The UK nursing workforce is facing a crisis. More nurses are leaving than entering the profession and there are tens of thousands of unfilled vacancies. Political factors are having a significant impact on numbers, in particular the decision to withdraw bursaries for nursing undergraduates and a steep decline in EU nurses registering to work in the UK post-Brexit. Against this backdrop, there is a stark gender imbalance in the workforce with only around 11% of registered nurses being male. We surveyed UK higher education institutions to try and identify whether the gendered nature of nursing was considered a concern and whether steps were being taken to address it. We sent an electronic survey to every UK university offering undergraduate nurse training validated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). With a response rate of 42%, the majority of respondents felt that nursing departments should take much more responsibility to increase the proportion of male nurses entering the nursing profession. More needs to be done to diversify the workforce and make nursing an appealing career choice for men and women.
The learning and teaching of clinical skills for pre-registration nurses are currently high profile in the nursing arena, with clinical skills a central component of new curricula development. This article explores the development and implementation of a simulated practice learning exercise in the pre-registration nursing curriculum, and expounds the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. Authors
Caring for patients with peripheral intravenous cannulas/catheters (PIVCs) is an important part of the nurse's role and insertion of PIVCs has traditionally been a post-registration nursing skill. With the introduction of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses in 2018, insertion of PIVCs is to be incorporated in pre-registration nursing programmes for all four fields of nursing practice. Although IV cannulation is a commonly performed clinical procedure, it is associated with significant risks and complications, which can cause pain for patients. This article outlines the factors that can cause pain for adult patients requiring a PIVC and recommends that the use of local anaesthetics be more widely considered when inserting a cannula. The identification, prevention and clinical management of commonly occurring painful local complications that can arise post-PIVC insertion are also discussed.
The learning and teaching of clinical skills for pre-registration nurses are currently high profile in the nursing arena, with clinical skills a central component of new curricula development. This article explores the development and implementation of a simulated practice learning exercise in the pre-registration nursing curriculum, and expounds the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. Authors
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