Resources

My first experience of working in a prison was delivering rehabilitation programmes and I left this post to undertake my nurse training. After spending several years working in acute hospitals and community drug and alcohol services, a post for an advanced clinical practitioner came up in a prison. The job description really appealed to me with being able to work across the four pillars of advanced practice, and having worked in a prison environment previously, I thought it would be a good opportunity to expand and  develop my skills further.

T his issue’s ‘Community matters’ piece discusses the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) and is a ‘must read’. Technology is advancing at such a pace so we cannot ignore
it and need to find ways to embrace the benefits it brings. This article demonstrates how AI is used in our everyday lives, and to be honest it was a surprise to me just how much we
do use it! Examples are given of some uses within healthcare and nursing environments and possible future innovations explored. It is definitely thought provoking, and this feature is clear and explicit, helping us to understand how AI currently supports us and how it could do in the future.

Whenever scientists try and imagine what the future will look like, they invariably get a little carried away. If past predictions were anything to go by, by this point in the 21st century we should all be whizzing about in driverless cars, feasting on laboratory grown meat and living to improbable ages, our life expectancy artificially extended by stem-cell implants.

Having read the ‘Community matters’ piece in the last issue of the Journal of Community Nursing on talking about death and ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary  resuscitation’ (DNACPR) orders, a subject very close to my heart, I felt compelled to write this editorial to encourage community nurses to always keep this vital aspect of care in mind. Discussing death and DNACPR orders can be challenging. However, these conversations are not just about medical procedures; they are about understanding and respecting patients’ wishes, values, and dignity. Engaging in these discussions ensures that patients receive the care they want at the end of their lives, aligning with their personal
values and preferences

Earlier this year, the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) announced the launch of a new membership scheme for organisations that provide community health services in England. This is the first time that the charity has operated such a scheme for organisations.

It is estimated that 1.5 million children and young people (Paediatric Continence Forum
[PCF], 2024), that is one in 12, across the UK battle debilitating, misunderstood and sometimes complex bowel or bladder conditions, including bedwetting, daytime
wetting, chronic constipation and soiling.

The importance of early diagnosis in cancer is better understood today than it has ever been. Spotting cancer in its earliest stages offers better treatment options and improved survival (Cancer Research UK, 2024). This is particularly stark for bowel cancer,
where more than nine in 10 people survive when diagnosed at stage 1, dropping dramatically to less than one in 10 at stage 4.

This case report is to help raise awareness of a rare autoimmune disorder, cold agglutinin disease (CAD), which is characterised by the premature destruction of red blood cells (haemolysis) (National Organisation for Rare Disorders [NORD], (2020). It can have a severe
physical and psychological impact on those suffering with it. Caring for patients with CAD can also be extremely challenging and even traumatic for clinicians. The importance of good multidisciplinary team (MDT) working both within hospital and when discharging
a patient to a community healthcare setting is also highlighted (NORD, 2020), as well as the importance of clear communication for the patient from medical staff on the expectations of treatment and prognosis. Approximately one person in 300,000 gets CAD, which is more prevalent in those aged 60 years and older. Women are also more likely to get it than men (Smith, 2021).