain as of October 2018. Topics covered include the need to remove bias in the nursing recruitment process and to have fair gender and race representation in interview panels. Also noted are best practice recommendations for employers to support the BME population.

The article reports on the negotiation between the British government and nurses' unions on the changes to the Agenda for Change pay system for fairer pay structure in the National Health Service. Among the priorities for the unions include the removal of overlap between pay bands and the improvement in starting salaries for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.

The article discusses the challenges affecting the revalidation process under the mandatory scheme implemented by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in Great Britain. Topics covered include the practice-related feedback requirement, the possible sources of feedback according to the NMC, and the importance of feedback in nursing and midwifery revalidation according to University College London Hospital nursing and midwifery revalidation lead Alison Finch.

Nurses and midwives should be able to perform, interpret and implement the results of clinical research to improve the quality of patient care. Increasing the research capacity and capability of healthcare professionals requires strong leadership and a strategic approach. This article describes how one NHS trust supports engagement of nurses and midwives in research through the development of a research strategy and a centre for nurse and midwife-led research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the state of the British Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) revalidation process one year after it was launched in April 2016. Topics covered include the significance of the move from post-registration education and practice (Prep) to revalidation, steps that all nurses and midwives must complete under revalidation, and how revalidation has prompted many nurses to reflect on how they can learn from their own practice.

The article reports developments in the operation of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust as of mid-March 2017, particularly its successful emergence from a scandal over the deaths of 11 babies and a mother at one of its hospital. Also cited are the current overall rating of 'good' given by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to the trust's hospitals in Lancashire and Cumbria, England, and the comment by executive chief nurse, Sue Smith.

The article announces the winners of the 2016 RCNi Nurse Awards in Great Britain including Venetia Wynter-Blyth named the Nurse of the Year, senior lecturer Verna Lavender and her team given the Excellence in Cancer Research award, and Jo Boyd and her team winning the Community Nursing category.

Aim: To report on the introduction of intentional rounding in an NHS trust. Method: A two-stage pilot project with participatory methods underpinned by core practice development principles was undertaken to introduce intentional rounding. Findings: Patients and staff found intentional rounding to be a positive experience, although nurses and midwives felt they were inadequately prepared to implement the practice. Leaders and managers who engaged in learning opportunities before the pilot study tended to achieve more successful and sustained practice change. Conclusion: There is disagreement among nurses about the contribution of intentional rounding to patient care, particularly in light of the weak evidence base, time involved and associated documentation. Therefore, further research is needed in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student attrition in higher education institutions has long been an area of concern. Voluntary withdrawal of nursing and midwifery students from courses is an increasing trend. A review of student records was conducted to examine the reasons for withdrawal from pre-registration midwifery programmes at University Campus Suffolk. Wrong career choice was identified by the majority of students who withdrew voluntarily. These findings were used in conjunction with theoretical frameworks to establish ways of improving selection and recruitment strategies to reduce attrition on midwifery courses. These approaches should provide students with a sense of the institution's commitment to their integration and socialisation into the educational and clinical practice environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to passing an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is adequate preparation and practice. Nursing or midwifery students need to prepare themselves to demonstrate a range of clinical skills and related clinical and theoretical knowledge. This article advises the student directly how to prepare for an OSCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the development and provision of a framework for supporting mentors working in community settings. A working group was set up to explore the provision of mentor support in community placements in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, which was restructured to meet the demands of Nursing and Midwifery Council standards and to demonstrate a commitment to supporting mentors. This was done by providing regular mentoring update sessions, a regular newsletter, visiting lecturer contact and practice-held mentor resource packs. Evaluation of the update sessions was generally positive; the main criticism was the lack of pre-course information, which has since been addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early November I met Jane Cummings at her London office to discuss the new strategy for nursing and midwifery. The chief nursing officer for England would, I suspect, object if I called it 'her' strategy; several times she points out it is not a top-down initiative. The strategy owes its existence -- not just its content -- to the nurses and midwives who have contributed ideas to it, a process that began back in May. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to increase awareness of the lack of first aid skills among nurses and midwives. It is intended to appeal to and challenge students and registered practitioners to assess their first aid skills in practice and to seek the necessary training to improve and update their skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To examine the employment experiences of older nurses and midwives working in the NHS.Method A total of 27 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with nurses and midwives to identify positive and negative aspects of their working lives in the NHS. The interviewees were selected from a potential pool of 87 nurses and midwives who had consented to be involved in an earlier part of the study. Data were analysed using QSR NVivo 70.Findings Positive and negative issues were identified as having an impact on the quality of working life. These included: access to training, change and Agenda for Change (AfC), quality of management, work demands, patient/colleague contact and nursing and midwifery as a career.Conclusion This study highlighted a number of issues relevant to older nurses and midwives that warrant further study and attention. These include access to training and continuing professional development, issues relating to change and AfC, and general work demands including workload, resources and morale. The ability of staff to remain healthy, committed and able to deliver quality care can be compromised in cases where the staff experience is negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sixth article in this series aims to provide you with sufficient knowledge to refer a client for further genetic assessment. The focus is on the skills needed to recognise the limitations of one's own genetics competence, as described in the competency standard statement; this is that, at the point of registration, all nurses, midwives and health visitors should be able to recognise the limitations of their own genetics experience based on an understanding of their professional role in the referral, provision or follow up to genetics services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lynne Pearce finds out from grateful patients and loved ones why they felt moved to nominate compassionate professionals for our special award. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first wholesale review of midwifery services for almost 20 years is nearing completion. Lynne Pearce reports on progress to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the restructuring of the health service in Scotland. Improvement of local care delivery and services designed to meet the needs of an increasingly ageing population; Improvement of the health and well-being of the people; Escalation in nursing and midwifery recruitment and retention.

Focuses on the commitment given by nurse Aruna Dawda to her nursing profession. Challenges faced by Dawda as a nurse when she was still in Kenya; Inspiration given by Dawda to her nieces Jyoti Ghani and Nita Chotai to enter in the nursing profession; Factors contributing to nurses’ commitments to their profession.

Profiles several midwives in Great Britain. Job experiences of independent midwife Andrea Dombrowe; Community midwife Kath Jones' love for her work; Midwife-led unit manager Tracey Cooper's relaxed approach to giving birth. INSETS: Nursing the Future;Tracey Cooper, manager, midwife-led unit, Stroke-on-Trent.

The article reports on a 13% increase in the number of nurses and midwives who left the profession in Great Britain. Between October 2016 and September 2017, 35,363 people left the Nursing and Midwifery Council register, rising from 31,178 during the same period in the previous year. Factors behind the trend include complaints regarding the impact of staffing shortages, workplace pressures and revalidation.

The article report on the opportunity provided to nurses and midwives in Great Britain to discuss their individual concerns with revalidation experts.

Treating people with kindness, respect and compassion sounds simple, yet it is something many organisations struggle to do. Too often we focus on process and forget about the people involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author explains the need to improve the status of nurses worldwide. She reflects on her experience as executive director of Nursing Now, a global campaign to raise the status and profile of nursing. She acknowledges the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, as well as the contribution of nursing to better health and gender equality.

The article reports on the rule implemented by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of Great Britain prohibiting revelation of allegations against nurses and midwives before disciplinary hearings. Topics discussed are the case involving Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey who was cleared of professional misconduct, and the common practice by regulators including the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and the Health and Care Professions Council of publishing details of hearings.

The article presents a study at the University of Southern Denmark as of May 2016, which showed that midwives and obstetricians who were involved in traumatic births were upset and experienced secondary traumatic stress.

Living conditions can have a huge effect on the health of pregnant women and their babies, with stark differences between the well-off and those living in poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the inadequate handling of concerns on midwives in the Morecambe Bay scandal by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in Great Britain and its being told to improve transparency as of June 2018.

Reviews of articles about nursing is presented, including "Mindfulness" in "Primary Health Care," "Experiences of using simulation in dementia education" in "Nursing Older People," and "Diagnosis and management of children with primary ciliary dyskinesia" in "Nursing Children and Young People."

The article presents announcements of various events related to nursing in Great Britain. Topics discussed include call for participating in a survey conducted by the Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI), fellowships being offered by the Cochrane Fellowship Scheme and scholarships by the Burdett Trust for Nursing.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article on the Workforce Race Equality Standard from the NHS England public body that was published in the April 1, 2015 issue.

Scotland's chief nursing officer Fiona McQueen admits the results of the 2014 NHS Scotland staff survey gave her a warm glow -- but stresses this does not mean there is any room for complacency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freedom of belief is vital, says Jane Bates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces the retirement of Valerie McGurk, a nurse and midwife at Northampton General Hospital in Northampton, England.

An interview with Juliet Albert, female genital mutilation (FGM) lead nurse at Imperial College Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Trust in London, England and head of community engagement at the National FGM Centre, is presented. She explains her responsibilities at the trust and her top priority at work. Albert describes the impact of FGM on her patients. She also discusses the best lesson nursing has taught her.

An interview with Jayne Marshall, the first professor of midwifery at the University of Leicester, is presented. She says her main work responsibilities include developing a master in science midwifery with leadership programme for aspiring leaders of the profession. Marshall shares that through leadership training, she was able to develop her skills for her role. She also shares career advice she would give to her younger self.

The article reports on the rising number of vacancies for nurses and midwives in the British National Health Service (NHS) as of September 2017.

The article highlights the celebration of the life and legacy of statistician Florence Nightingale at Westminster Abbey in London, England in May 2017.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of an exceptional care that she and her partner received from her midwife.

The article discusses a report which found that black and minority ethnic nurses and midwives are disproportionately referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in Great Britain by their employers. Topics discussed include ethnicity which was known in only 50% of referrals and the urgent need for accurate data on ethnicity, area of practice, level of seniority and allegation type.

The article reports on revalidation of nurses and midwives in Great Britain.

In the article, the author discusses the results of the 2016 National Health Service (NHS) staff survey in England. Also cited are the data in work-related stress, number of incidents and errors, and staff engagement, as well as the number of respondents to the survey and the number of response rate of acute trusts.

An interview with Katie De Freitas, quality improvement lead at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, is presented. Topics discussed include her main work responsibilities, the process by which she gets the job and the things she loves about her job. Also mentioned is her priority at work, as well as her most formative career experience.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of having a supportive midwife who supported her during the loss of her son.