Advanced physical assessment skills: implementation of a module

This article aims to explore and examine advanced physical assessment skills and the role of the district nurse. It will particularly highlight district nurses’ perceptions of how they may implement skills learnt on a new module introduced into the Community Health Care Nursing degree at a university in London. Physical assessment skills have traditionally been viewed as part of a doctor’s role; however, with the advancement of nursing roles, it is argued that it has become a key nursing skill. As Government policy continues to expect health professionals to keep patients in the community who have complex health and social care needs, the role of the district nurse presents as ‘best placed’ to take on this challenge (Department of Health (DH), 2005a; 2005b). Evaluation of the district nurses’ perceptions of their practice is shared here, highlighting some of the challenges that they face. The article will address the complexity of developing a curriculum in response to the DH initiatives and the importance of listening to students on courses

Advanced physical assessment skills: implementation of a module

This article aims to explore and examine advanced physical assessment skills and the role of the district nurse. It will particularly highlight district nurses' perceptions of how they may implement skills learnt on a new module introduced into the Community Health Care Nursing degree at a university in London. Physical assessment skills have traditionally been viewed as part of a doctor's role; however, with the advancement of nursing roles, it is argued that it has become a key nursing skill. As Government policy continues to expect health professionals to keep patients in the community who have complex health and social care needs, the role of the district nurse presents as ‘best placed’ to take on this challenge ( Department of Health (DH), 2005a ; 2005b ). Evaluation of the district nurses' perceptions of their practice is shared here, highlighting some of the challenges that they face. The article will address the complexity of developing a curriculum in response to the DH initiatives and the importance of listening to students on courses. </jats:p

Fit for practice: how can we help? Pedagogic reflections

© 2015 The Authors. Published by Coventry University. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.18552/ijpblhsc.v3i2.191This paper is an active reflection on a pedagogic process of facilitating students’ ability to link theory to practice in two academic programmes, namely social work and health care. In both areas of study and practice it is essential that students are enabled to link theory to practice and learn how to reflect on their practice because they must demonstrate this aptitude as part of their training and registration process and subsequently as part of their continuing professional development. We reflect within the paper on our attempts to develop and facilitate a theory/practice process with students, with the broader aim that the students’ reflections would in time become a reflexive process. We argue that this would enable them to develop into students and practitioners able to challenge established practices and preconceived ideas. Our attempts to develop students’ ability to link theory to practice and their reflexive abilities were based on the use of two learning tools. We had each, independently, developed learning tools that took students through a number of ‘steps’ and required consideration of ‘theory-to-practice’ and ‘reflection’. We focus on a discussion of that process and of the tools utilized in the context of teaching and learning, drawing on theories of reflective practice. Our findings add to the small, but growing body of literature which has examined reflection and the use of tools to aid reflection and reported a positive impact on learning.Published onlin

A qualitative study of advanced nurse practitioners’ use of physical assessment skills in the community: shifting skills across professional boundaries

Aim To explore multiple perspectives on the use of physical assessment skills by Advanced Nurse Practitioners in the UK Background Physical assessment skills practices are embedded in advanced nursing practice roles in the UK. There is little evidence on how these skills are used by Advanced Nurse Practitioners' on the community. Design Case study Methodology and methods. A qualitative interpretative single-embedded case study of 22 participants from South of England. A framework method analysed interview data collected by the researcher between March and August 2013. Participants included nurses, doctors, nurse educators and managers Findings Physical assessment skills education at Universities are part of a policy shift to develop a flexible workforce in the UK. Shared physical assessment practices are less to do with role substitution and more about preparing practitioners with skills that are fit for purpose. Competence capability and performance with physical assessment skills are an expectation of advanced nursing practice. Conclusions These skills are used successfully by community Advanced Nurse Practitioners to deliver a wide range of services in response to changing patient need. The introduction of physical assessment skills education to undergraduate professional preparation would create a firm foundation to develop these skills in post-graduate education. Relevance to clinical practice. • Physical assessment education prepares nurses with the clinical competencies to carry out healthcare reforms in the UK • Shared sets of clinical assessment competencies between disciplines have better outcomes for patients • Levels of assessment competence can depend on the professional attributes of individual practitioners • Unsupportive learning cultures can hinder professional development of advanced nursing practic

The development of the general practice nursing induction template

Sharon Aldridge-Bent explains how she developed and wrote the Queen's Nursing Institute's general practice nursing induction template </jats:p

PUBOVAGINAL SLING USING CADAVERIC ALLOGRAFT FASCIA FOR THE TREATMENT OF INTRINSIC SPHINCTER DEFICIENCY

Pubovaginal sling is the definitive management of female stress urinary incontinence due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency. Customarily, autologous fascia has been used, although synthetic material has its proponents. Harvesting autologous fascia at surgery is associated with postoperative discomfort, and synthetic material has a history of infection and erosion. To assess whether allograft fascia is free from these drawbacks, we retrospectively compared the outcome of women undergoing pubovaginal sling using either autologous or cadaveric allograft fascia