The senior level gained by advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) means they are in a strong position when it comes to representing the population. Nurses have had to educate themselves beyond post registration with Masters and Doctorates to support the client group, because of the growing population and 24-hour healthcare requirements. This is in support of the NHS’s commitment to care for patients from the cradle to the grave. There have been obstacles to the ANP’s advancement, but the five drivers of heath care are firm and supportive and likely to have a great impact in the future for ANPs as service deliverers.
Elizabeth Haidar, Senior Lecturer, Non Medical Prescribing Programme Lead, Middlesex University, London
Self-directed learning and reflective practice are crucial tools for the community nurse, who may often work in isolation and without the help or guidance of colleagues. Community nurses are required to use independent study skills and reflection to identify their learning and professional needs. This article looks at the development of a reflective grid as a learning tool to support and facilitate reflective and self directed learning. It is hoped that the techniques detailed here can help those students and nurses who are still developing their reflective and critical skills, or find reflection difficult. The grid was also designed to facilitate a quick and easy analysis before an in-depth study of an experience, or as a stand-alone model for short reflections.
Marian Judd, Health Visitor/Practice Teacher, Great Western Hospital Trust, Swindon
Given the current healthcare landscape and the focus of government policy, the way nurses are prepared for working in people’s homes needs reconsidering. The standards for pre-registration nurse education (Nursing and Midwifery Council [NMC], 2010) do prepare nurses to work in the community at initial registration. However, staff nurses at this point of their career, or those that move from the acute sector to the community, do need to work under the supervision of a qualified district nurse during this transition.
Heather Bain, Course Leader Masters Portfolio, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Louise Brereton, Pauline Barber & Brenda King discuss the adequacy of educational provision for nurses involved in managing patients with leg ulcers.
Lesley Adcock investigates whether effective education can help prevent foot problems in diabetic patients.
Elizabeth Scanlon & Peter McGinnis describe the trial of a venous ulcer bandage system.
Amira Obeid outlines the management of a seven year old girl who presented in general practice with a history of night cough, wheezing and a tight chest.
Margaret Norris describes a nursing theory module and gives an overview of students' perceptions of the usefulness of nursing theory.
Janet MacGregor & Dee Hellings discuss the interface between community paediatric nursing & health visiting from an educational perspective.
In their second article Peter Pettit and Sandy Tinson look at dealing with complaints from service users and the implications for community nurse educators.
