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Background Pre-registration BSc Nursing education in the United Kingdom (UK) is renowned for being a challenging course due to its requirement for 2300 hours each for theoretical and practice-based learning. It is therefore inevitable that some students may need to interrupt their study at some point during the course. In many cases, these students do not return and leave the course which has an impact on the future nursing workforce. Aims To examine the reasons why pre-registration student nurses, interrupt their studies and consider ways to enable them to return successfully and complete the course. Methods The research project was based in one Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Northwest region of the UK. Interrupted students due to return to study in semester 1 of the 22/23 academic year (n=95) were invited to participate in semi structured interviews. Findings The results of this study found that health, including mental health was the most dominant factor leading to the interruption of study for the students. Conclusion This research has led to the HEI introducing an improved support package for students. Alongside other recommendations it is hoped the changes will reduce attrition and lead to an improved interruption/return to study experience.

This empirical qualitative study investigates the ways in which working-class roots have shaped educator values and identity. Using collaborative autoethnography, we share an honest insight into the stories of seven female educators drawn together from a variety of health and social care disciplines. The five themes emerging from this research: Connection through differences and commonalities; graft; inner tensions; authenticity ‘I am who I am’ and the bigger picture are tightly interconnected, generating a complex and rich picture of contemporary female educator identity. This supportive and collaborative approach has been transformational in the realisation we are not alone, and it has provided a space to celebrate our ‘otherness’. As a result, we have embraced our collective responsibility to challenge inequalities and foster a more open, accessible and authentic HE future for all.

Tracheostomy insertion and management is increasingly common in critical care units and general wards. Therefore, it is important that nurses are equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills to meet the individual needs of patients with a tracheostomy safely and competently. This article aims to enhance nurses' understanding of the potential challenges that patients with a tracheostomy may experience, and to guide nurses in providing effective care and support to these patients. It outlines the care that should be provided for patients with a tracheostomy who are critically ill, including methods of humidification and endotracheal suctioning. This article also discusses the effects that a tracheostomy may have on a patient's communication and psychological well-being, and explains the actions that nurses should take in an emergency and if complications occur. [Abstract copyright: © 2019 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.]

The aim of this literature review was to examine end of life (EoL) care practice within the Intensive care unit (ICU). By looking at the literature, it is hoped to suggest how national guidance can be integrated into the ICU setting. Delivering high-quality, patient-centred EoL care is high priority on the UK health agenda. The highly technological environment within ICU can create barriers to recognising death and initiating EoL care planning. Despite recommendations in the literature for the integration of standardised guidance, implementation, compliance and evaluation are yet to be widely reported. This literature review highlights the need for ICU health professionals to embrace EoL guideline recommendations. Development of robust processes is vital to inform future practice.