Practical Prescribing

Every fortnight, Molly Courtenay helps resolve everyday issues for nurse prescribers.

Practical prescribing - Can PGDs be used for private vaccines? 22-Jun-09

Practical prescribing - Telephone consultations 01-Jun-09

Practical prescribing - The Mantoux test for TB 18-May-09

Practical prescribing - 'Vicarious indemnity' 04-May-09

Practical prescribing - Restrictions on diazepam 20-Apr-09

Practical prescribing - Insurance cover for the newly qualified 06-Apr-09

Practical prescribing - PGDs 16-Mar-09

More Practical Prescribing articles...

Clinical Education

Breaking the infection chain 22-Jun-09
Robust infection control in primary and community care is vital, writes Barry Hill.

Advising travellers on bite prevention 22-Jun-09
Travellers need to be advised on bite prevention measures to minimise the risk of disease, writes Sandra Grieve.

Management of cardiac arrhythmia 01-Jun-09
People with arrhythmias need prompt referral for specialist advice, write Angela Griffiths and Nicola Meldrum.

Primary dressings for venous ulcers 01-Jun-09
Honey as a primary dressing under compression bandaging may aid ulcer healing, says Amber Cornforth.

Primary care management of acne 04-May-09
Early assessment of disease severity will aid the selection of suitable therapies. Clive Tubb explains.

Understanding hyperventilation syndrome 04-May-09
Hyperventilation is often overlooked as the underlying cause for a patient's symptoms, writes Debbie Duncan.

Models used to reach diagnosis 04-May-09
Many strategies can be utilised to help clinicians reach a diagnosis, writes Elizabeth Haidar.

Undertaking a travel risk assessment 06-Apr-09
Advice and treatment offered to travellers should be underpinned by a travel health risk assessment. Sandra Grieve explains.

Identifying Parkinson's disease 06-Apr-09
Other conditions that mimic Parkinson's disease can make diagnosis tricky, writes Dr Louise Warburton.

Advising on gap year travel 06-Apr-09
The flexibility of gap year travel makes careful risk assessment vital, writes Sandra Grieve.

Prescribing steroids 16-Mar-09
Many conditions can benefit from steroids, but long-term therapy raises the risk of side-effects, writes Dr Harry Brown.

Back to top >>>

News and Opinion

News

NHS staff still miss out on appropriate training 22-Jun-09
NHS staff are still not receiving appropriate training nearly three years after the implementation of Agenda for Change (AfC), MPs have warned.

Darzi centres fail to deliver pay and job benefits for nurses 22-Jun-09
GP-led healthcare centres are offering nurses pay and conditions that are worse than Agenda for Change (AfC), nursing leaders have warned.

Parties battle to win over nurses 01-Jun-09
As the Conservatives outline their plans for nursing, we ask what nurses want from politicians. Tom Ireland reports.

QOF may have cut care for diabetes patients 01-Jun-09
The QOF may have reduced levels of care for some people with diabetes, a review of diabetes care between 2001 and 2007 suggests.

Drug error prosecution could cause problems for nurses 04-May-09
Punishing medication errors with judicial sentences will undermine efforts to improve reporting of mistakes, a nurse prescribing expert has warned.

Nurse shortage warning on flu pandemic 04-May-09
A shortage of school nurses and health visitors could hinder the DoH's flu pandemic plans, an expert has warned.

Community nurses face more pressure as staff numbers fall 06-Apr-09
Primary care will be a priority for the new commission on the future of nursing, chief nursing officer Christine Beasley has promised.

UK practice nurse numbers dropping 06-Apr-09
The number of practice nurses in the UK has fallen for the second year running.

Opinion

In my view - We can improve life for people with arthritis 22-Jun-09
A worrying 90 per cent of calls to Arthritis Care's helpline in the last 12 months have been cries for help over pain.

Rosemary Cook - An education in learning disability nursing 22-Jun-09
Working with people with learning disabilities has not always been a popular choice for student nurses.

Editorial - Make yourself heard, ministers are listening 01-Jun-09
Unlike governments in power, opposition parties are able to promise the world, without the pressure of actually having to deliver anything.

Editorial - Beware changes to doctors' contracts 04-May-09
Having a sister title for GPs gives Independent Nurse an insight into the hearts, minds and agendas of doctors in primary care: one idea being mooted by the BMA is a re-think of the concept of the 'practice-based contract', introduced for GMS practices in 2004.

Rosemary Cook - Why are we still short of lead nurses? 04-May-09

Some interesting questions are being asked about nursing at the moment: the prime minister's commission on the future of nursing and midwifery is understood to be asking how nurse-led services can be encouraged.

Back to top >>>