Defining the concept of dignity and developing a model to promote its use in practice.

Understanding the meaning of "dignity" is a prerequisite for all healthcare staff so they know what they need to do to promote it within their services. The Dignity in Care campaign, launched in 2006, marked the Department of Health's commitment to ensuring services respect the dignity of those using them and ended tolerance of those that do not. This article proposes a definition so that the concept can be based on a common understanding and outlines a model based on existing research, which can be used to enhance dignity in health and social care.

Bowel and bladder care at the end of life.

This article discusses the management of end of life continence care under the headings of four end of life core competencies. Management modalities are identified and explored within the context of evidence based practice.

Extent of acupuncture practice for infertility in the United Kingdom: experiences and perceptions of the practitioners.

Objective: To investigate acupuncture practitioners' experience and perceptions of supporting patients presenting with fertility issues.

Design: Questionnaire survey.

Setting: British Acupuncture Council.

Care of patients undergoing intra-vitreal therapy.

This article discusses the role of the ophthalmic nurse in the care of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration who are undergoing intra-vitreal therapy. It provides an overview of the condition, its classification, clinical features, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment, and explains the implications for future nursing practice. A proactive, evidence-based and holistic approach to nursing care is emphasised throughout the article.

The older person: management of constipation.

Despite being a major concern for the older person, constipation is not given the attention it needs as other conditions are often deemed as more pressing. This article explores the symptom of constipation in the older patient; established management and treatment options are discussed within the context of available evidence together with new constipation management modalities.

Exploring the role of the community matron.

The introduction of the community matron (CM) is important for the management of long-term conditions (Department of Health (DH), 2005b). However, the role is relatively new in the UK and evidence is limited as to how CMs perceive their role. This study has therefore examined CMs' perceptions of their role.

Methylnaltrexone: a subcutaneous treatment for opioid-induced constipation in palliative care patients.

Opioid-induced constipation is common in palliative care and causes considerable distress to patients taking opioids. Opioid-induced constipation can be difficult to manage with conventional laxatives, often requiring invasive rectal interventions. A unique bowel intervention linked specifically to opioid-induced constipation in the form of a subcutaneous injection is now available for the management of opioid-induced constipation.

Refinement and validation of the Parental Illness Impact Scale.

Objective: To refine and validate the Parental Illness Impact Scale (PIIS), a questionnaire designed specifically to measure the quality of life of adolescent and adult children of neurologically affected parents.

Methods: Key informant interviews and a literature review were conducted to ensure all relevant themes were incorporated in the revised PIIS (PIIS-R). Pre-testing was achieved through a 17 member expert panel and cognitive interviews with eight adolescent and adult children.

The potential of cinnamon to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

Aim: Cinnamon has a long history as an antidiabetic spice, but trials involving cinnamon supplementation have produced contrasting results. The aim of this review was to examine the results of randomized controlled clinical trials of cinnamon and evaluate the therapeutic potential amongst patients with diabetes and insulin-resistant patients, particularly the ability to reduce blood glucose levels and inhibit protein glycation.

Methods: A systematic electronic literature search using the medical subject headings 'cinnamon' and 'blood glucose' was carried out to include randomized, placebo-controlled in vivo clinical trials using Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamomum cassia conducted between January 2003 and July 2008.

The RCCM 2009 Survey: Mapping Doctoral and Postdoctoral CAM Research in the United Kingdom.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is widely available in the UK and used frequently by the public, but there is little high quality research to sustain its continued use and potential integration into the NHS. There is, therefore, a need to develop rigorous research in this area. One essential way forward is to train and develop more CAM researchers so that we can enhance academic capacity and provide the evidence upon which to base strategic healthcare decisions.

Voices - Is Mary Seacole a worthy black role model? Elizabeth Anionwu argues the case.

I gave a fair number of talks about Mary Seacole during Black History Month. Audiences donated more than £1,000 to the campaign to honour her with a statue in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital, London. However, not everyone was in the mood to celebrate Mrs Seacole's achievements.

Reconciling methodological approaches of survey and focus group.

The aim of research, be it qualitative or quantitative is either to predict describe or explain a phenomena and add to the body of knowledge within the context of a philosophical belief. Each study generates knowledge in line with a chosen paradigm, and uses appropriate data collection methods. Tw such methods are surveys and focus groups, each of which will be chosen according to the aim of the research.

Factors affecting the success of moxibustion in the management of a breech presentation as a preliminary treatment to external cephalic version.

Objectives: to explore the effects of moxibustion treatment, to examine the predictors of its use in causing a breech presentation to spontaneously turn to a cephalic presentation which will result in a vaginal birth (the paper will refer to this as 'successful') and offer external cephalic version (ECV) subsequently after moxibustion treatment when the fetus remains in a breech presentation.

Design: a prospective study over a two-year time period from February 2004 until January 2006.

Participants: 76 pregnant women from various acupuncture practices in the UK, with a third trimester breech presentation.

Visual impairment in older people.

This article provides an overview of the nurse's role in the care of older people with three ocular conditions that cause visual impairment: cataract, age-related macular degeneration and chronic open angle glaucoma.

Academic staff perspectives of formative assessment in nurse education.

High quality formative assessment has been linked to positive benefits on learning while good feedback can make a considerable difference to the quality of learning. It is proposed that formative assessment and feedback is intricately linked to enhancement of learning and has to be interactive. Underlying this proposition is the recognition of the importance of staff perspectives of formative assessment and their influence on assessment practice.

The global swine flu pandemic 2: infection control measures and preparedness strategies.

This second in a two-part unit on swine flu looks at infection control measures for nurses. During late spring and early summer, increasing numbers of people became infected with novel swine origin influenza type A virus (influenza A(H1N1)v 2009) and a global pandemic started. Part 1 of this unit explored the biology of influenza viruses and the origins and characteristics of flu pandemics.

The global swine flu pandemic 1: exploring the background to influenza viruses.

This first in a two-part unit on pandemic flu examines background information on influenza viruses and previous pandemics. As the 2009 flu pandemic gathers force, nurses and other healthcare professionals need to understand the scientific background to one of the most common and potentially the most lethal of pandemic infections. This part explores the characteristics of influenzaviruses and reviews the history and context in which human pandemics occur.

Schizophrenia in adults 1: NICE guidance on detection, assessment and initial management.

This first in a two-part unit on updated NICE guidance on schizophrenia looks at early detection, assessment and initial treatment of the condition. It also looks at issues around working with people from diverse ethnic and cultural groups.

Treatment and management of ocular conditions in older people.

Effective eye care in older people is important to enable healthcare professionals to identify eye disorders and provide appropriate treatment to prevent or minimise sight loss. Cataract, age-related macular degeneration and dry eye are common ocular conditions in older people, which need to be managed effectively to ensure optimum vision. This article provides an overview of these eye disorders, focusing on the nurse's role in the prevention and treatment of the conditions, and the provision of patient support and education.