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 […]
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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 […]
Sharing Knowledge
This is my very first Blog! Similar to Roberta, I am excited to have this opportunity to use this platform to discuss with nurses from around the world. I find it rather mind boggling that there are no boundaries to sharing and discussing our knowledge. My research interests lie in how to transfer best available […]
Nurse education is in the news again
Over the New Year there was, once again, lots of discussion in the UK media about nurse education. Many (if not all) the issues relating to poor nursing care are, if the media is to be believed, the fault of nurse education. The current move towards a graduate entry profession in England is only fuelling […]
Social Media. A World of Possibilities
I grew up in a small town in Northern Ontario, Canada. When I was in high school I joined a pen pal program that linked students from across the world. I spent years writing and receiving letters from a girl in Germany. I still live and work in Northern Ontario and yesterday I organized a […]
Twitter Journal Club – Session One
Welcome to the first instalment of the EBN Twitter Journal Club! The article for discussion focuses on an epidemic in the developing world; childhood obesity. I’ve listed a few general questions to get the discussion started. If you want to contribute to , or follow the discussion, please go to #ebnjc Discussion will commence on […]
Memories of Night Shifts
Welcome to 2013! I had a wonderful New Years Eve that ended with me snuggling into my warm, cozy bed just after midnight. As I drifted off to sleep I was reminded of all the years I worked shift work and thought of the nurses and other staff who had to work while I settled […]