Continuing professional development

Let us help with your continuing professional development (CPD)

You can complete our prize draw CPD questionnaire to be in with the chance of winning a £50 book token, and you can also write a practice profile based on a CPD article in Nursing Standard. The practice profiles are offered to the Royal College of Nursing for assessment, and a successful submission will receive a certificate of learning to add to your professional portfolio.

Prize draw questionnaire

Every week in Nursing Standard there is a new CPD 'Learning Zone' article on which our multiple choice prize draw is based. You can test yourself and submit your answers online for entry into the weekly prize draw. Go straight to this week's questionnaire

Write a Practice Profile

Learning Zone (CPD) articles in Nursing Standard are designed to test and update your knowledge. We invite you to read and reflect on one of these articles, and then write a practice profile based upon that article, and how it helped improve your professional development. You do not have to be a member of the Royal College of Nursing for your profile to be accepted for assessment.

Read more and submit online

This week's Learning Zone article:	This week’s Art & Science article:
NS482 Santy J et al (2009) The principles of caring for patients with Ilizarov external fixation. Nursing Standard. 23, 26, 50-55. Date of acceptance: July 31 2008. Summary External fixation is an important aspect of complex fracture management. Ilizarov fixation is a specialised type of external fixator consisting of numerous wires that penetrate the limb and are attached to a circular metal frame. Ilizarov fixation is used for fracture fixation and stabilisation, limb reconstruction, deformity correction and limb lengthening. The external fixator can be in place for many months and patients will need to adapt to the device and demonstrate an understanding of the principles of pin site care. Psychosocial issues also need to be considered. Authors Julie Santy is senior lecturer, Faculty of Health and Social Care, The University of Hull, Maria Vincent is clinical nurse specialist, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, and Beverley Duffield is senior sister, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds. Keywords Ilizarov external fixation; Infection; Pin site care; Post-operative management; Trauma Want to read more? View this week's Learning Zone PDF file	Thomas B, Warm D (2009) Providing support for the Informing Healthcare programme in Wales. Nursing Standard. 23, 26, 35-41. Date of acceptance: October 14 2008. Summary This article describes the establishment of an all-Wales nursing and midwifery steering group to support the activities of the Welsh information, communication and technology programme, known as Informing Healthcare. Early indications are that Informing Healthcare is communicating well with the steering group which, in turn, acts as an intermediary communicating with frontline nurses in Wales. Other organisations in the UK might be interested in the approach taken, particularly in involving nurses and other clinicians in information technology projects. Authors Beverley Thomas is clinical director of nursing and Daniel Warm is research and evaluation manager, Informing Healthcare, Pencoed, Bridgend. Keywords Computer networks; Information technology; Patient records Want to read more? View this week's Art & Science PDF file

This week's Learning Zone article:

This week’s Art & Science article:

NS482 Santy J et al (2009) The principles of caring for patients with Ilizarov external fixation. Nursing Standard. 23, 26, 50-55. Date of acceptance: July 31 2008.

Summary
External fixation is an important aspect of complex fracture management. Ilizarov fixation is a specialised type of external fixator consisting of numerous wires that penetrate the limb and are attached to a circular metal frame. Ilizarov fixation is used for fracture fixation and stabilisation, limb reconstruction, deformity correction and limb lengthening. The external fixator can be in place for many months and patients will need to adapt to the device and demonstrate an understanding of the principles of pin site care. Psychosocial issues also need to be considered.

Authors
Julie Santy is senior lecturer, Faculty of Health and Social Care, The University of Hull, Maria Vincent is clinical nurse specialist, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, and Beverley Duffield is senior sister, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds.

Keywords
Ilizarov external fixation; Infection; Pin site care; Post-operative management; Trauma

Want to read more?
View this week's Learning Zone PDF file

Thomas B, Warm D (2009) Providing support for the Informing Healthcare programme in Wales. Nursing Standard. 23, 26, 35-41. Date of acceptance: October 14 2008.

Summary
This article describes the establishment of an all-Wales nursing and midwifery steering group to support the activities of the Welsh information, communication and technology programme, known as Informing Healthcare. Early indications are that Informing Healthcare is communicating well with the steering group which, in turn, acts as an intermediary communicating with frontline nurses in Wales. Other organisations in the UK might be interested in the approach taken, particularly in involving nurses and other clinicians in information technology projects.

Authors
Beverley Thomas is clinical director of nursing and Daniel Warm is research and evaluation manager, Informing Healthcare, Pencoed, Bridgend.

Keywords
Computer networks; Information technology; Patient records

Want to read more?
View this week's Art & Science PDF file