Although the UK is a multicultural society, racially minoritised populations are often under-represented in healthcare research owing to the significant barriers to participation they experience.1 Under-representation of racially minoritised groups in research impacts the quality of evidence and applicability of findings to these groups. This, in part, explains why these communities are more likely to report poorer health and poorer experiences of using healthcare services than their White counterparts,2 given that their cultural and spiritual preferences are often ignored.3 This commentary will explore some of the persistent multifaceted barriers and the role of research ethics committees (RECs) in enabling inclusive healthcare research among racially minoritised communities, given their key responsibility in building public confidence, ensuring ethical conduct and safeguarding research participants. In addition, patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) can complement the roles of RECs in embracing diversity in healthcare...

Vital signs are essential markers of a patient’s physiological state, and these include heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiration rate and level of consciousness. Consequently, accurate assessment, documentation and interpretation of these markers are vital for early detection of patients’ deterioration and timely intervention.1 2

Stroke nursing is widely recognised for its significant role across the whole multidisciplinary stroke care pathway.1 Ensuring that stroke nurses are equipped with the latest stroke specialist knowledge and skills is fundamental in providing high-quality and safe stroke care.1 2 However, in spite of the provision of nationally-recognised, quality-assured training and education programmes, for example, the Stroke-Specific Education Framework in the...

Shortages in the nursing workforce impact on the quality of patient care and pose a complex challenge for governments and healthcare organisations across the globe. There are estimated to be approximately 29 million nurses worldwide as of 2020, with a shortage of approximately 7 million against required levels. Despite growth in the workforce over the coming years, the nursing shortage is still projected to be 4.5M by 2030.1

One approach to addressing...

Sepsis is a life-threatening response to infection and remains a critical challenge with high morbidity and mortality rates. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines serve as a cornerstone for sepsis management and are pivotal in standardising care. Taylor et al’s article1 scrutinises the real-world implications of updated SSC antibiotic timing recommendations2 and offers critical insights into the practical effects of the revised antibiotic timing guidelines.

Climate change is increasingly harming human health. Extreme weather events cause devastation, low crop yields and failure, contributing to food insecurity, economic hardship and resource shortages. Rising temperatures also increase the spread of infectious diseases and epidemics. Globally, countries are using healthcare services as an initial method of addressing these challenges.2 However, healthcare systems are major...

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant public health issue, with diet playing a crucial role in its management.1 Food insecurity, defined as the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life, exacerbates this condition, making effective dietary interventions critical.2 Food-as-medicine programmes, which provide medically tailored meals and nutritional education, aim to improve health outcomes for individuals with chronic diseases.2 The study...

Diabetes is a widespread chronic disease, with steadily rising prevalence in most countries. In 2019, the global prevalence of diabetes was estimated at 9.3%, affecting 463 million people. This figure is projected to rise to 10.2% by 2030 and 10.9% by 2045.2 All people with type 1 diabetes and many people...

People living with Long Covid often find the complexity of navigating health services difficult. The nurse’s role is to support patients in this context. This includes ensuring they are sufficiently informed about what Long Covid is. The specialist nurses recommended the British Heart Foundation’s online resource - Long Covid: Symptoms, tests and treatments: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/long-covid%23whatdoesfatiguefeel.

Information about Long Covid is also available via Long Covid Physio: https://longcovid.physio/

Every person...

Patients with colorectal cancer face treatments that can bring significant financial burden, physical strain and relationship changes which can affect quality of life. These stressors may be mitigated by coping ability, particularly resourcefulness, which reflects the ability of the patient to independently perform daily tasks and seek help when needed. The patient experience and need for care can affect caregivers as well, leading to caregiver burden: an accumulation of the negative responses to the caregiver that result from providing care, including disrupted schedules, financial and...

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a recommended treatment for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVDs), given the rising number of cardiac incidents due to ageing population and modern lifestyles.1 To improve accessibility and follow-up support for optimal health, e-platforms are increasingly being used. Virtual CR uses technology-based methods such...

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. While research in recent decades has focused on minimising treatment, the disease still impacts women’s lives in many ways. Because increased sleep disturbances affect approximately...

In modern healthcare, the use of tools such as early warning systems (EWS), has become integral to patient safety, particularly for detecting early signs of patient deterioration.1 These systems alert clinicians based on objective physical parameters, providing essential support. However, concerns have arisen about the potential for...

Long Covid is an emerging long-term condition resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterised by a wide array of persistent symptoms, it is heterogenous in nature with fluctuations and experiences of relapse.2 As a relatively...

This study aims to examine the longitudinal relationship between fear of disease recurrence and depressive symptoms in elderly patients who have experienced postoperative adjacent vertebral refractures, as well as in their spouses, using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) to assess both individual and mutual psychological influences.

A prospective longitudinal study in China.

A total of 230 osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) and their spouses were selected by convenience sampling method.

Simplified fear disease Progression Scale and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire were used at admission (T1), before discharge (T2) and 1 month after discharge (T3), respectively. Equivalence test and cross-lagged analysis of APIM were used for statistical examination.

A total of 224 valid questionnaires were collected in this study, yielding an effective recovery rate of 97.31%. Across the measurement stages, both patients and their spouses exhibited a decreasing trend in scores for fear of disease recurrence and depressive symptoms. The subjective effect analysis revealed that, in elderly patients with postoperative adjacent vertebral refracture, fear of disease recurrence significantly and positively predicted depressive symptoms at the subsequent stage (T1->T2: β=0.18, T2->T3: β=0.17, pT2: β=0.16, T2->T3: β=0.17, pT2: β=0.21, T2->T3: β=0.20, pT2: β=0.20, pT3: β=0.18, pT2: β=0.21, T2->T3: β=0.20, pT2: β=0.17, T2->T3: β=0.16, all p

It is recommended that medical staff prioritise the assessment and management of fear of disease recurrence and depressive symptoms in elderly patients with OVCF and their spouses, and strategically leverage the mutual influence between them to minimise depressive symptom levels as much as possible.

This study aimed to identify and validate risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among nursing staff through the development and application of a risk model and nomogram.

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Dehong District to collect relevant data.

A total of 1774 Chinese nursing staff members were enrolled in this study.

Multiple factors were independently associated with SI among nursing staff. These included divorce or other non-marital status (OR=2.42, 95% CI 1.07 to 5.44), drinking frequency (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.001 to 1.79), loneliness (OR=1.26, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.44), depressive symptoms (OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.18), childhood trauma (OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05) and life quality satisfaction (OR=0.63, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.80). Similarly, for NSSI among nursing staff, independent risk factors were identified, such as smoking frequency (OR=1.37, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.85), drinking frequency (OR=1.42, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.91), loneliness (OR=1.21, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.39), depressive symptoms (OR=1.13, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.18) and childhood trauma (OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05). A nomogram for assessing SI/NSSI was established and demonstrated good calibration, with a Concordance Index of 0.82 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.86) for SI and 0.81 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.85) for NSSI.

The findings of this study can be used to identify nursing staff at risk of developing SI/NSSI. By using the developed nomograms for self-assessment, individuals might gain a better understanding of their occupational stress levels while performing routine work tasks. However, it should be noted that the study lacks external validation, which limits the generalisability of the findings at this stage.

To explore the perspectives and experiences related to caring for older people during clinical placement among undergraduate nursing students.

A qualitative exploratory study analysing individual interview data.

Department of Nursing, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Participants: A purposive sample of 14 undergraduate nursing students.

Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis framework.

Five themes emerged: (1) understanding ageing: The concept of ‘Age’, (2) Complexity of care: navigating challenges, (3) Care provision: rewards, growth and fulfilment, (4) Addressing challenges: barriers to support and (5) Reaching the horizon: enhancing geriatric education. Nursing students encountered both positive and negative experiences related to caring for older people. Positive experiences included increased self-awareness, learning opportunities, skill development and personal satisfaction. Negative experiences involved student-related and patient-related challenges, initial difficulties in providing care and inadequate support and mentoring during clinical placements.

Despite the complexities of caring for older people, nursing students are motivated to learn and provide the necessary care. This study highlights the need for quality care for older people, the importance of early geriatric education and the need for enhancing clinical supervision and mentoring.

This study aimed to identify potential categories of rotation stress among nurses undergoing standardised training and to explore the relevant factors associated with each profile.

Cross-sectional study.

Data were collected in November 2024 from three hospitals in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, China.

Nurses undergoing standardised training were recruited for this study.

Convenience sampling method was used to recruit standardised training nurses in November 2024 from three hospitals in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province. The survey instruments used included demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Nursing Job Rotation Stress Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Latent profile analysis method was used to analyse rotation stress characteristics of nurses during standardised training. Additionally, logistic regression was performed to identify the factors influencing different characteristics.

A total of 493 nurses completed the questionnaires, of which 453 were valid, resulting in a validity rate of 91.88%. Rotation stress was classified into two profiles: ‘Low Emotional Response–Stress Adaptation Group’ (21.5%) and ‘High Emotional Response–Stress Distress Group’ (78.5%). Univariate analysis showed that highest degree (²=11.389, p=0.001), monthly night shifts (²=33.913, p2=20.858, p2=12.319, p2=35.754, p2=15.357, p=0.002) significantly influenced the two subgroups. Multivariable regression analysis revealed significant associations of monthly night shifts, pretraining work experience, training duration and burnout level (p

Nurses undergoing standardised training exhibit two distinct rotation stress profiles. Monthly night shifts, pretraining work experience, training duration and burnout are significant factors. Nursing managers should implement targeted interventions such as mindfulness, laughter therapy and emotional freedom techniques to mitigate stress and thereby enhance the quality of standardised training.