Nursing Older People

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Newsroom

Three nurses at a very busy hospital workstation

Groundbreaking safe staffing law now in force for nurses in Scotland

All Scottish health and care settings must have enough qualified nurses to provide safe care

Some £1 coins spread on a document with the word pension printed under the heading payments

What every nurse in the NHS needs to know about the pension scheme overhaul

How you might be affected – plus a warning to anyone thinking of opting out

A nurse holds a pen and document as she talks to a patient sitting up in a hospital bed, both of them wearing protective masks

NMC closes temporary register set up during COVID-19 crisis

Temporary register saw thousands return to nursing to aid vulnerable at peak of pandemic

A nurse holding a clipboard makes notes while in the background a patient lies in a hospital bed

The (quiet) steps you can take to help inpatients get a good night’s sleep

Find out about measures that minimise disturbance at night – but don’t mean extra workload

Photo of nurse associate students in training, illustrating story about their introduction in Wales

NMC agrees to regulate nursing associate role in Wales

First nursing associates expected to begin training in autumn 2025

Picture of filing cabinet tabs with FRAUD in red letters and INVESTIGATIONS and LAW in black letters

Two nurses removed from NMC register for test fraud

Regulator found evidence of fraudulent computer-based tests at a centre in Nigeria

Evidence and Practice

Wound care in older people: overcoming the challenges of assessment and management

Why you should read this article: • To enhance your understanding of age-related skin...

Perceptions of the use of terms of endearment among older adults in an assisted living...

Why you should read this article: • To increase your understanding of ‘elderspeak’ and the...

Risk management and decision-making in dementia care

Risk management and decision-making in dementia care

Encouraging a proactive and person-centred approach to risk assessment and management

Using therapeutic lies – an ethical challenge for nurses when caring for people with dementia

Using therapeutic lies – an ethical challenge for nurses

White lies' can be useful when caring for people with dementia, but is it ethical to...

Exploring whether a diagnosis of severe frailty prompts advance care planning and end of life care conversations

Severe frailty diagnosis: advance care planning and end of life care conversations

People with severe frailty may be disadvantaged in terms of receiving appropriate end of...

Exploring the professional nurse advocate role and restorative clinical supervision

Exploring the professional nurse advocate role and restorative clinical supervision

The role aims to provide clinical, educational and well-being support to nurses

Features

Bad manager

How to handle a bullying, weak or incompetent boss

Tips on initiating constructive conversations and where to seek support over poor leadership

A nurse in scrubs is frowning and hunching her shoulders in a sign of distress

Under excess pressure? The emotional signs of stress and how to deal with them

Tips for identifying worrying signs and supporting yourself and colleagues

Illustration featuring five different NHS uniform tunic colours, from left to right: indigo, green, sea blue, navy blue and light blue

Uniform approach: what we like about our standardised scrubs

Nurses from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the pros of their nations’ uniforms

Illustration shows healthcare staff around a table formed from a clock face to suggest a team approach to rostering

Rostering: could more control over your shift timings transform your work-life balance?

Team-based rostering pilots point to improved staff retention and greater collaboration

An illustration showing a smiling nurse in uniform standing in front of a crowd, represented by several sets of hands raised high and clapping

Daunted by public speaking? Tips to take you from nervous to confident

Nurse experts share their advice on how to prepare well and engage an audience

Community nurse arrives at man’s front door. The two greet each other, suggesting a they share a warm bond

Bonding with long-term patients: promoting continuity of care within healthy boundaries

Tips on fostering ongoing therapeutic relationships while avoiding undue attachment

Opinion

Close-up image of two hands, as a nurse in uniform sits at the bedside of a dying patient in hospital, holding their hand

When a patient is dying: nurses’ role in the hours before and after death

Recognising when death is near, verifying death and providing compassionate care

A nurse appears apprehensive while being questioned by a senior nurse

Can difficult personal circumstances excuse mistakes at work?

We ask our readers if factors outside of work should be considered relevant

Illustration showing two nursing team members in uniform standing pointing at a huge shift roster, as if discussing filling or swapping shifts

Unsocial shifts and rotas: what’s your breaking point?

Nurses are flexible but there has to be give and take if the NHS is to boost retention

Students

A nursing student smiles as she sits next to a resident in a care home while on placement

How to secure your dream job in your favourite placement setting

Showing a passion for the nursing specialty and telling managers what you want will help

Patient consent

Navigating patient consent: tips for nursing students

Practical advice on the fundamentals of consent and determining capacity

Nurse, face unseen, holds an illuminated lightbulb, with systematically connected dots appearing to radiate from, illustrating the capacity of nurses to be innovative

Care innovations: how to spark ideas on placement and influence change in practice

Hospital-based projects are a chance to gather evidence, present a case and improve care

Careers

Three young woman huddle together, all looking at their phones. Social media can effective in advertising nurse vacancies

Social media recruitment: how you can turbo-charge interest in vacancies where you work

TikTok and other platforms are proving to be powerful tools for filling nurse roles

Top half of clock-face, with the word deadline emblazoned on it, the time showing six minutes to midnight. Revalidation deadlines can induce panic in NMC registrants

Help! My revalidation is looming and I’m worried I’ve left it too late to get started

Don’t panic – let our portfolio tool take the strain out of organising your documents

Sexual assault referrals: my work as a forensic nurse examiner

A typical day in this demanding role, and the skills and compassion required

Jobs