Writing a will is the kind of task we put off - but preparing one is actually, generally quite straightforward.In this episode, solicitor Daniel Price explains what you need to do ahead of making a will writing appointment and gives an overview of the process.He also tells senior news reporter Kimberley Hackett the importance of a will for nurses who are not married, have property, children including those from different relationships and or vulnerable beneficiaries.Nurse Michelle Crisp also explains why surgery led her to write a will and the peace of mind it has given her.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nursing Standard Podcast

How to write a will

You have a low mood, feel exhausted, irritable and aren’t sleeping well. It may be the demands of nursing work – but could it be the perimenopause or menopause?Menopause specialist and GP Louise Newson talks to Nursing Standard head of news and features Kat Keogh about how to identify these life changes and why they shouldn’t cause women to quit their jobs.Dr Newson explains how to monitor the symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause and prepare for a medical consultation to seek treatment.She also talks about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy to alleviate symptoms and the role of diet, sleep and exercise – while understanding that motivation can be difficult amid the hormonal imbalance!She emphasises that it is possible to have a good menopause and stay in work with the right treatment and lifestyle.Dr Newson is the founder of the balance-app.com and My Menopause Doctor and in 2019 published her first book, Menopause Manual. She is the founder and director of Newson Health menopause and well-being centres in Stratford-upon-Avon.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is it work-related fatigue … or the menopause?

How do you engage disaffected young people who are at risk of serious harm? What can you do as a nurse in these circumstances?Emergency nurse Ana Waddington felt a sense of helplessness at the increasing number of young people presenting with knife injuries in hospitals. So she decided to act.Ana used her own time and money to set up YourStance, which teaches young people at risk of serious youth violence cardiopulmonary resuscitation, basic life support and haemorrhage control.In this episode she tells senior news reporter Kimberley Hackett how she builds rapport and trust with these communities – and how she is also inspiring some of these young people to join the NHS.In 2020, Ana was named RCN Nurse of the Year for her extraordinary project, which is now gaining interest across the UK.The RCN Nursing Awards are now open for entries. To take part, visit www.rcn-nursing-awards.co.ukFor more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nursing to empower young people affected by knife crime

Advanced nurse practitioner Rosa Ungpakorn talks about her award-winning outreach project which provides care to homeless people sleeping rough on the streets of London.She gives an insight into her project Westminster Street Nurse which delivers on-the-spot clinical assessments, diagnosis and treatment.Ms Ungpakorn discusses the interpersonal approach she uses to help her patients who often have trauma and experienced negative experiences of healthcare in the past.She also explains the national guidelines she’s written on health-related street outreach for people who are homelessness. In 2020, she won the Advanced Nursing Practice category of the RCNi Nurse Awards for this work. Find out more at rcni.com/Rosa-UngpakornThe RCN Nursing Awards (formerly the RCNi Nurse Awards) are now open for entries. To take part, visit www.rcn-nursing-awards.co.ukFor more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Taking advanced nursing practice to the streets

How do you find a mental well-being app or digital therapy that actually works?From apps to online cognitive behavioural therapy, there are myriad ways of supporting your mental health needs.In this episode sponsored by SilverCloud Health, digital health scientist Jorge Palacios dissects the evidence for different digital therapeutic interventions and discusses how nurses can navigate this field.It also considers how nurses can best support their well-being during and after COVID-19 and the pandemic’s influence on future therapeutic approaches.SilverCloud is a digital mental health platform which is available via around 80% of NHS improving access to psychological therapies services in England, Wales and Scotland.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What app? Picking effective well-being therapies for nurses

Clear and effective communication is a key part of being a nurse. But how do you hone these skills? Are they innate or learned? And what role does confidence play in being a great communicator? Janie Brown, a cancer nurse with 40 years’ experience, who has published a book on compassionate communication, answers these questions and more. Janie explains the importance of active listening, using a role model or mentor to learn from and how to protect your own well-being when breaking bad news. She also offers three tips to help newly qualified nurses to develop their communication skills.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do you become a good communicator?

What support can nursing students with a disability or impairment expect from their clinical placement providers?This episode explores reasonable adjustments, alterations that should be made to ensure students with disabilities are not disadvantaged.London South Bank University senior lecturer Elizabeth King talks about her research in this area, while, newly qualified nurse Ricky Baker explains his experience as someone with dyspraxia.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Clinical placements: Supporting nursing students with a disability or impairment

How do you protect your emotional well-being as a nursing student – and during a pandemic?Mental health nursing student Fran Hufton talks about her tips to stay well, informed by own experience of anxiety, depression and trauma.She also tells host Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn why social media is her ‘coping mechanism’ and how it can be a force for good.For supportive resources and help, go to rcni.com/well-being.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Looking after your mental health as a nursing student

Award-winning author Mark Bostridge, who has written an acclaimed book on Ms Nightingale, joins senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett to discuss the ‘lady with the lamp’.The episode, which comes in the bicentenary of Ms Nightingale’s birth this year, covers her influence as a public health reformer, time at Scutari hospital during the Crimean War and why she took to her bed in the latter years of her life.To learn more about Florence Nightingale, visit our interactive feature exploring why the founder of modern nursing is still important at rcni.com/florence-nightingaleFor more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Florence Nightingale: hand hygiene, history and nursing today

Do the words ‘is there a nurse onboard’ fill you with dread, or do you spring into action without a second thought?This episode examines Good Samaritan acts, when nurses respond to health emergencies while off duty.Buckinghamshire New University senior lecturer Carolyn Crouchman joins Nursing Standard senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett to discuss her research in this area. The discussion also covers issues such as bystanders filming scenes of emergencies and posting the footage on social media.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Good Samaritan nurses: responding to off-duty emergencies

What’s it like being a male nurse in a predominantly female profession?University of Surrey mental health nurse lecturer Laurence Drew and Kyle Sands, who is a second year adult nursing student at University of Worcester, talk about image and stereotypes with senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett. They also discuss why they love their career. For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mind the (gender) gap

How do you relax and de-stress when you’re a nurse working in a pandemic?Critical care nurse Sacha Rowlands, who is also a yoga teacher and life coach, provides tips on breathing exercises, gratitude practices and other techniques.During the interview with Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn, she also guides listeners through a six-minute relaxation exercise (Find it at 20:56 minutes).For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do you relax and de-stress when you’re a nurse working in a pandemic?

The role of the individual nurse, employer and regulator is discussed in this episode.Senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett interviews Christine Braithwaite, director of standards and policy at the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).The PSA oversees ten healthcare regulators, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Its remit is to keep the public safe and ensure standards of healthcare professionals.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What does professional regulation mean for nurses?

The importance of maintaining a routine and sense of purpose are discussed in this podcast on nurses’ well-being.Psychotherapist Colin Hughes, who is a lecturer in mental health nursing at Queen’s University Belfast, talks about ways to stay psychologically well during the pandemic.In the interview with senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett, Mr Hughes also details the steps to take in seeking further help and how your career can be protected.Support for nurses during COVID-19 from the RCN is available here.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nurses’ well-being: Looking after yourself amid COVID-19

London Metropolitan University dietitian and lecturer Shawn McLaren explains who requires this type of nutrition in the short and long term, the safety aspects and physical and psychological effect on patients. He is interviewed by Nursing Standard’s senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett. For more information, read this peer-reviewed article.The Nursing Standard podcast has been nominated for Podcast of the Year in this year’s Medical Journalists’ Association Awards, find out more here.For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Enteral tube feeding: what nurses need to know

Listen to the latest discussions on the key issues facing you and your patients.