During the past few years we have seen a huge growth in the use of social media in the healthcare sector yet it was only a short time ago that Ferguson (2013) questioned whether health would start to leverage the potential of social media. The answer, some 5 years on, is still unclear.  Whilst there are a few social media pioneers there is still a long way to go in unlocking the true potential of social media. There are many who do not see the benefits and still regard it as a social pastime and not as a serious way for nurses to communicate, connect and make a difference to the people they care for. Forty-seven per cent of the UK population (Ofcom 2017) uses social media which equates to a large number of nurses potentially already using i ...

During the past few years we have seen a huge growth in the use of social media in the healthcare sector yet it was only a short time ago that Ferguson (2013) questioned whether health would start to leverage the potential of social media. The answer, some 5 years on, is still unclear.  Whilst there are a few social media pioneers there is still a long way to go in unlocking the true potential of social media. There are many who do not see the benefits and still regard it as a social pastime and not as a serious way for nurses to communicate, connect and make a difference to the people they care for. Forty-seven per cent of the UK population (Ofcom 2017) uses social media which equates to a large number of nurses potentially already using i ...

During the past few years we have seen a huge growth in the use of social media in the healthcare sector yet it was only a short time ago that Ferguson (2013) questioned whether health would start to leverage the potential of social media. The answer, some 5 years on, is still unclear.  Whilst there are a few social media pioneers there is still a long way to go in unlocking the true potential of social media. There are many who do not see the benefits and still regard it as a social pastime and not as a serious way for nurses to communicate, connect and make a difference to the people they care for. Forty-seven per cent of the UK population (Ofcom 2017) uses social media which equates to a large number of nurses potentially already using i ...

Its CHRISTMAS (or very nearly!) Which means that it is "We" Christmas Quiz time !! That time of year when twitter chats move over for some Christmas fun.  In previous years the #WeXmas Quiz has been utter chaos but wonderful fun.  Everyone is welcome, the #WeXmas Quiz will be fast and furious and fun but we hope that you will all pop on a party hat, your best Christmas jumper and break out the mince pies! How will it work?The quiz will take place on Thursday 19th December at 8pm using #WeXmas (apologies but Christmas just takes up too many characters) Each "We" community have set a few questions on their specialtyWeNurses will tweet the questions a few minutes apart using Twitter pictures or Twitter pollsEach question will be numbered - eg ...

'All Our Health’ is call to action for all health and care professionals including student health and care professionals, to embed and extend prevention, health protection and promotion of wellbeing and resilience into practice. But why is it important that we understand prevention, protection and promotion as student health and care professionals? The NHS Long Term Plan, (2019) has a strong focus on prevention as a way to prevent poor health and to keep people living well for longer– ‘the NHS will take new action to strengthen its contribution to prevention and health inequalities. Wider action on prevention will help people stay healthy and also moderate demand on the NHS.’Viv Bennett ( Public Health England's Chief Nurse) builds on this ...

Gosport / Education aspectsLearning from Deaths   Stephanie Millichope "I am a specialist community public health nurse and have been in nursing for 22 years.  My career is focused on patient safety, experience and quality of care having worked in acute and community provider settings, CCGs and NHS England.  I am currently a patient safety fellow funded by Health Education England and hosted by the Kent Academic Health Science Network. A colleague and I based in Dorset have been asked to look at the educational aspects of the Gosport Independent Inquiry published in 2018 and complete a year-long project in relation to learning from deaths."Heather Stacey  " I trained as an Occupational Therapist in London over 25 years ago and since then ha ...

Palliative care is the holistic care of patients with incurable, progressive and life-limiting illness. This may involve work on physical symptoms, psychological difficulties, social challenges and spiritual distress. It is also important to support those around the patient. By the nature of this, patients can have complex needs.Conversely, palliative care education is complex. Health professionals in multiple roles (doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and non-clinical staff among others) are key to good palliative care, so it is important that all groups can access and receive education that is appropriate for them. It is a key role of specialists in palliative care, as well as others, to deliver and facilitate this education.This ...