Clinicians working within primary care services tend to do so in isolation and without direct access to investigative resources. This places emphasis on the clinician’s abilities to perform a focused clinical examination and employ sound clinical decision-making processes to reach a definitive diagnosis. This article looks at the case history of a patient presenting to a GP out-of-hours service with an acute, undifferentiated illness, and explores the decisionmaking processes used by the author, a trainee advanced nurse practitioner at the time, to support a working diagnosis and justify a clinically suitable management plan.
Lymphoedema is a debilitating condition that results in significant discomfort for patients and has no cure. However, with careful assessment and accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment can relieve symptoms such as swelling and pain and improve patients’ quality of life. This article outlines the physiology of lymphoedema, before exploring the assessment and treatment measures, which include compression therapy to reduce oedema, skin care, manual manipulation of lymph fluid and exercise.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the United Kingdom (Cancer Research UK [CRUK], 2016). In 2013, there were 47,300 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. This amounts to 13% of all new cancers diagnosed in men. Furthermore, prostate cancer incidence has increased by 5% over the last ten years (CRUK, 2016). In 2014 there were 11,287 deaths due to prostate cancer, however 84% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will survive 10 years or more (CRUK, 2016). This paper gives an overview of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment and the role of general practice nurses (GPNs) in the care of men suspected of having prostate cancer and following treatment.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an ongoing decline of renal function which may progress quite rapidly or develop slowly over many years. Due to the nature of the disease, it is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a host of symptoms, comorbidities, high mortality and reduced quality of life. The majority of CKD patients will be identified in primary care. Once diagnosed, patients are likely to become increasingly frequent attenders within general practice. It is therefore useful to have an overview of the disease process and the multifaceted care needs of this specific patient group. General practice nurses (GPNs) are vital members of the multidisciplinary team who are wellplaced to identify, monitor and provide ongoing support for patients with CKD.
Dementia is a progressive loss of the cognitive functions that are necessary for a person to live safely and independently. These include loss of memory, the ability to think logically and communicate effectively with others, and being able to care for yourself. In 2009 a national dementia strategy for England was launched in order to improve public and professional awareness, and to ensure high quality care at all stages, including early diagnosis and treatment (Department of Health [DH], 2009).
The strategy outlined a care pathway for people living with dementia and their families and carers from diagnosis through to end of life. This article will enable the reader to understand the importance of the dementia care pathway in supporting people to live well with dementia, to consider how the pathway is being developed and implemented in primary care and how general practice nurses (GPNs) can add value within their professional role.