IFNA

Blog 4: Closing the Education Gap: Promoting Compassionate Care for Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease by Debbie Omodele, Children’s Haemoglobinopathy Nurse Specialist, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital Trust.

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Despite existing for many decades, sickle cell disease (SCD) still faces a knowledge gap among the public and healthcare professionals (HCPs). Educating HCPs about SCD pathophysiology, care, and management is crucial to bridge this gap and breaking down healthcare-related stigmas. In this blog, we will hear directly from patients, shedding light on their experiences and … Read more

Blog 3: Sickle cell crisis. Third in the series of blogs by Debbie Omodele, Children’s Haemoglobinopathy Nurse Specialist, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital Trust.

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Blog 3: Sickle Cell Crisis by Debbie Omodele What words come to mind when you hear the words ‘sickle cell’? I can almost guarantee that many of you thought of the word pain amongst many. Pain is one of the most common complications of Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD).  As mentioned in blog 1 and 2, … Read more

Blog 1: Shining the light on Sickle Cell on Rare Disease Day

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This is the first of  a series of Blogs written by Debbie Omodele, Children’s Haemoglobinopathy Nurse Specialist, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital NHS Trust. Keep an eye out for follow ups on topics such as preconceptual screening, managing conditions, psychological well-being, pain management and transition looking at the importnace of family wihtin this process. Enjoy. … Read more

Providing healthcare to trans people and communities

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Nursing the trans community As a nurse or health support worker, you will provide care for people from diverse backgrounds, and it is important that you help to create a safe and welcoming environment for all your patients and clients. As some trans patients have reported poor experiences of health care settings, your approach has … Read more

World AIDS Day 2022

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The first cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) were reported 41 years ago in 1981. Since then, nurses all over the world have been at the forefront of the fight against the epidemic. They have stepped up to provide skilled care for those infected and affected by the virus. Each year, on 1 December, the … Read more

A mother’s lifelong support by Jill Edwards

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A mother’s lifelong support Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a serious, inherited, long term condition. CF primarily affects the lungs and digestive system but as it progresses other organs are affected. CF related diabetes (a different form of diabetes to type 1 & 2), liver disease, CF related arthritis and osteoporosis are complications of CF. People … Read more

Nephrotic mumma: chronic illness and motherhood by Sophie Clifford

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Living with an invisible chronic illness isn’t easy: you end up having rehearsed answers to lots of questions about your health, you know what it’s like to live with permanent fatigue, big worries about the future are just things you think about every day, you are incredibly good at collecting water samples in tiny bottles and you are probably on first name terms with a few of the nurses at your local hospital. Earlier this year I decided to add a baby into this craziness and the last 7 months have been the biggest learning curve of my life.

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Dr Jenny Waite-Jones discusses International Disability Day

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Given that one in every ten of the world’s children has a disability (1) the International Disability Day offers the opportunity to reflect on how nursing has been transformed from caring for disabled children within institutional settings to its current aim for family nursing. This includes caring for children within their own homes whenever possible. … Read more