Child vaccination schedule: new risks and tackling hesitancy: Uptake of childhood vaccines shows a worrying fall due to several factors, but nurses can answer parents' questions and allay vaccination fears

New data show vaccination coverage for young children fell in 2021-22 for virtually all programmes. Uptake was falling before the pandemic, and COVID-19 is likely to have had a further effect on parents having their children vaccinated.

Coping with brain fog – from menopause to long-COVID: Strategies to help you manage debilitating brain fog when you need a clear head

‘Brain fog' is not a medical term but describes a range of symptoms including poor concentration, feeling confused, thinking more slowly than usual, fuzzy thoughts, forgetfulness, lost words and mental fatigue, says NHS Inform.

All you need to know about long-COVID: Guidance to help assess, diagnose and manage patients

What is long-COVID?While most people feel better within a few days or weeks of having COVID-19, for some symptoms can last longer. Those still affected by symptoms after 12 weeks are described as experiencing long-COVID.

Flu vaccines: how COVID-19 has influenced nurses’ attitudes: What nurses say about their intentions to have a flu jab and what they think about mandatory vaccination of the nurse workforce

Simmering discontent about how nurses were urged to have the COVID-19 vaccine may continue to influence how some feel about workforce immunisation more widely.

What to do if a complaint is made against you: If you are subject to a formal complaint, make sure you know what to expect at every stage of the process

More than 170,000 written complaints were made about patient care last year (2020-21) in England alone, according to NHS statistics. Of the complaints about a specific profession in hospital and community care, 26% related to nurses. This figure is likely to be lower than it should be due to changes during COVID-19 that meant not all data needed to be recorded as normal.

How exercise can boost health and recovery in people with cancer

The restrictions imposed by coronavirus meant limits on the chance to exercise outdoors. But being active remains important before, during and after cancer treatment, and international experts have called for ‘exercise prescriptions’ to cope with side effects of treatment and lower the risk of some cancers returning.

How nurses can safeguard children from polio: Nurses can ask people, especially those from communities with low uptake, if their children are vaccinated for polio

Polio is a serious infection that is rare in the UK due to the vaccination programme. It is only found in a few countries worldwide and the chances of getting it in the UK are extremely low, according to the NHS.

Viral Clearance with Neutrophil Recovery in a Patient with Active COVID-19 Infection and Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia Who Underwent Successful Reinduction with Cytarabine/Idarubicin.

Administering myelosuppressive chemotherapy to patients with aggressive malignant hematologic disorders typically poses serious infectious complications, which can be exacerbated by the presence of active COVID-19 infection. We report on a case of a successfully treated fit elderly woman with refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who also had mild COVID-19 infection and detectable viral load at the time she was found to have recurrent disease. Prior to initiation of reinduction treatment with cytarabine/idarubicin, this 2-dose COVID-19-vaccinated patient received antiviral therapy with remdesivir with resolution of upper respiratory symptoms. This was followed by sotrovimab on the third day of chemotherapy. Throughout her hospital course, she remained hemodynamically stable with one episode of neutropenic fever without other identified infections. Symptomatic reactivation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 was not observed. After achieving biopsy-confirmed morphologic remission of AML and with neutrophil recovery, the patient gradually cleared the virus, eventually testing negative on polymerase chain reaction test of the nasopharynx. This case underlines the importance of considering initiation of timely chemotherapy, although myelosuppressive, in appropriate patients with aggressive hematologic malignancies and concomitant SARS-CoV-2. It demonstrates management of active COVID-19 infection in this group of patients and the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 viral load during leukemia treatment.

Making change happen: how to introduce fresh ideas and bring your colleagues with you: Change in nursing can be a challenge to introduce and maintain. Find out how to achieve the best results with maximum buy-in and minimum stress

Healthcare has always been a sector where staff have to deal with constant change, but never has this flux been so extreme as during the pandemic of the past 18 months.

Step-by-step guide to remote consultations: Video consultations are here to stay. Here’s how you and your patients can get the most out of them

Remote consultations have been a mainstay of care in the pandemic.

Pressure ramps up for the staff who are fit for work: Nurses are being asked to sacrifice their time off as they put their own well-being on the line to maintain patient safety amid high staff absence levels

Overstretched nurses are facing unrelenting pressure as high levels of staff sick leave take a toll on the already depleted workforce.

Workplace stress triggering unhealthy coping responses: Our annual well-being survey suggests many nurses are struggling to find healthy outlets for stress as the pressures of the pandemic and staffing issues continue

Stressed-out nurses are turning to food, alcohol and antidepressants to cope with the pressures of work, a Nursing Standard survey suggests.

How nurses can support and improve service users’ mouth care: Limited access to good dental care during COVID-19 lockdowns meant some people with learning disabilities had little option but to go to the emergency department

Three years ago, following surgery to remove all her teeth, a Worcestershire nursing home resident died at the age of 49. Rachel Johnston, who had ‘significant learning disabilities’, struggled to breathe after discharge back to her home after the procedure in 2018, but staff failed to carry out vital observations or seek emergency assistance. An inquest later concluded that neglect by nursing home staff had contributed to Ms Johnston’s death.

Could vaccination be compulsory for nurses?: COVID-19 has highlighted the issue of mandatory vaccination for healthcare professionals

Nurses who work in care homes for older residents in England could be legally required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 under plans being considered by the government. In April, the government began a consultation into these plans, which are intended to drive up vaccination rates.

Could coronavirus vaccination become compulsory for all nurses?: The government is going to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for staff working in care homes for older people in England. How likely is it that this will be extended to nurses across the NHS?

What are the government’s plans for making COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for nurses working in care homes?From October, COVID-19 vaccinations will be compulsory for all nurses working in care homes for older people in England.

Demoralised and considering leaving: the toll of COVID-19 and a pay offer ‘insult’: What nurses told our Nursing Standard-Sunday Mirror survey about pay, short-staffing and the pressures of caring for patients throughout the pandemic

Nine out of ten ‘demoralised’ nurses don’t feel valued by politicians in power, a joint survey by Nursing Standard and the Sunday Mirror suggests.

Nursing leadership: which type is right for you?: Effective leadership can inspire staff and improve care – and there are many styles to choose from

Nurses are potential leaders at every stage of their career, and the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of effective leadership more than ever.

Long-COVID: what it means and how to manage the longer-term effects

Essential informationMany people who have had COVID-19 have reported ongoing symptoms weeks and months after they first fell ill. There is growing evidence that people can experience long-term health effects and about 10% of people with initially mild illness report symptoms lasting more than four weeks.

COVID-19 and acute kidney injury: identifying patients at risk: Nurses in every setting need to know about symptoms of renal failure, as early intervention can save lives

As the long-term effects of COVID-19 on patients and services continue to be assessed, nurses working in renal care are concerned about a potential increase in cases of kidney damage caused by the virus.

COVID-19, acute kidney injury and the risk of long-term renal damage: COVID-19 has affected the incidence and demographics of acute kidney injury and specialists are concerned about the risk of debilitating illness

As the long-term effects of COVID-19 on patients and services continue to be assessed, nurses working in renal care are concerned about a potential increase in cases of kidney damage caused by the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Primary Health Care is the property of RNCi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)