A nurse who went from work-related burnout to conquering Mount Everest discusses her unusual journey in the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast.

Rowena Rowberry, a lecturer at the University of Derby and former community nurse, discusses how she went from a novice with no climbing experience to scaling the world’s tallest mountain in just 18 months.

She also reveals one surprising practical insight climbing has given her into nursing – as well as offering some tips on taking care of your feet.

Rowena’s climb helped to raise funds for the RCN Foundation and you can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rowena-rowberry

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

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Nurses’ intolerable workloads are under the spotlight in this episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, with a review of a new film about nursing.

The Late Shift movie by writer-director Petra Volpe has brought the profession’s challenges to cinema screens across the UK and content editor Alistair Mason and CPD editor Nick Lipley discuss whether it hits the mark.

The podcast also discusses the latest nursing news, including a promise that all newly registered nurses will get a guaranteed job at the end of their studies and new figures showing violence levelled against emergency nurses is getting worse.

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

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How should nursing staff be expected to meet the growing need for palliative and end of life care now and in the future?

The latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast hears the views of leading nurses on how to equip the profession with the skills and confidence to talk to and support those at the end of life, both in general and specialist areas.

RCNi senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett chairs a discussion of these issues with NHS England chief nursing officer Duncan Barton, University of Glasgow clinical professor of nursing and palliative care Bridget Johnston, Marie Curie chief nursing officer Annette Weatherley and RCN UK chief nursing officer Lynn Woolsey.

This episode was recorded at a Marie Curie and Royal College of Nursing conference on the future of palliative and end of life care in London in June 2025.

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

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NHS pay is one of the main topics discussed in the latest Nursing Standard podcast episode, with nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland expected to overwhelmingly reject this year’s 3.6% pay award.

The fact that next year’s pay award process has also been triggered unusually early is also discussed by RCNi content editor Alistair Mason and senior journalist Shruti Sheth Trivedi as they look at the latest events hitting nursing headlines.

Newly registered nurses protesting over a lack of jobs, pay outside the NHS, and how to identify and categorise a pressure ulcer are also under the spotlight.

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

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How do you handle feedback from managers, colleagues and the people you care for? And if you are assessing someone’s performance, how do you ensure whatever you say is positively received?

Giving and receiving feedback is the topic of the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, featuring Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust people promise manager Fahida Rehman-Manby, who is also a nurse.

She offers tips for giving feedback in an empathetic manner and using feedback to improve practice and advance your career.

Follow the Nursing Standard podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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NHS trusts across England are continuing to cut bank pay and shifts – a topic which comes under the spotlight in the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast.

An £8,000 fine for a nurse prescriber unlawfully supplying weight-loss drugs and other prescription-only medicines is also discussed in the episode hosted by RCNi content editor Alistair Mason and senior journalist Shruti Sheth Trivedi.

They also discuss subscriber content including what nurses need to know about ultra-processed foods, and nurses highlighting the best and most useful advice they ever received.

Follow the Nursing Standard podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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From diverse first jobs for newly registered nurses to a progressive career pathway, opportunities in social care nursing is the topic discussed in the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast.

Chief nurse for adult social care in England Deborah Sturdy counters common misconceptions about the sector and talks about how these nursing roles offer autonomy to improve and make an immediate difference to people’s lives.

Professor Sturdy is speaking at Nursing Live, RCNi’s free event for nursing staff and students at the NEC, Birmingham on 5-6 November.

Follow the Nursing Standard podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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Three ex-leaders at Lucy Letby’s former trust were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter this week – a story we examine in this episode of the Nursing Standard podcast.

Another former nurse and convicted murderer, Colin Campbell, came under the spotlight when he lost a legal appeal to overturn his convictions recently.

RCNi content editor Alistair Mason and senior journalist Shruti Sheth Trivedi discuss these stories and many others in this podcast episode.

Follow the Nursing Standard podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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The mass rollout of weight-loss drugs on the NHS in England began this week as GPs became able to prescribe the drugs for the first time. Some 220,000 people with the ‘greatest need’ are expected to receive Mounjaro, the commercial name for tirzepatide, over the next three years.

In this episode of the Nursing Standard podcast, Lisa Rickers – a registered nurse with more than 15 years’ experience as a bariatric specialist in the NHS – explains that the health benefits of these drugs extend far beyond shedding excess pounds. She also discusses their potential risks, and offers advice for nurses when caring for patients who are using them.

Follow the Nursing Standard podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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New principles for advanced practice, and nursing staff recognised in the King’s birthday honours, are among the headlines grabbing nurses’ attention this week.

In our latest podcast episode, RCNi content editor Alistair Mason and senior journalist Shruti Sheth Trivedi bring you fresh insights on issues affecting nursing staff. These also include harrowing accounts of nurses experiencing suicidal ideation due to intense workplace pressures, and an RCN Foundation survey that explores the domestic abuse experiences and support needs of nursing and midwifery staff in the UK.

They also highlight tributes paid to an Indian nurse who was killed in the recent Air India plane crash.

RCNi subscriber content discussed includes six ways employers can help reduce the risk of burnout in nursing staff.

Follow the Nursing Standard podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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