Nursing Standard Podcast

Cuts to bank shift pay, incorrect insulin administration and an investigation into nursing uniforms – our latest podcast delves into the issues that are getting nurses talking.This week, Nursing Standard content editor Alistair Mason and senior journalist Shruti Sheth Trivedi bring you insights on nursing headlines that have caught our attention. They also discuss RCNi subscriber content, including when mental health nurses should wear a uniform.In our most-read news story of the week so far, nurses express their anger at plans to cut bank pay at four NHS trusts. In another story, a coroner flagged concerns by a specialist diabetes nurse about how ward nurses were administering insulin to a patient who later died.In other news, the Queen’s Nursing Institute has announced a big change to its executive team, while a new RCNi investigation looks into nurses’ uniforms and when they should be worn in certain settings.Finally, a CPD article explores the role of nurses in managing patients with mpox. Nurses can take a quiz on the topic to gain a CPD certificate.You can see these subscriber pieces, and much more, from just £5.25 a month with RCNi Plus.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

This week’s episode of the Nursing Standard podcast is all about facing and overcoming challenges in the workplace – whether that is bouncing back from errors, dealing with staff shortages, reporting concerns, or simply dealing with an ever-increasing patient care workload.Dr Doyle joins RCNi career development editor Clare Lomas on the podcast, recorded at the RCNi Nursing Careers and Jobs Fair in Glasgow on 19 February, to discuss these and other challenges faced by nurses.Also on the panel are NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde police custody healthcare nurse practitioners Robbie Kane and Andrew Lockhart, as well as newly registered nurse Sam Moffat.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

An alarming rise in eating disorder cases is highlighted in a parliamentary report that calls for mandatory training for nurses and also raises concerns over patients being discharged with dangerously low BMI scores. The latest Nursing Standard podcast discusses the complexities of nasogastric feeding under restraint, the legal and emotional challenges, and the effect on nurses and patients' families.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

A supporting statement is one of the most important parts of the nursing job application process. This is the evidence employers will use to shortlist you, and, as it is likely to be the first impression they will have of you, it is important to get it right.In the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, Charlotte Collings, recruitment and retention lead at the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in Harlow, Essex, explains how you can put together a strong supporting statement to make sure you stand out from the crowd and secure that all-important job interview.She tells RCNi careers development editor and podcast host Clare Lomas what employers are looking for in a good supporting statement and how it should be structured.This is your opportunity to show a potential employer that you have the right knowledge, skills and experience for the role you are applying for, says Ms Collings, so do not be afraid to showcase your achievements and have confidence in your abilities.Above all, she adds, always do your homework: ‘I can see from a mile away a rushed application compared with someone who has really put the effort into it. ‘It’s the ones who have done their homework and their research that get the interviews.’For further support with your career development, the RCN’s careers resources provide advice and information, including sample supporting statements that are free to access for RCN members.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

Cultural awareness is essential in diabetes care, as patients bring diverse beliefs and attitudes to healthcare. Diabetes nurse consultant Tembi Chinaire emphasises the importance of ‘cultural agility’ and ‘cultural humility’ for effective, person-centred care. She advocates using every interaction to learn and understand individual patient perspectives on health management.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcasts visit rcni.com/podcast

Do you remember what made you want to become a nurse? When things get tough at work, it can be helpful to reconnect with why you came to love nursing in the first place.So as the new year gets going and winter pressures put strain on the workforce, the Nursing Standard podcast brings three nurses together to talk about why they went into the profession and how they maintain their enthusiasm for work.Ana Waddington, a former RCN Nurse of the Year, is the paediatric critical care outreach team lead and Martha’s Rule lead at the Royal London Hospital. She discusses how making the most of new opportunities keeps her motivated.Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust chief nursing officer Nathan Askew talks about how switching off from work and maintaining other passions helps to refresh his love for the job.And Harley Street Clinic lead radiotherapy clinical nurse specialist Jane Ewang describes the support and inspiration she receives from colleagues, both in her day job and in her work with the UK Oncology Nursing Society.The three tell Nursing Standard content editor and podcast host Alistair Mason some of the best advice they’ve received as nurses and offer tips on staying motivated when work is particularly tough.They also talk about the improvements they have seen in the profession over the course of their careers and highlight the things that are getting them excited for 2025.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

For many nurses working at Christmas is unavoidable given the demands of 24-hour care, but it may still be possible to share some festive cheer with colleagues and patients. In this episode of the Nursing Standard podcast two nurses from different clinical backgrounds discuss their experiences of working over Christmas and offer tips on and how to make the most of itFor more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

All nurses can be leaders, no matter your band or level of seniority.But everyone’s leadership journey will look different, depending on your personality, preferences and cultural influences – there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to leadership.Nichole McIntosh has worked as a nurse in the NHS for 24 years and held many leadership roles. But as an introvert, she says leadership is not something that comes naturally to her.In the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, Ms McIntosh describes her leadership journey - from nursing student to her current role as NHS England head of nursing and midwifery in workforce, training and education for the London region.She explains how to embrace the leadership challenge even if you are reluctant, the importance of emotional intelligence and reflection in leadership, and why it is so important to always bring your authentic self to the table.In a seminar delivered at the RCNi Nursing Careers and Jobs Fair in London in September 2024, Ms McIntosh described how leadership is about respecting, empowering and enabling your team, which is why she always sticks to her values of kindness, compassion and empathy.Your leadership journey is also about taking risks, she says, and sometimes taking a step sideways or down can be beneficial to your career. Having the courage to step outside of your comfort zone can also inspire others.This podcast is from a seminar at the RCNi Nursing Careers and Jobs Fair in London held on 6 September 2024For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

Nurses could hold the key to solving the mystery of a 34-year-old cold case, which could potentially help reunite an unidentified man with his name and provide solace to his loved ones. In spring 1990, the skeletal remains of a man were found in Deepdene Woods in Surrey by a dog walker and his identity has never been established. However, due to clues found with ‘Deepdene man’ as he is known, investigators believe that he could have been a patient at Netherne Hospital and are appealing for nurses who may have worked there to come forward to help with their investigations. The mystery is one of a number of cases of missing or unidentified people which missing person charity Locate International is attempting to resolve. The charity takes on cold cases that otherwise would not receive attention, with teams of volunteer sleuths meeting to identify unknown people and give them back their names.On this episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, two of the charity’s volunteers – Roland Hughes and Jess Halsey – discuss how nurses may be able to play a part in solving this case and other mysteries.‘St Helier woman’: depiction of an unidentified woman who died in St Helier Hospital in 2006 Picture: Hew MorrisonMr Hughes and Ms Halsey also appeal for help in a case of an unidentified woman who died soon after being found outside St Helier Hospital in south London in 2006. They tell Nursing Standard features editor and podcast host Alistair Mason why nurses could be particularly useful in resolving these cases.‘We are aware that people who work in nursing and the medical professions will have dealt with these cases in the first place. People within these professions have a knowledge that is unique and they can really help us,’ says Mr Hughes.They are particularly keen on hearing from people who might have worked at these hospitals at the time of the .For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast