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Close-up of nurse with tattooed arms crossed

Tattoos, piercings, false eyelashes now okay for nurses as trust relaxes uniform rule

Trust wants to celebrate inclusivity and allow people to be themselves in modern workplace

Photo of new NHS uniform in a range of colours, illustrating story about its introduction at an NHS trust in England

National nurses’ uniform to make its debut at NHS trust

Nurses in Derbyshire will be the first to wear the uniform, which comes in various colours

Former nurse and convicted child killer Lucy Letby

Court order blocking access to Letby trial article defies open justice, MP tells Commons

Ex-minister criticises court order stopping UK online access to article on killer’s trial

A senior nurse gives a demonstration using an oxygen mask to other nurses

Nursing levels: update on what counts as advanced practice

New definitions in professional framework aim to end ‘ambiguity’ that can limit careers

ame Ruth May, England’s chief nurse, meeting Roald Dahl Nurse Holly

International Nurses Day: what makes us proud of our profession

Nurses mark event by sharing what inspired their career choice and drives their commitment

Queen’s University Belfast, one of the two higher education institutions in Northern Ireland where nursing degrees are offered

Freeze on undergraduate places branded as incomprehensible, given agency spend

Funding decision a repeat of past mistakes that are expensive to fix, says nurses’ leader

Analysis

An older person sitting on a comfortable chair who is hooked up to a several tubes on his chest, with a light blanket on his lap

Frailty in people living with cancer: what you need to know

Frailty affects half of all older people living with cancer and nurses’ awareness is vital

Nursing student is mentored by a nurse as he places ECG leads on the chest of a prone patient

Juggling workload and student supervision: how to find time for both

Three nurses’ tips for supporting students on placement in a busy workplace

Transformational leader

Are you micromanaged, or empowered in a team with a shared vision?

Why transformational leaders, who value teamwork and challenge, need to become the norm

A pound coin showing a map of all four nations of the UK highlighted in different colours, alongside the Republic of Ireland

How 2024-25 pay offers will vary, depending on where you live

The factors involved in differences across the UK – and what they mean for your pay packet

Image of a figure representing a nurse holding out her hands in alarm as she slides down a red arrow above a series of boxes labelled from bands 7 to 4

Why flexible working could mean dropping a pay band

Despite legal changes, nurses say employers are not doing enough to allow requests

A nurse sitting at a table and making notes while using a calculator that is on top of a pile of documents, as if checking a payslip

Common payroll issues: how to keep track and resolve errors

Pay can fluctuate and it is important to report discrepancies – including overpayments

Clinical update

Wound care: what the framework for standardised treatment means for your patients

Guidance focuses on individualised care for pressure ulcers, lower limbs and surgical wounds

NICE recommends use of breast cancer drug as new treatment option

Trastuzumab deruxtecan is a targeted treatment that could extend patients’ lives

Cervical cancer: how the NHS at-home HPV testing trial is being rolled out

Cervix home HPV testing kits will help address shortfall in screening attendance

Lung cancer or COVID-19? How to differentiate between their similar presentations

A new resource helps patients and nurses differentiate between the symptoms

COVID-19 vaccine and chemotherapy: advice and guidance

Latest guidance on COVID-19 vaccination for patients receiving systemic anticancer therapy

Long-COVID: what it means and how to manage the longer-term effects

Advice from NICE on how to care for patients with ongoing symptoms of the virus

Policy briefing

ReSPECT form update: a more patient-centred focus for advance care planning

How nurses can implement changes to the RCUK process for end of life decision-making

Picture shows two medics in discussion. Lack of personal protective equipment allows nurses to take a decision to protect themselves, RCN guidance says.

COVID-19: when you can refuse to treat a patient due to inadequate PPE

The implications for nurses of RCN guidance on care provision and inadequate PPE

Picture shows computer artwork of human papilloma virus particles in the bloodstream. A more sensitive cervical screening test rolled out across the UK means infections will be spotted earlier

How to advise women about the new cervical screening test

More sensitive test could save hundreds of lives as infections will be spotted earlier

Nurses meeting to discuss and reflect following a difficult situation

Helping nurses to ‘defuse’ after difficult situations

The RCN has issued guidance on how to discuss and reflect on challenging incidents at work

Glove awareness week

Correct use of gloves and how to protect your skin

RCN Glove Awareness week stresses correct use of gloves and how nurses can protect their skin

Marie Curie Legacy Campaign on the benefits of radiotherapy

The treatment is being undervalued in cancer care, experts say

Research news

Picture of a man running

Physical exercise may reduce risk of prostate cancer

Study finds reduced risk of prostate cancer among men with a specific DNA variation

Faecal occult blood test for bowel cancer

Screening can reduce incidence of bowel cancer

People with bowel cancer who had colonoscopies tended to live longer, study shows

Diagram of Wilm’s tumour in a baby

Gene causing rare form of kidney cancer identified

Children with Wilm’s tumour may no longer need nephrectomies

Picture shows a surgeon operating on a patient. A chemical that assists brain cancer surgery by making tumour cells fluorescent could also help to safely diagnose the disease and monitor its response to treatment, a study suggests.

Drink helps track brain cancer

A chemical drunk before surgery can make brain cancer easier to diagnose and monitor

Pictures shows a GP talking to a young man. People with cancer who skip urgent referral appointments for their symptoms are more likely to die within a year of diagnosis, researchers say

Skipping urgent referral linked to mortality risk

People with cancer who skip referrals are more likely to die within a year of diagnosis

Picture shows a cigarette being stubbed out. Cigarette smoking in England fell by a quarter in 2011-18, pointing to the success of antismoking measures, researchers say

Smoking down by one quarter in seven years

Cigarette smoking in England fell, pointing to the success of antismoking measures

Journal scan

Acute_myeloid_leukaemia

Haematologic neoplasm in survivors of breast cancer

Incidence of myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplasia higher in women treated for breast cancer

Cancer diagnosis

Cancer diagnosis increases the risk of suicide

Researchers find suicide risk is highest in the first six months of a cancer diagnosis

Intensive care

Predictors of location of death for children receiving palliative care 

More than one third of all children with cancer in the US die in an institutional setting

US study looks at outpatient palliative care referral patterns in oncologists

Understanding outpatient palliative care referrals among thoracic medical oncologists

Prognosis communication for people with head and neck cancer

Analysis of succesfully communicating prognosis for people with head and neck cancer

Optimising bed rest period to reduce lumbar punctures after chemotherapy

Randomised controlled trial of bed rest optimisation to reduce obstacles in chemotherapies

Podcast

Photo of a piggy bank, illustrating story about a podcast on nurse pensions

Thinking of stopping your NHS pension? Here’s why you shouldn’t

The benefits of the NHS pension and why it is such good value for nurses

Free
NHS nurses on an NHS pay strike picket line

Why do NHS nurses in Scotland appear to get a better deal than elsewhere in the UK?

It seems staff there enjoy benefits their colleagues elsewhere can only dream of

Free
Photo of Dr Dame Claire Bertschinger working in Africa in the 1980s, and the Band Aid single Do They Know It's Christmas?

Band Aid remembered: how one nurse inspired a phenomenon

Dr Dame Claire Bertschinger's work in Ethiopia in 1984 helped kickstart the charity song

Free
Nurses holding placards and dressed for the cold weather, picket Northern General Hospital in Sheffield

NHS strikes one year on: how nursing staff took a historic stand with public’s support

Look back at what nurses told us on the picket lines, and why the campaign isn’t over

Free
Michael Rosen at the Nursing Live event

Author’s tale of pandemic journey – and what he owes to nurses

Michael Rosen reflects in our podcast on intensive care and his admiration for nurses

Free
Jayne Chidgey-Clark

Raising concerns: helping you to speak up without fear of repercussions

Our podcast guest tells us how she's striving to help nurses speak up with confidence

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Sponsored: Launch of Mölnlycke’s clinical consensus statement: ‘Healthy skin, safe patients: the value of patient hygiene

Sponsored: Mölnlycke’s clinical consensus statement ‘Healthy skin, safe patients'

This article explores Mölnlycke’s clinical consensus statement and the fight against healthcare-associated infections

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Sponsored: When is a swelling not an allergy?

This sponsored article describes emergency care for people with hereditary angioedema

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Sponsored: How to improve leg ulcer practice and patient outcomes

This webinar, sponsored by HARTMANN, seeks to address variation in practice and outcomes for lower limb wounds

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Sponsored: High ‘face fit test’ pass rate on smaller face shapes with FFP3 respirator

UK-made respiratory protection for healthcare helps reduce environmental impact

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Luke Pybus

Sponsored: Wales offers a great quality of life for the newly qualified nurse

Newly qualified Mental Health Nurse Luke Pybus, from Somerset, is delighted he made the career move to work in Wales.

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Sian Thomas

Sponsored: Working in Wales can really take you places in your career

Sian Thomas, a Consultant Nurse for Child Health in South Wales, and Nurse of the Year 2016, talks about why everyone looking for a rewarding nursing career should put Wales at the top of their list.

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