I am passionate about developing nurses skills in relation to accessing and using the best available evidence to inform clinical decisions. Consequently, joining the editorial team at Evidence-Based Nursing was an exciting start to the year. New roles are often associated with a mix of emotions, from excitement to apprehension and having the skills to […]
Latest articles
Skills for evidence-based nursing
In the last few weeks, following the publication of the Francis report there has been a lot of discussion in the UK nursing press about why the nurses at Mid-Staffs did not whistle blow about the poor practice that was taking place in the hospital. We will probably never understand this completely but I think […]
EBN Twitter Journal Club – Session 4
Using the best available evidence, along with clinical experience and patient preferences, to inform clinical decisions is essential to the quality of care delivered. The nurses’ role in contribution to evidence-based practice is pivotal because nurses are the largest group of healthcare practitioners. However, it is known that nurses’ use of research in their clinical […]
A Call for the Return of Therapeutic Relationships
As I approach becoming an ‘older adult’, I’m increasingly worried. Although I am healthy and do not foresee needing acute care, home care, or long term care services in the near future, I do realize that needing these services will likely come sooner than I would like. This frightens me because of what my home […]
Sciatica update :(
The sciatica I described recently didn’t settle down. Instead it got worse and the pain intensified. I initially visited the physio and although the first session seemed to help the second two didn’t and the pain continued to a crescendo where walking was almost impossible and I required urgent medical intervention and IM analgesics. Eventually […]
EBN Twitter Journal Club– Session Three
General health check ups have been the norm in many countries for years. The goal of general health checks involves examination of a patient to identify signs, symptoms or risk factors of disease that were previously unrecognized in the patient. A recent Cochrane Review sought to determine the evidence related to this practice. The authors […]
The Francis Inquiry of Mid Staffs – why do we ignore the obvious and the evidence?
It has been a grim week for nursing in England. The long awaited Francis Inquiry into failures of care at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust (known as Mid Staffs) between 2005-2009 made swingeing criticisms of the whole of the NHS, drawing conclusions that patients were “routinely neglected by a Trust that was preoccupied with cost cutting, […]
Patient centered care and the electronic medical record
On a recent trip to hospital with a family member I happened to be present on the day before the introduction of a new electronic medical record (EMR) system. The system was about to ‘go live’ in less than 24hrs and the anxiety was palpable. Everyone appeared to be nervous and unsure about what this […]
EBN Twitter Journal Club – Session Two
We all know that exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy can have negative effects on both maternal and child health. Yet, we haven’t had an understanding of all specific effects until now. The study under review this week gives nurses insight into this important public health issue and has the potential to influence nursing care […]
Managing my sciatica
This blog will be short! I am at home on my back with acute sciatica – I have never felt pain like it and am extremely limited in what I am able to do. Standing is virtually impossible and the most comfortable position is lying flat where I can just about manage to balance my […]