Nursing Standard Podcast

Building confidence in the workplace is vital for nursing staff, both for patient safety and nurses’ own career development.  Being confident can help in areas such as raising concerns and overcoming imposter syndrome, as well as in job interviews and applying for opportunities, such as a secondment.  But what steps can nurses take to build their confidence in the workplace?  This e...

Nurses and other healthcare staff face constant workplace pressures, especially during the colder months when respiratory conditions are more prevalent.  Staff shortages and industrial action have also impacted services. But what support is there for nursing staff and managers to navigate challenging times? This episode examines how the NMC code acts as a professional anchor, helping nurses m...

All hospitals are soon to need a system in place that allows patients, families and carers to request an urgent second opinion of care under Martha’s rule.   Some hospitals already have a process in place for raising concerns about patient care, including Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.   This episode of the Nursing Standard podcast focuses on Call 4 Concern, a nurse-led service&nbs...

What is a skin tear and why do they matter? This episode of the podcast examines why these wounds shouldn’t be seen as ‘just a skin tear’ - and their diagnosis and treatment. Our guest is Samantha Holloway, a reader and senior lecturer responsible for delivering the masters degree programme in wound healing and tissue repair at Cardiff University School of Medicine. She talks to RCNi senior nurse...

One year ago nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in historic strike action, many for the first time. Some of the biggest hospitals across the UK saw nurses walk out in their fight for better pay and working conditions, as well as concerns over unsafe staffing levels and patient safety. In this Nursing Standard podcast episode RCN chief nurse Nicola Ranger joins senior repor...

It is a situation all too familiar for many nurses, menopause symptoms becoming so overwhelming they make continuing to work a challenge. When Wendy Madden, nurse lead for menopause at University Hospitals Birmingham, began experiencing menopause symptoms they almost forced her to quit the job she loved. The fatigue, being unable to sleep, hot flushes and anxiety shattered her confidence at work....

When author and poet laureate Michael Rosen contracted COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic he was put into an induced coma and told he had just a 50% chance of waking up.  For 40 days the author lay ventilated and unconscious at Whittington Hospital in North London. Meanwhile his nurses working in the Intensive Care Unit kept detailed daily diaries of his progress, often sharing personal de...

Everyone deserves care that works for them at the end of their lives, and there is only one chance to get it right.    But charity Marie Curie has warned that for many people from diverse communities this is often not the case.   In this episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, journalist Erin Dean talks to Rekha Vijayshankar, a research and clinical nurse, and Rini Jones,&nbsp...

Half the UK population has chronic pain, making nurses increasingly likely to encounter patients living with it. So, what skills do nurses need to employ to understand how pain impacts an individual’s life and assess what physical and mental health support they may need? This episode of the podcast explores the management of both acute and chronic pain with three experts in the field. Guest podcas...

Following the Lucy Letby case it is more important than ever to address the challenges nurses and other healthcare staff face when raising concerns. October marks Speak Up month for the NHS, a campaign run by the National Guardian’s Office (NGO. This year’s theme is ‘breaking barriers’, which focuses on removing the obstacles people feel prevent them from raising concerns at work. Speaking up is t...

What is a litigation nurse and what is their role in addressing the complaints and concerns of patients and service users?    What specific nursing skills can a litigation nurse bring to the legal team to meet client needs?    The latest Nursing Standard podcast explores the role of a litigation nurse and, based upon this type of work, how nurses can reflect upon thei...

Severely exhausted, feeling cynical or struggling emotionally? You could be burned out by your job. Studies show that 25-50% of nurses are experiencing burnout in some work settings, which can impact on patient safety.  It is also linked to increased staff absences and a large driver of nurses leaving their jobs or the profession entirely.  But how can you spot the warning signs, and can...

A rolling of the eyes, talking over you, or plain rudeness- we might all have a colleague who behaves in an uncivil way. But should you do anything about it, or just ignore it? Incivility at work can take many different guises and can leave people feeling dejected, unmotivated and unfairly treated. This episode of the Nursing Standard podcast looks at how to deal with incivility in the workplace,...

How do you use early warning scores to optimum effect when assessing the deteriorating patient? When should you refer a person in your care to a more senior member of the team, and in what circumstances must you immediately escalate a case? The latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast discusses these issues as we explore early warning scores. Tools such as the National Early Warning Score (N...

Irritability teetering on unexpected rage, feeling physically and mentally exhausted and down - and like the only option is to flee work? Is this the consequence of workplace pressures … or could it (or also) be the perimenopause? The perimenopause - the phase when women are experiencing menopausal symptoms but are still having periods – is the subject of this episode of the podcast. Our guest is...

Have you considered working at one of the UK’s summer festivals?  Festival season is back again and there are plenty of opportunities to use your nursing skills and enjoy festival life.  If you are looking for a role but don’t know where to start the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast answers all of your questions.  Podcast guest Vicky Lennon, intensive care sister in Ba...

Nurses have been in dispute with the government over poor pay, working conditions and patient safety concerns months. In this special edition of the Nursing Standard podcast, RCN general secretary Pat Cullen talks about the ‘unfinished business’ nurses have with the government and why they deserve more than the current pay awards. She calls for the government to come back to the negotiation table...

Are you missing out on money that you could reclaim from the tax office?   Employed nurses and other members of the nursing team can claim a refund from HM Revenue and Customs on many work-related expenses.   This includes for costs around washing uniforms if employers don’t offer this service, for professional fees, union subscriptions and for journals such as Nursing Standard, and also...

What do nurses need to know about tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which has recently arrived in the UK?   Spread by the bite of an infected tick, TBEV can lead to a spectrum of illness including meningitis and encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and is potentially lethal.   This episode hears from Sylviane Defres, a consultant in infectious diseases at Liverpool University Hospita...

What are the signs and symptoms of dementia and how can nursing staff best support people with the condition and their loved ones? By 2025, over one million people in the UK will likely have a diagnosis of dementia, making it even more likely that nurses in all settings will encounter someone with the condition and or their family. This episode of the Nursing Standard podcast explores the differen...

How do you recognise the signs of sepsis? And how should you respond when you suspect the patient in front of you is at risk? The latest episode of the podcast examines what nursing staff need to know about this life-threatening condition. Our guest, Sian Annakin, is deteriorating patient lead at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, and a sepsis practitioner. She tells Emergency Nurse editor Sop...

How can you make your money stretch a bit further, plan for retirement and feel in control of your finances?   Times are tough financially for many nurses at the moment, with pay not rising as fast as the rocketing cost of living.   This episode hears from money mentor for women and NHS GP Nikki Ramskill who shares information on how nurses can get to grips with their money and make it w...

At the end of a shift, many nurses find it a challenge to leave the day behind.  You may find yourself constantly going over events that happened at work, or wondering how a patient is faring.  This episode of the Nursing Standard podcast will provide the tips and tricks you need to switch off after your shift.  Our guest is RCN Nurse of the Year Ana Waddington, who is a paediatric...

Using Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms are part of many nurses’ day-to-day lives.   Getting the most out of social media accounts as a nurse, while avoiding the potential pitfalls, is the topic of this episode.   We explore the positives of these online tools that can bring members of the profession together.   Our guest is  Teresa Chinn , a...

How does kindness – and also unkindness – affect working relationships and patient care? Kindness is fundamental to nursing practice and the quality patients most value in their experience of care. Whereas unkind behaviour can impact on a nursing professional’s ability to respond effectively and learn – and, also, affects patient outcomes. This episode of the podcast explores what it means to be k...