Nursing Standard Podcast

Many women experience heavy and painful periods which have a significant impact on their personal and professional lives. While 10 % of women of reproductive age are thought to have endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body. Endometriosis has a range of symptoms including pain in the lower stomach or back, during periods and sex, and whil...

Are you tired of being told things would be better if you were just a bit more resilient? Or frustrated with well-being initiatives that are put on by well-meaning employers but for which you have no time? This episode of the Nursing Standard podcast looks at the power of embracing your vulnerability and sense of humanity, and examines the dangerous misconception that health staff are superhuman....

What is your experience of racism or discrimination, whatever your skin colour? Have you been labelled ‘defensive’ for standing up for yourself as a black nurse, or stood by silently seething as a white nurse witnessing a colleague being discriminated against due to their ethnicity? This episode of the podcast explores racism and discrimination in the NHS, and how black and minority ethnic nurses...

Saving the planet is a big ask on top of everything else nurses and nursing students have to do. But does it have to such a herculean task? What are the small steps that you can take, personally and professionally, to make a big difference? And could we be better off professionally, financially and, of course, environmentally, as a result. This episode’s guest is green champion Rachel Ames , a thi...

Feedback is an essential part of the learning process for any nursing student or qualified nurse. But sometimes the points – written or oral - can be difficult to digest especially if you react to the negative information. In this episode, nurse lecturers Amy Dopson and Laurence Drew who are based at University of Surrey’s school of health sciences discuss how to handle feedback. They also talk ab...

All nurses in England could receive mandatory training in caring for people with learning disabilities and autism if a pilot scheme proves successful. Why is this happening and what strategies can all nurses learn from those working in this field? This episode of the podcast hears from two specialist nurses, Jim Blair, a learning disability nurse consultant, and Lauretta Ofulue, a learning disabil...

The pandemic has been hard on everyone but especially for nurses and healthcare staff who’ve been under immense pressure. Many nurses have reported the toll of COVID-19 on their mental health - and some have hit rock bottom. Where do you go for help if you, a colleague or loved one is in mental distress and or having suicidal thoughts? And what should you say and not say? The Laura Hyde Foundation...

From microaggressions to false accusations, black and minority ethnic nurses experience many forms of racism at work. What support is available to help them emotionally, therapeutically and legally? This episode of the podcast hears from nurse Neomi Bennett who set up Equality 4 Black Nurses, a group which provides a supportive space and expert guidance for nurses who have experienced racial discr...

Starting a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. But when that role is also in a new country it can add further complexity and apprehension. There are 92,260 nursing staff from overseas on the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council register. Just like newly qualified nurses, this group need support too. What kind of support do they find most beneficial? And what advice would overseas nurses...

Long-COVID is affecting many health and care staff – so what can nurses with the condition do to manage its often on-off symptoms? This episode of the podcast hears from two nurses with long-COVID, which is defined as the continuation or development of symptoms after the four-week acute stage of COVID-19. Salli Pilcher, associate director of nursing at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation...

Is simply the thought of a job interview enough to bring you out in a cold sweat? Do you worry about how to manage your nerves and present your best self? And how do you answer those tricky questions? Nichole McIntosh, regional head of nursing and midwifery with London Health Education England, answers all these questions and more in this episode of the podcast. She advises how to prepare for an i...

Nurses see a diverse range of patients and their families. But sometimes assumptions are made about the make-up of families – that they include a mum, dad and their biological children. This perpetuation of heteronormativity – that heterosexuality is the norm – can be led by systems, such as documentation used by the NHS requesting who is the mother and father of a child. Some healthcare professio...

Taking up your first post as a newly qualified nurse (NQN) can be daunting – but does it need to be this way? Can it instead be a positive rite of passage after three years of training? Former director of nursing Emily McWhirter, who is now a consultant advisor, joins Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn to share tips on how NQNs can navigate this transition. She provides practical examples of ways...

Why is insulin so important to the body and what’s its role in type 1 and 2 diabetes? 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, a breakthrough which has saved the lives of millions of people. In this episode Paula Mayo, a lecturer in diabetes care at University of Leeds’ school of healthcare, answers key questions for nurses about insulin therapy. She speaks to Nursing Standard...

Writing a will is the kind of task we put off - but preparing one is actually, generally quite straightforward. In this episode, solicitor Daniel Price explains what you need to do ahead of making a will writing appointment and gives an overview of the process. He also tells senior news reporter Kimberley Hackett the importance of a will for nurses who are not married, have property, children incl...

You have a low mood, feel exhausted, irritable and aren’t sleeping well. It may be the demands of nursing work – but could it be the perimenopause or menopause? Menopause specialist and GP Louise Newson talks to Nursing Standard head of news and features Kat Keogh about how to identify these life changes and why they shouldn’t cause women to quit their jobs. Dr Newson explains how to monitor the s...

How do you engage disaffected young people who are at risk of serious harm? What can you do as a nurse in these circumstances? Emergency nurse Ana Waddington felt a sense of helplessness at the increasing number of young people presenting with knife injuries in hospitals. So she decided to act. Ana used her own time and money to set up YourStance, which teaches young people at risk of serious yout...

Advanced nurse practitioner Rosa Ungpakorn talks about her award-winning outreach project which provides care to homeless people sleeping rough on the streets of London. She gives an insight into her project Westminster Street Nurse which delivers on-the-spot clinical assessments, diagnosis and treatment. Ms Ungpakorn discusses the interpersonal approach she uses to help her patients who often hav...

How do you find a mental well-being app or digital therapy that actually works? From apps to online cognitive behavioural therapy, there are myriad ways of supporting your mental health needs. In this episode sponsored by SilverCloud Health , digital health scientist Jorge Palacios dissects the evidence for different digital therapeutic interventions and discusses how nurses can navigate this fiel...

Clear and effective communication is a key part of being a nurse. But how do you hone these skills? Are they innate or learned? And what role does confidence play in being a great communicator?  Janie Brown, a cancer nurse with 40 years’ experience, who has published a book on compassionate communication, answers these questions and more.  Janie explains the importance of active listenin...

What support can nursing students with a disability or impairment expect from their clinical placement providers? This episode explores reasonable adjustments, alterations that should be made to ensure students with disabilities are not disadvantaged. London South Bank University senior lecturer Elizabeth King talks about her research in this area, while, newly qualified nurse Ricky Baker explains...

How do you protect your emotional well-being as a nursing student – and during a pandemic? Mental health nursing student Fran Hufton talks about her tips to stay well, informed by own experience of anxiety, depression and trauma. She also tells host Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn why social media is her ‘coping mechanism’ and how it can be a force for good. For supportive resources and help,...

Award-winning author Mark Bostridge, who has written an acclaimed book on Ms Nightingale, joins senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett to discuss the ‘lady with the lamp’. The episode, which comes in the bicentenary of Ms Nightingale’s birth this year, covers her influence as a public health reformer, time at Scutari hospital during the Crimean War and why she took to her bed in the latter years of...

Do the words ‘is there a nurse onboard’ fill you with dread, or do you spring into action without a second thought? This episode examines Good Samaritan acts, when nurses respond to health emergencies while off duty. Buckinghamshire New University senior lecturer Carolyn Crouchman joins Nursing Standard senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett to discuss her research in this area.  The discussion...

What’s it like being a male nurse in a predominantly female profession? University of Surrey mental health nurse lecturer Laurence Drew and Kyle Sands, who is a second year adult nursing student at University of Worcester, talk about image and stereotypes with senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett. They also discuss why they love their career.  For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast...