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Issue 01 - 28 March 2025

Articles – International Journal of Nursing Studies, April 2025

  1. Night and shift work and incidence of physician-diagnosed sleep disorders in nursing staff: A prospective cohort study
  2. From gift to mutilation: Exploring nursing Students' metaphorical conceptions of organ donation: A qualitative study
  3. Why vital signs observations are delayed and interrupted on acute hospital wards: A multisite observational study.

Articles – Childrens Nursing

  1. Eczema in children: treatment and support for effective self-management
  2. Tackling bedwetting: challenges and benefits of the enuresis alarm
  3. Research - Vaccination: school nurses' and children's attitudes and concerns
  4. Initiating insulin therapy in adults with type 2 diabetes: a practical guide
  5. How to get pain management right for patients on end of life care
  6. How widespread are addictive and harmful behaviours in nursing?
  7. What is the best way to use WhatsApp for work?
  8. No time for a wee: are you risking bladder problems?
  9. What nurses need to know about weight-loss drugs

Articles – Nursing Older People [RCN journal], 3 February 2025

  1. Exploring the feasibility of using a bedside device to help prevent nighttime falls
  2. How to optimise medicines management for people with Parkinson's disease in hospital
  3. Implementing palliative and end of life care for people with dementia
  4. Exploring self-care health-related beliefs, values and attitudes with older patients
  5. Tips for compassionate communication skills
  6. Is it cheating if I use AI for a nursing assignment?
  7. Signs that say a potential employer deserves you
  8. How can I overcome fears about making a mistake?

Events

  1. New Zealand's Population Conference 2025
  2. Emergency Care Conference
  3. 18th World Congress on Public Health

National and international news

  1. Primary care funding a positive step in the right direction, says College of GPs
  2. Should I let my teenager try alcohol?
  3. 'Unheard of': Gen Z embrace taking mental health days from work
  4. Why higher measles vaccination coverage matters so much now.
  5. Why CALD women in Australia have lower participation in cancer screening
  6. 5 years after B.C. declared COVID-19 a public health emergency, BCCDC says it's ready for future pandemics.

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Articles – International Journal of Nursing Studies, April 2025

1. Night and shift work and incidence of physician-diagnosed sleep disorders in nursing staff: A prospective cohort study

Tove Nilsson., Abid Lashari., Per Gustavsson., Mikko Härmä., Carolina Bigert., Theo Bodin., Laura Maclachlan., Annika Lindahl Norberg & Emma Brulin
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2025-04-01, Volume 164, Article 105017

Epidemiological studies provide evidence for an association between shift work and sleep problems but often lack precise exposure and outcome data.

To investigate the risk of first-time physician-diagnosed sleep disorder in nursing staff using register-based data of shift work and health outcomes.

2. From gift to mutilation: Exploring nursing Students' metaphorical conceptions of organ donation: A qualitative study

Halil Ibrahim Tasdemir & Deniz Tasdemir
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2025-04-01, Volume 164, Article 105026

Understanding nursing students' perspectives on organ donation is essential to foster positive attitudes and increase donation rates.

This study aimed to uncover the metaphors used by nursing students to describe organ donation, revealing their underlying perceptions and beliefs.

3. Why vital signs observations are delayed and interrupted on acute hospital wards: A multisite observational study 

Joanna Hope., Chiara Dall'Ora., Oliver Redfern., Julie L. Darbyshire & Peter Griffiths
International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2025-04-01, Volume 164, Article 105018

Vital signs monitoring is key to identifying deteriorating hospital patients. However, adherence to monitoring protocols is limited, with observations frequently missed or delayed. This paper aims to explore how nursing teams perform vital sign observations on acute hospital wards and conceptualises which types of work delay or interrupt them.

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Articles – Childrens Nursing

4. Eczema in children: treatment and support for effective self-management

By Jemma Kwint
Nursing Times - 10 March, 2025  

This NIHR Collection brings together major studies on the prevention and treatment of eczema, highlighting which interventions are effective and which do not appear to help. Other studies explore what support children and their families need to better understand and self-manage the condition effectively.

5. Tackling bedwetting: challenges and benefits of the enuresis alarm

By Tryggve Nevéus
Nursing Times - 30 September, 2024  

The enuresis alarm – the only potentially curative treatment for bedwetting – is limited by problems related to adherence, availability and predictors of treatment success. This is even more problematic as children with neuropsychiatric issues are overrepresented.

6. Research - Vaccination: school nurses’ and children’s attitudes and concerns

By William Roberts, Sharon White, Fernanda Aguilar Perez, Qalam Eusuf, Philip Satherley & Rachel Ramsey
Nursing Times - 08 July, 2024 

Research suggests that school nurses improve vaccine uptake. To identify school-aged children’s attitudes towards vaccination and whether this impacts school nurses’ practice, we conducted a survey of children and a questionnaire for school nurses. This revealed that the children mostly trusted vaccines and thought they were important; however, attitudes varied by ethnicity.

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Articles – Primary Healthcare [RCN journal], 4 February 2025

7. Initiating insulin therapy in adults with type 2 diabetes: a practical guide

Martha Stewart Diabetes specialist nurse, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Primary Healthcare, 04 February 2025. 35(1). doi: 10.7748/phc.2024.e1829

This article provides nurses working in primary care with a practical guide to initiating insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes, such as how to determine whether a patient needs insulin therapy, selecting the most appropriate regimen for each patient, supporting patients to overcome psychological insulin resistance and minimising common side effects.

8. How to get pain management right for patients on end of life care

Kathy Oxtoby, Health journalist
Primary Health Care, 4 February 2025. 35(1), 10-11. doi: 10.7748/phc.35.1.10.s4

Pain is common at the end of life and often poorly managed, but a personalised strategy can ensure patients’ comfort in their final weeks. Managing pain is one of the most important aspects of end of life care. One in three people who are dying are severely or overwhelmingly affected by pain in the final week of life, according to the Marie Curie-funded Time to Care report

9. How widespread are addictive and harmful behaviours in nursing?

Alison Stacey, Senior journalist
Primary Health Care, 4 February 2025. 35, 1, 6-7. doi: 10.7748/phc.35.1.6.s2

Why some nurses hesitate to seek help for an addiction – and what happens if you are referred to the NMC for addiction-related issues. With workplace demands, occupational stress and burnout on the rise, researchers have warned that nursing staff are being left more vulnerable to serious health issues, including addiction.

10. What is the best way to use WhatsApp for work?

Primary Health Care, 4 February 2025. 35(1), 18-19. doi: 10.7748/phc.35.1.18.s8

Our panel offers advice on how to maintain professional standards and patient confidentiality on WhatsApp. Instant messaging services, such as WhatsApp, can make communication more streamlined for nurses and are being used in healthcare settings. But what information is it safe to share and how can you ensure you are not breaching patient confidentiality?

11. No time for a wee: are you risking bladder problems?

Andrea Downey, Health journalist
Primary Health Care, 4 February 2025. 35(1), 14-15. doi: 10.7748/phc.35.1.14.s6

Heavy workloads are leaving many nurses no time to go to the toilet, which could be damaging their bladder health. Holding in a wee every now and then is not likely to cause problems, but doing it repeatedly over time can. This can be a particular issue for nurses, who may not have time to go to the toilet when they need to during a busy shift.

12. What nurses need to know about weight-loss drugs

Pavan Amara Nurse, midwife and health journalist
Primary Health Care, 4 February 2025. 35(1), 12-13. doi: 10.7748/phc.35.1.12.s5

An update on weight-loss drugs semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) – and the alternatives available. Weight-loss injections, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, are gaining more attention as pharmacological ways to combat obesity. The UK government has even suggested they could help get some unemployed people back into work. Here’s what nurses need to know.

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Articles – Nursing Older People [RCN journal], 3 February 2025

13. Exploring the feasibility of using a bedside device to help prevent nighttime falls

Antony, K. E., Houten, L. & Logan, Pip
Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2024.e1484

Older people living in the community are at risk of preventable nighttime falls. Technology can support falls interventions but there is a lack of research into this area. A new bedside device called Bide senses movement and changes in light levels and plays a prerecorded message encouraging the user to follow falls prevention advice when trying to mobilise at night.

14. How to optimise medicines management for people with Parkinson’s disease in hospital

Cindy Marguerite Cox, Principal academic in nursing, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, England
Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2024.e1480

Hospital admissions can be challenging for people with Parkinson’s disease, in part because of the lack of understanding, among some healthcare professionals, of the importance of administering antiparkinsonian medicines on time. This article outlines the steps that nurses can take to optimise medicines management for people with Parkinson’s disease who are admitted to hospital.

15. Implementing palliative and end of life care for people with dementia

Drain, D., Stone, L.& Daly R. L.
Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2024.e1479

This article discusses how the recognition and timing of the need for palliative dementia care is pivotal in providing person-centred care. The authors explore factors such as optimal prognostication, advance care planning, staff education and accessing support from palliative and end of life care teams and Admiral Nurses. 

16. Exploring self-care health-related beliefs, values and attitudes with older patients

Bob Price, Independent health services education and training consultant, Mytchett, Surrey, England
Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2024.e1475

This article discusses patient beliefs, values and attitudes in the context of self-care and suggests ways in which nurses might explore these as a collaborative enquiry. The author also describes the use of a simple reflective framework as a starting point for engaging in this exploration.

17. Tips for compassionate communication skills

Lynne Pearce, Health journalist
Nursing Older People. 3 February 2025. 37(1), 14-15. doi: 10.7748/nop.37.1.14.s7

Talking to patients empathetically as well as ensuring they feel listened to are essential skills in nursing care. Compassionate conversations are characterised by a variety of different elements, including active listening, demonstrating empathy and being non-judgemental and supportive, says NHS England guidance.

18. Is it cheating if I use AI for a nursing assignment?

Nick Evans, Health journalist
Nursing Older People. 3 February 2025. 37(1), 12-13. doi: 10.7748/nop.37.1.12.s6

Universities stress that students are permitted to use AI as an aid to learning. We look at the issues that can arise. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is changing our lives, from the way we shop to how the NHS cares for patients.

19. Signs that say a potential employer deserves you

Yvonne Covell, Health journalist
Nursing Older People. 3 February 2025. 37(1), 10-11. doi: 10.7748/nop.37.1.10.s5

Experts share tips on what to look for in an organisation’s team culture, well-being support and leadership style. Working in the right team, for an employer that offers support and understanding alongside a pay slip, can help ensure you find your nursing job rewarding and are able to maintain work-life balance. But how do you weigh up whether a potential employer is a good fit for you? Whether you are applying to a new trust or other organisation and taking the next step in your career, or just want to find out how your current employer measures up, use our experts’ checklist of what to look for and the questions to ask about your future workplace.

20. How can I overcome fears about making a mistake?

Liz Charalambous, Assistant professor of nursing, University of Nottingham School of Health Sciences
Nursing Older People. 37(1), 8-9. doi: 10.7748/nop.37.1.8.s3

Tips on addressing anxiety over mistakes at work, plus how to handle errors and build back confidence if they do occur. As errors in healthcare can have serious consequences for patients, it is important to try to avoid them. Liz Charalambous, an assistant professor of nursing with 40 years’ experience in the profession, explores what you can do when the fear of making mistakes starts to affect your work and well-being.

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Events

21. New Zealand’s Population Conference 2025

Population, Growth and Social Cohesion

Date: 10-11 July 2025
Venue:  Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. 

22. Emergency Care Conference

Date: 21-25 July 2025

Venue: QT Queenstown

23. 18th World Congress on Public Health

Organized by WFPHA together with the Public Health Association of South Africa 

Date: 6-9 September, 2026

Venue:  Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa

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National news

24. Primary care funding a positive step in the right direction, says College of GPs

4 March 2025

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners has welcomed the Health Minister’s funding announcement saying it is a big step in the right direction towards building a well-resourced and sustainable primary care workforce

25. Should I let my teenager try alcohol?

Radio New Zealand – 12 December 2024

Some parents think introducing alcohol to their kids at a young-ish age "like the French" is a good idea. It's not.

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International news

26. ‘Unheard of’: Gen Z embrace taking mental health days from work

News (Aus) – 24 March 2025

One in four young Australians are being plagued by a problem that costs Australian workplaces billions of dollars every year.

27. Why higher measles vaccination coverage matters so much now.

Amina Zafar · CBC News · Posted: Mar 21, 2025

Devastating cases are preventable, doctors say

28. Why CALD women in Australia have lower participation in cancer screening

ABC News – 18 March 2025

Neha Kumar "doesn't feel comfortable" getting her cervical cancer test done, even after losing her mother to cancer.

29. 5 years after B.C. declared COVID-19 a public health emergency, BCCDC says it's ready for future pandemics. 

BC News – 17 March 2025

BCCDC is constantly monitoring virus outbreaks in B.C. and around the world, Dr. Jat Sandhu says.

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