Children

The population of children with medical complexity (CMC) living in the UK is growing as medical advances and technology support their care and extend their lives. However, as complex medical needs require multi-faceted care spanning departments, specialisms and therapies, an agreed care model has yet to be developed that can…

Cancer is a life-changing diagnosis to receive at any age but for young people, it can be especially devastating. Cancer treatment can put their life on hold during a time when they are going through significant life changes. “For young people living with cancer, isolation and social anxiety can be…

Neonatal nursing in the UK was established in 1970s by a group of interested nurses. They recognised that preterm and sick newborn babies required specialised nursing compared to their paediatric cohort. Beryl Chadney established the Neonatal Nurses Association (NNA) charity in 1977 to address the inadequacies within neonatal nursing at…

Today NHS England has published an updated document outlining the standards of care that is expected from NHS services in England that provide care for teenagers and young adults with cancer. Teenage Cancer Trust has long been involved in establishing cancer services for teenagers and young adults in the UK.…

There has been recent focus on the rising use of e-cigarettes among children and young people, as highlighted in a survey by the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) (2022a). What has been less recognised is the use of alternative smokeless tobacco and nicotine pouches by this age group.…

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) have long been struggling to meet demand (British Medical Association, 2023). CAMHS are chronically underfunded, receiving only 0.7% of the NHS budget and 6.4% of the mental health budget in England (Health Europa, 2020). Without a direct training route for mental health nursing…

During my nursing degree, there was one topic in particular that stood out to me – communication. Without communication in healthcare settings, there’s minimal possibility of good service. I found myself putting the importance of communication at the centre of most of my academic work while in university. Being a…

It’s difficult to ignore the ever-growing tide of despair about children’s and young people’s mental health. Everyday there’s another story about the worsening mental health crisis, along with news of ever-increasing waiting lists, staff shortages and understandably concerned parents. One intervention being promoted is ‘social prescribing’, with the The Guardian…

I am a nurse by profession but have also recently become a mother to a baby who has required several trips to hospital in her 17 months. My wife is her biological mother, and I am by definition her non-biological mum, and through these many trips to seek medical attention…

Treating and caring for children with a range of medical conditions and diagnoses is at the core of paediatric nursing. Ongoing research and frequent medical developments enable us to learn more about illnesses and how best to treat them, while also highlighting previously unknown or undefined conditions. “If a child…