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Why you should read this article: • To recognise the strengths that neurodivergent nursing students can bring to practice • To understand how practice assessors and supervisors can develop neuro-inclusive learning environments • To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers) • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers). Neurodivergent conditions such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Tourette’s syndrome are common, and it is highly likely that practice assessors and supervisors will be asked to support neurodivergent nursing students in their practice learning environments. This article details the strengths that neurodivergent students can bring to nursing, as well as some of the challenges they may experience in practice settings. It outlines how practice assessors and supervisors can develop neuro-inclusive learning environments where neurodivergent students can thrive, as well as how to support them if they are not meeting their required proficiencies. The authors also discuss how appropriate reasonable adjustments can be implemented by using a collaborative approach with students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation-based learning is an important methodological approach in education for health professions. Teaching and learning in the skillslab give teachers and learners space for reflection and deepening of professional competence. Primarily, manual skills can be learned and deepened. In addition, complex professional situations can be trained and then reflected on. In addition to the spatial and technical equipment of the skillslab, the pedagogical and didactic competence of the teachers is an important quality feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that Optometrists in many states in United States have legal authority to prescribe oral steroids. Oral corticosteroids inhibit the inflammatory cascade to prevent damage caused by severe ocular inflammation. Glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids are the two categories of corticosteroids, each with distinct functions.

Why you should read this article: • To learn about a project that explored healthcare students' experiences of clinical placements • To understand some of the factors that can affect the quality of clinical placements • To recognise the potential benefits of student-led clinical learning environments Over the past few years, efforts to address a shortage of nurses in the UK has led to an increase in nursing student numbers. However, in one large UK healthcare trust, this increase in student numbers led to a need to improve the quality of the trust's clinical placements. To address this issue, the authors undertook a quality improvement project, in which focus groups were used to enable 53 nursing, allied health professional, midwifery and nursing associate students to have in-depth discussions about their clinical placement experiences in the trust. Three main themes emerged from the data: being part of a team; support; and being unprepared. Following the project, the trust introduced student-led clinical learning environments to provide an innovative practice-based experience for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes to the way nursing students are supervised when on clinical placements have meant a greater number of nurses can expect to take on the role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance, value and payment of instrumental swallowing assessments. It reveals that payers, including Medicare, Medicaid and private plans, may not pay for instrumental studies because they often assume that bedside assessments provide the same level of clinical information. The Amercian Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has been advocating with payers to recognize and cover instrumental swallowing assessments.

There have been so many who have supported, encouraged and inspired me over the past 50+ years of my career. One person stands out. Professor Isaac Marks, a psychiatrist by background, changed the course of my life when I spent 18 months training as a nurse therapist on a programme that qualified me to be an autonomous nurse practitioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the opportunity provided by big data for real-world evidence (RWE). Topics covered include key clinical questions that RWE can help to answer, how large registry studies led to changes in ophthalmic practice, and challenges of big data. Also mentioned is Verana Health, which is actively engaged in curating and analyzing data from the IRIS (Registry Intelligent Research in Sight) to better inform clinical practice in ophthalmology.

As the pandemic continues, nurses may feel they have less time than ever to reflect. But with many assuming different roles, in different ways, and in stressful circumstances, reflective practice is more important than ever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the advises of surgeons on managing the different dry-eye diseases and severity levels that one is likely to encounter in patients. According to Dr. Esen K. Akpek, discussing severity in the field of dry eye is confusing since what might be severe for the patient does not necessarily look severe to the physician. Treating Aqueous Deficiency is also emphasized.

The article reviews several products including Acuvue Oasys Max 1-Day from the Johnson & Johnson; and the ImprimisRx launches Compounded Antibiotic and Product Replacement Program.

The nurse's primary role in the medication process is to ensure that drugs are administered safely to patients, thus reducing the risk of unnecessary harm or injury. High-alert medications are a particular concern for healthcare professionals, since they are associated with an increased risk of causing patient harm. This article identifies high-risk medications and outlines measures that can be used to prevent potential harm to patients as a result of these medications, including computerised provider order entry, Tall Man lettering, order sets, independent double-checks and proactive patient monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates several Optometry equipment including the Slit Lamp Model from Haag-Streit, the Dosing Nod from Vuity Gets, and the Digital Eye Strain from CooperVision.

Information about a roundtable discussion on the role of corneal hysteresis (CH) and guidance on incorporating hysteresis in the clinical management of glaucoma patients is presented. Topics discussed include the indicator for glaucoma progression risk, the biomarker for susceptibility to glaucoma damage and the billing for CH and incorporating into clinical practice. The discussion also featured field experts including Robert N. Weinreb, Tony Realini and Anne L. Coleman.

The article looks at the top 10 reasons why students leave their pre-registration courses, according to Health Education England's Reducing Attrition and Improving Retention report. The report shows big differences between the different fields of nursing. It aims to cut dropout rates among students on pre-registration healthcare programmes by 50 percent. The report calls for hardship funds to be made available to let more prospective students to consider a career in healthcare.

The article focuses on new items on the market to improve clinical care and strengthen your practice.

Aim To explore baccalaureate nursing students' perspectives of the influence of nursing staff on their learning and experience in the clinical setting. Method A qualitative description approach was used. Thirty nursing students were interviewed individually or in focus groups. Data were analysed using content analysis. Four researchers analysed the data separately and agreed on the themes. Findings Nursing staff had positive (enabling) and negative (hindering) effects on students' clinical learning and socialisation to nursing. Nursing staff may encourage and excite students when they behave as positive mentors, facilitators and motivators. However, their actions may also have a negative effect on students, decreasing their confidence, learning and desire to continue in the profession. Conclusion Nursing staff influence student learning. Their actions, attitude and willingness to teach are influential factors. The findings have implications for patient safety, nurse retention and recruitment, and preparing students for professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NHS is under pressure to increase its effectiveness and productivity. Nurses are tasked with delivering effective and efficient care, as well as improving patient safety, experiences and results. The reduction of waste in service delivery, care and treatment can release time and resources for nurses to engage in direct patient care. Nurses have an important role in reducing waste and influencing other professionals in the healthcare environment to increase their efficiency and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kidney disease presents in a number of different ways and to a variety of practitioners. The presentation may be non-specific and a high index of suspicion is required to allow early detection and intervention. A systematic clinical assessment is vital to facilitate timely referral and appropriate management of renal disease. The history and examination should be tailored to the type of presentation, and will be dictated by the degree of chronicity of the disease process. In all cases the urine dipstick is a crucial part of the clinical examination. This article presents an overview of the approach to evaluation and diagnosis in the patient with kidney disease. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the other articles in these chapters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports developments in the healthcare sector in the U.S. as of May 2016, particularly the efforts by hospitals to improve their interoperability to achieve better health care services. According to Christiana Care Health System's Randall Gaboriault, there is a need for integrated information to deliver integrated care. Also cited are the move by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to establish national standards in the use of electronic health records (EHR). INSET: The Cost of Sharing.

The article discusses the trend in medicine of following practices based on tradition and clinical experience instead of scientific evidence. The importance of balancing the benefits and harms for patients is highlighted, and doctors are urged to change their approach from "it has always been done this way" to one that is more evidence-based. The importance of seeking evidence and using evidence-based medicine as a guide for clinical decision-making is mentioned. The author argues that it is important to change these unproven routines for the benefit of patients and the medical community. [Extracted from the article]

The article looks at the challenges and rewards of digitization of health records in Great Britain. A particular focus is given to a digital system called eHospital used by Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust. It is noted that electronic records provide nurses and other clinicians faster access to more comprehensive patient information. The advantage of electronic health records to the management of teams is also discussed.

The article titled "If you tell me to come..." written by Verónica Casado Vicente, addresses the importance of physical examination in family medicine. The author mentions four key moments that led to the creation of a project that seeks to provide useful and valid tools for family doctors in their clinical practice. Despite the reasons explaining the decrease in the performance of physical examinations, the article highlights the effectiveness and efficiency of a well-oriented anamnesis and an appropriate physical examination, as well as the therapeutic value of physical contact between doctor and patient. The main objective of the article is to recover the respectability of clinical medicine and promote training and research in physical examination. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores on the advancement of terahertz spectroscopy which could aid cancer diagnosis and other biomedical applications. Topics discussed include the ability of terahertz light to study matter, the use of terahertz advice to identify the presence or absence of cancerous cells and the increase use of terahertz imaging as bioimaging tool in science. INSET: TERAHERTZ SPECTROSCOPY 101.

The article discusses the importance of addressing the rising number of British patients with dementia who visit the emergency department in their last year. Two studies found that emergency department attendance by dementia patients is increasing but many of them are dying at home. Improving community-based services, providing better hospice care and offering dementia-specific support towards the end of life are suggested. INSET: Support for family carers at home.

The article discusses the introduction of the Excellence in Care programme in Scotland, which aims to establish a national assurance system that shows the quality of nursing and midwifery care on acute wards. Topics include details of the scheme, processes involved in the system, and comments from Scotland's associate chief nursing officer Diane Murray on the care assurance system.

The article discusses the options available for clinicians under Medicare's Quality Payment Program in the U.S. Topics covered include the need for clinicians to participate in Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), the calculation of fees for outpatient services and the transition for the mandated provider types. Also mentioned are the performance categories involved in MIPS participation.

This article is the fourth in a series of seven articles relating to the implementation of Leading Better Care (LBC). It describes two projects that were undertaken concurrently within NHS Lanarkshire to support senior charge nurses to work effectively within the role framework of LBC, with enhanced supervisory status. The article discusses the background and aims of the projects, their findings and the resulting action taken by NHS Lanarkshire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at physician engagement as an important factor in ensuring the success of the health care delivery system transformation in the U.S. Topics mentioned include the link between high physician engagement and enhanced patient care, lower costs, and greater efficiency, an overview of the Health Forum held in San Diego, California in July 2014, and the role of hospitals and health systems in achieving and sustaining high levels of physician engagement.

The article announces the 2014 Most Wired hospitals and health systems in the U.S. including Abington Health in Abington, Pennsylvania, Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Elliot Health System in Manchester, New Hampshire.

An interview with healthcare executives and experts is presented which includes Dr. Glenn Crotty of Charleston Area Medical Center, Dr. Mark Gableman of Palisades Medical Center, and Joseph McDonald of the Catholic Health System. The interview covered several topics including the innovative practices of each health care organization, new opportunities to use technology in healthcare delivery, and how each organization encourages the culture of innovation.

The article presents a report which describes the prevalence and indicators of viral suppression among patients with HIV infection in Georgia in 2010. The importance of determining the disease stage at diagnosis in viral suppression is emphasized. The HIV national treatment guidelines and antiretroviral therapy (ART) recommendations established by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) are highlighted.

The article reports that the Alconversation online panel discussion had a different, but strangely familiar feel. Simon Jones reports. Topics discussed include online video conferencing is something we all came to rely on in 2020 and the ebb and flow of Covid-19 restrictions meant the technology was used for Alcon's annual Alconversation panel discussion event; and looked to reflect on an extraordinary year for the eye care sector and how it might look in the future.

The article presents a dialogue among 10 executives in the health care and information technology (IT) industries who talks about the adoption of electronic health records and the measurement of clinical outcomes. The participants include AT&T's technology sales executive Paul McRae, McKesson Provider Technologies' performance management executive Andrew Mellin, M.D., and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's information systems executive Patricia Skarulis. INSET: Key Findings.

The article reports on the challenges that many U.S. hospitals and hospital executive committees face when deciding on which information technology projects to fund. A discussion of an increase which has been seen in the number of U.S. hospitals that have initiated a structured and coherent governance process to manage information technology issues is presented. Methods which hospitals can use to initiate information technology governance processes are discussed. INSETS: Governing IT: rules to live by;Scenario: the doctor rebellion;Scenario: plugging in the entire staff.

The article reports on topics which were discussed at a July 18, 2011 round table discussion about health care which was held in San Diego, California. Topics included health care reform legislation, health care governance and the U.S. health care delivery system. The event was attended by several U.S. hospital trustees and executives, including Scott Duke of Glendive Medical Center, Margaret Hepburn of Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and Georgia Fojtasek of Allegiance Health. INSET: Key Findings.

The article reports on the important role that effective, positive relationships and cooperation between U.S. hospitals and independent physicians will play in helping the hospitals achieve standards and requirements initiated as a result of health care reform legislation which was passed in 2010. Information that hospitals can use to increase cooperation with physicians is presented.

The article reports on the results of a 2011 survey which investigated U.S. hospitals' use of information technology. Information that the survey revealed about hospitals' use of information technology, including their ability to protect data, implement guidelines related to health care reform legislation that was passed in the U.S. in 2010 and effectively use information technology, is discussed.

One of the biggest debates in clinical medicine currently revolves around understanding the proper levels of vitamin D in patients' plasma. Besides well-known diseases like rickets and osteomalacia, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to cancer and heart disease and is rapidly becoming the most widely used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based clinical test. Increases in testing frequency have required more rapid and cost-effective solutions for determining vitamin D levels in plasma. An LC-MS method for vitamin D2/D3 was adapted for use with core-shell columns to achieve run times of less than 4 mm. This method provides rapid, sensitive, rugged, and robust LC-MS-MS analysis of vitamin D levels in patient serum (LOD of 1 and 2 ng/mL for 25-OH D3 and 25-OH D2, respectively, with CV of 4-7°Io) and speeds the diagnosis by hospital and clinical laboratories of potential vitamin D deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the proper management when treating patients with blepharitis. It notes that blepharitis is one of the most common conditions experienced in any primary eye care practice and poses several shortcomings in terms of diagnosis and management. Proper therapy for blepharitis involves the understanding of the etiology of the condition, aggressive short-term therapy, and behavioral modification.

The article offers an in-depth discussion on U.S. legislation regarding the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). Topics include an overview of the various stages of meaningful use, such as clinical quality measures, and a list of core requirements for hospitals and physicians to qualify for EHR incentive payments, such as maintaining an active medication list.

The article offers information on the used of YAG laser capsulotomy in treating ocular inflammation in the U.S. It states that YAG laser capsulotomy is an uncomplicated procedure for restoring vision lost due to posterior capsule opacification. It notes that the intraocular debris from the ruptured capsule is inflammatory and can mitigate and can cause trabeculitis. It emphasizes that topical corticosteroid can be used to manage the inflammation.

The article highlights the findings of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) refractive-surgery researchers on the contrast sensitivity and higher-order aberrations in the U.S. The research suggests that a genetic analysis must be performed to any patient having a history of transforming growth factor beta-induced protein (TGFBIp) prior to refractive surgery. A study shows that corneal cross-linking maintain its effectiveness in cases of ectasia.

The article highlights the glaucoma research, which offers information on medication and surgery to associated factors, genetic influences and approaches to diagnosis at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting in U.S. It states that determining the use of medication to hyperlipidemia can reduce the hazard of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and improve treatment strategies. It notes that glaucoma medications have differences in viscosity between brand name and generics.

The article offers information on how anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy treat diabetes and vein occlusion as demonstrated at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting in the U.S. Researchers from London notes that three-strikes method of administering anti-VEGF injections in AMD patients is cost-effective and practical. Researchers from Honolulu states that switching patients from anti-VEGF therapy to ranibizumab injections improve outcomes.