Nursing and Genomics: The Next Stage in Holistic Healthcare

George Engel changed the dynamic of healthcare when he proposed his biopsychosocial model over forty years ago (Engel, 1977) which sought to treat patients as a whole and not simply as medical puzzle to be solved. Over the past couple of decades the field of genomics has dramatically accelerated from a single human genome being…

A Practice Nurses brief guide to smear taking

As I sit down and open my computer on a Monday morning, I have 4 smears booked in for that day, sadly by mid morning two have cancelled and one hasn’t attended. For the woman that has attended it is my chance to make this consultation a positive experience. 1 in 3 women do not…

What happens during a cervical smear test…it’s not that bad!

As I have yet to reach the age of 25, I hadn’t had any experience of a smear test. Yes as a sufferer of endometriosis I have had many gynaecological interventions- but not an actual smear, this was alien to me.   Through my previous placement at a GP surgery I saw cervical smear tests daily and to…

Cervical Screening – A General Practice Nurse Perspective

When I first qualified as a nurse, after a year consolidating my training on a surgical ward, I accepted a position on a gynaecology ward. I’m afraid I did not enjoy it at all and so, when years later I decided to become a General Practice Nurse (GPN), one of my main concerns was that…

The realities of HPV and cervical cancer

Julia Tugwell who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2013, shares with us vital information surrounding HPV, how it can be contracted and the consequences - which can lead to cervical cancer.   Let’s start with the basics.   Over 3,000 women a year are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK and around 800 will die.…

Digital Competence for Connections in Nursing – PreChat guest blog

At the beginning of this partnership between Phi Mu Chapter of Sigma and The Student Nurse Project, I’d like to share with everyone President Tigges’ Call to Action: Connect, Collaborate and Catalyse. These link so beautifully with some of the NHS Horizons  30-day challenges and with this partnership in which we plan to host a series…

Reflections from Learning Disability Awareness Week 2018

This year, Learning Disability Awareness Week took place between 18th and 24th June. To celebrate, my cohort of third year learning disability nursing students had arranged in a variety of activities to promote awareness. Monday We uploaded a video of us singing and signing along to ‘This Is Me’ from the film The Greatest Showman.…

Stuck in the Middle as a Second Year Student Nurse

My second year of training has been tough, tougher than first year by a long shot. It's hard to explain why it's been so hard but I guess the main reason is that you're very much stuck in the middle. No longer the first year who's new to everything, the responsibility has become apparent and…

Simulation (Guest Blog)

The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) new proficiencies for registered nurses are hot of the press, so to new thinking and guidance about the use of simulation within pre-registration nursing curriculums. Prior to the new standards being launched, there was a cap of 300 hours that could replace or count towards practice hours. In the…

What is it like being a Student Nurse in… Canada?

Juan Martinez Student Nurse Canada @UsaskJuan   Being a student nurse in Canada is pretty great. In Canada we have the Canadian Nursing Students’ Association, and here in my province (state) we have the Saskatchewan Nursing Student Association. Collectively, these associations coordinate events that promote a healthy student life. As a class, we talk amongst…