The diagnostic experience for people with MND and their caregivers in the U.K.

Objective: How an MND diagnosis is communicated has implications for how individuals adapt to their illness. The consultation process with the neurologist, diagnosis delivery, and adherence to UK guidelines, were explored from the perspectives of people diagnosed with MND and family caregivers.

Methods: A cross-sectional approach with people with MND and their caregivers in UK.

How children in Sweden accessed and perceived information during the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aim: To describe how children in Sweden accessed and perceived information about SARS-CoV2 and Covid-19 during the first phase of the outbreak.

Methods: This study is a substudy of an international cross-sectional online mixed methods survey examining elements of children's health literacy in relation to Covid-19. The survey included multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions and drawings and collected information from 50 Swedish children (7-12 years).

How parents share and limit their child's access to information about COVID-19: A mixed methods online survey study.

This study aimed to understand the role that parents play in sharing or limiting their child's access to information about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A subset of data from an international mixed methods online survey study was analysed to elucidate the findings from Brazil. An online survey, conducted between April and June 2020, gathered closed and open text views from parents of children aged 7-12 years old.

"People play it down and tell me it can't kill people, but I know people are dying each day". Children's health literacy relating to a global pandemic (COVID-19); an international cross sectional study.

The aim of this study was to examine aspects of children's health literacy; the information sources they were accessing, their information preferences, their perceived understanding of and their reported information needs in relation to COVID-19. An online survey for children aged 7-12 years of age and parent/caregivers from the UK, Sweden, Brazil, Spain, Canada and Australia was conducted between 6th of April and the 1st of June 2020. The surveys included demographic questions and both closed and open questions focussing on access to and understanding of COVID-19 information.

A study of childhood cancer survivors' engagement with long-term follow-up care: 'To attend or not to attend, that is the question'.

Purpose: In the UK, there are over 40,000 childhood cancer survivors (CCS); this figure grows approximately 1300 annually. Two-thirds are at risk of developing serious disabling or life-threatening conditions due to adverse late effects of the cancer or treatment received in childhood. Life-long, follow-up care for the surveillance and management of late effects is recommended.

Ability of the wider dental team to triage patients with acute conditions: a qualitative study.

Objectives To understand the attitudes, skills and knowledge of dental reception and practice management teams relating to urgent dental appointments and to identify additional training needs.Methods Two focus groups were held with members of dental practice reception and management teams (n = 15). Thematic analysis of the focus group transcripts identified topics, and these were explored in more detail through semi-structured interviews with focus group members (n = 5).

Student nurse non-attendance in relation to academic performance and progression.

Background: High levels of non-attendance are reported in nurse education programmes even though literal interpretation of UK national guidelines implies mandatory student attendance is a requirement for all elements of pre-registration undergraduate programmes.

Objectives: To examine relationships between undergraduate student nurse non-attendance, academic performance and progression.

Design: A quantitative study using audit approaches was undertaken.

An evaluation of National Health Service England's Care Maker Programme: A mixed-methods analysis.

Aims And Objectives: To investigate the impact and sustainability of the Care Maker programme across England from the perspective of those involved in its delivery.

Background: The Care Maker programme was launched in England in 2013. It aims to support the "Compassion in Practice" strategy, with particular emphasis on the 6Cs of care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.

Improving end of life care in care homes; an evaluation of the six steps to success programme.

Background: There are approximately 426,000 people residing within care homes in the UK. Residents often have complex trajectories of dying, which make it difficult for staff to manage their end-of-life care. There is growing recognition for the need to support care homes staff in the care of these residents with increased educational initiatives.

Development of a Rheumatology-specific Patient Concerns Inventory and Its Use in the Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic Setting.

Objective: Successful management of rheumatic conditions involves increasing complexity of care. Delivering this in a holistic way is a growing challenge. The aim of our study was to develop a Patient Concerns Inventory (PCI) and assess it in the rheumatology clinic setting.

Delivering compassionate care: the enablers and barriers.

The importance of providing compassionate care to patients is well established. While compassionate care can be understood as an individual response to others' vulnerability, it is acknowledged that healthcare environments can impact significantly on this aspect of practice. This study sought to explore how health professionals and pre-qualifying healthcare students (HCS) understand compassionate care and factors that hinder or enable them to practice compassionately.

Issues concerning recruitment, retention and attrition of student nurses in the 1950/60s: a comparative study.

Aim: To investigate student nurse recruitment and attrition in the 1950' and 1960s and undertake comparisons to modern day concerns. The study was set in one hospital in the U.K.

The role of professional education in developing compassionate practitioners: a mixed methods study exploring the perceptions xof health professionals and pre-registration students.

Compassionate practice is a public expectation and a core health professional value. However, in the face of growing public and professional unease about a perceived absence of compassion in health care it is essential that the role of education in developing compassionate practitioners is fully understood. The aim of this study was to explore qualified health professionals' and pre-registration students' understanding of compassion and the role of health professional education in promoting compassionate care.

Enhancing communication with distressed patients, families and colleagues: the value of the Simple Skills Secrets model of communication for the nursing and healthcare workforce.

Background: Good communication skills in healthcare professionals are acknowledged as a core competency. The consequences of poor communication are well-recognised with far reaching costs including; reduced treatment compliance, higher psychological morbidity, incorrect or delayed diagnoses, and increased complaints. The Simple Skills Secrets is a visual, easily memorised, model of communication for healthcare staff to respond to the distress or unanswerable questions of patients, families and colleagues.

The training needs and career intentions of staff grade and associate specialist doctors.

This article outlines the results of a study which used an online survey to explore the career intentions of staff grade and associate specialist doctors in one region and their training needs to inform those managing the continued professional development of staff grade and associate specialist doctors.

Why do students fail to disclose health problems?

Background: At the university where this study took place, pre-qualifying healthcare students had previously been enrolled on programmes and were found to have pre-existing and ongoing health problems, which caused difficulties for some students during clinical placements.

Aim: To develop a web-based information zone dealing with students' concerns about fitness-to-practise issues.

Method: A three-stage study involving an online student survey, in-depth student interviews and development of a university web-based information zone was carried out.

A study identifying the difficulties healthcare students have in their role as a healthcare student when they are also an informal carer.

There is a growing body of literature concerning the needs of informal carers, however, there is little relating to the needs of carers who are also university students. There are a number of publications concerning the difficulties university studies may cause and in particular the stress that some healthcare students endures when they undertake clinical placements. Being an informal carer has the potential to aggravate any difficulties students may have in the normal course of their studies.

The personal value of being a palliative care Community Volunteer Worker in Uganda: a qualitative study.

Background: Volunteers in palliative care play a key role, particularly in the hospice setting. The expansion of palliative care into developing countries has been accompanied by the emergence of volunteer workers, who are providing a main source of support and care for patients, many of whom never see a health professional.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the motivation for becoming a volunteer and the personal impact of being a palliative care Community Volunteer Worker in Uganda.

Care of patients with neurological conditions: the impact of a Generic Neurology Nursing Service development on patients and their carers.

Aims And Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore patients and carers views and experiences of the impact of the Generic Neurology Nursing Service.

Background: Neurological conditions are a major cause of disability and are estimated to affect up to one billion people worldwide. It is clear that this number is set to rise as the world's population is ageing.

A Marriage of Convenience? A qualitative study of colleague supervision of Master's level dissertations.

The focus of this study is colleague supervision of Master's level dissertations. A qualitative study was undertaken and in-depth interviews with research supervisors (n=7) and students (n=7) who had experienced colleague supervision of masters' level dissertations in the previous four years were undertaken. Independent 'outsider' researchers were deployed to undertake the interviews.

An evaluation of an online numeracy assessment tool.

Aim: To evaluate users' perceptions of an online numeracy assessment tool in terms of improving their numeracy and confidence in mathematical calculation.

Method: A quantitative and qualitative survey evaluation was performed. An online questionnaire was sent to 695 users of the tool.