Long-COVID is affecting many health and care staff – so what can nurses with the condition do to manage its often on-off symptoms?

This episode of the podcast hears from two nurses with long-COVID, which is defined as the continuation or development of symptoms after the four-week acute stage of COVID-19.

Salli Pilcher, associate director of nursing at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Jane Ireson, a clinical nurse specialist based in Sheffield, discuss how they manage their symptoms.

They cover mindfulness, tai chi, wild swimming and the need to be kind to yourself. The two nurses also talk about the workplace support needed for staff with the condition.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics released in April suggested at least 122,000 NHS staff have long-COVID.

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Is simply the thought of a job interview enough to bring you out in a cold sweat? Do you worry about how to manage your nerves and present your best self? And how do you answer those tricky questions?

Nichole McIntosh, regional head of nursing and midwifery with London Health Education England, answers all these questions and more in this episode of the podcast.

She advises how to prepare for an interview, provides strategies on dealing with ‘brain freeze’ and gives her tips for answering that final ‘do you have any questions for the panel’ part of the process.

Ms McIntosh also tells interviewer Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn how candidates can best present themselves in online and in person interviews.

If this episode inspires you to look for a new job, check out RCNi Nursing Careers and Jobs Fair where Ms McIntosh is a regular speaker.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Nurses see a diverse range of patients and their families. But sometimes assumptions are made about the make-up of families – that they include a mum, dad and their biological children.

This perpetuation of heteronormativity – that heterosexuality is the norm – can be led by systems, such as documentation used by the NHS requesting who is the mother and father of a child. Some healthcare professionals also make assumptions about the set-up of a patient’s family.

This episode looks at how nurses – and the NHS – can support all people using health services to feel included.

Senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett discusses this topic with Lucy Kelsall-Knight, a lecturer in children’s nursing at the University of Birmingham. Lucy has conducted the UK’s first research into how people who are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) feel when accessing health services for their children. She also has two adopted children with her wife.

Rob Atkin-House, who with his husband is a father to three sons, also joins the conversation to speak about his personal experiences.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Taking up your first post as a newly qualified nurse (NQN) can be daunting – but does it need to be this way?

Can it instead be a positive rite of passage after three years of training?

Former director of nursing Emily McWhirter, who is now a consultant advisor, joins Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn to share tips on how NQNs can navigate this transition.

She provides practical examples of ways to deal with anxiety during the course of the working day including a quick reset exercise taken from her time in the Air Ambulance.

Dr McWhirter also explains the need to test yourself as a new nurse yet also use the support of the team – and shares her wisdom on being a ‘good human not a great hero’.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Why is insulin so important to the body and what’s its role in type 1 and 2 diabetes?

2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, a breakthrough which has saved the lives of millions of people.

In this episode Paula Mayo, a lecturer in diabetes care at University of Leeds’ school of healthcare, answers key questions for nurses about insulin therapy.

She speaks to Nursing Standard senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett about the different types of insulin, the safety implications when administering it and the impact of diet and exercise on blood glucose levels.

Ms Mayo also reviews clinical articles on diabetes for Nursing Standard.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Writing a will is the kind of task we put off - but preparing one is actually, generally quite straightforward.

In this episode, solicitor Daniel Price explains what you need to do ahead of making a will writing appointment and gives an overview of the process.

He also tells senior news reporter Kimberley Hackett the importance of a will for nurses who are not married, have property, children including those from different relationships and or vulnerable beneficiaries.

Nurse Michelle Crisp also explains why surgery led her to write a will and the peace of mind it has given her.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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You have a low mood, feel exhausted, irritable and aren’t sleeping well. It may be the demands of nursing work – but could it be the perimenopause or menopause?

Menopause specialist and GP Louise Newson talks to Nursing Standard head of news and features Kat Keogh about how to identify these life changes and why they shouldn’t cause women to quit their jobs.

Dr Newson explains how to monitor the symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause and prepare for a medical consultation to seek treatment.

She also talks about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy to alleviate symptoms and the role of diet, sleep and exercise – while understanding that motivation can be difficult amid the hormonal imbalance!

She emphasises that it is possible to have a good menopause and stay in work with the right treatment and lifestyle.

Dr Newson is the founder of the balance-app.com and My Menopause Doctor and in 2019 published her first book, Menopause Manual. She is the founder and director of Newson Health menopause and well-being centres in Stratford-upon-Avon.

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How do you engage disaffected young people who are at risk of serious harm? What can you do as a nurse in these circumstances?

Emergency nurse Ana Waddington felt a sense of helplessness at the increasing number of young people presenting with knife injuries in hospitals. So she decided to act.

Ana used her own time and money to set up YourStance, which teaches young people at risk of serious youth violence cardiopulmonary resuscitation, basic life support and haemorrhage control.

In this episode she tells senior news reporter Kimberley Hackett how she builds rapport and trust with these communities – and how she is also inspiring some of these young people to join the NHS.

In 2020, Ana was named RCN Nurse of the Year for her extraordinary project, which is now gaining interest across the UK.

The RCN Nursing Awards are now open for entries. To take part, visit www.rcn-nursing-awards.co.uk

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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Advanced nurse practitioner Rosa Ungpakorn talks about her award-winning outreach project which provides care to homeless people sleeping rough on the streets of London.

She gives an insight into her project Westminster Street Nurse which delivers on-the-spot clinical assessments, diagnosis and treatment.

Ms Ungpakorn discusses the interpersonal approach she uses to help her patients who often have trauma and experienced negative experiences of healthcare in the past.

She also explains the national guidelines she’s written on health-related street outreach for people who are homelessness.

In 2020, she won the Advanced Nursing Practice category of the RCNi Nurse Awards for this work. Find out more at rcni.com/Rosa-Ungpakorn

The RCN Nursing Awards (formerly the RCNi Nurse Awards) are now open for entries. To take part, visit www.rcn-nursing-awards.co.uk

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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How do you find a mental well-being app or digital therapy that actually works?

From apps to online cognitive behavioural therapy, there are myriad ways of supporting your mental health needs.

In this episode sponsored by SilverCloud Health, digital health scientist Jorge Palacios dissects the evidence for different digital therapeutic interventions and discusses how nurses can navigate this field.

It also considers how nurses can best support their well-being during and after COVID-19 and the pandemic’s influence on future therapeutic approaches.

SilverCloud is a digital mental health platform which is available via around 80% of NHS improving access to psychological therapies services in England, Wales and Scotland.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

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