Irish study backs simulation
Nurse Education in Practice, Volume 14, Issue 2, March 2014, Pages 154–159
More and more medical and nursing education is using simulation as a way of improving patient safety, reducing litigation, helping medical and nursing students get around the lack of opportunities for real-life practice and introducing new methods into the curriculum. Researchers from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin studied 87 nursing students using a simulated learning-support package. They found that students generally found the simulation sessions realistic and useful in developing their clinical skills, knowledge and confidence for clinical practice. However, they felt they weren’t always properly prepared for simulation sessions and that they needed a more formal structure for the debriefings held after the simulations.

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Why are we only visible on St Patrick’s Day?
St Patricks Day is celebrated by Irish and non-Irish communities across Britain with a confidence and inclusiveness that was unimaginable decades ago.  It is a celebration of being Irish and of what Irishness means in an increasingly diverse society. However, at macro level, their health and social needs are neglected by policy makers, researchers, commissioners and service providers who claim to espouse justice and equality says a report published by the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) at the University of Birmingham.

Meningococcal C conjugate vaccine: advice for healthcare practitioners
The Department of Health has published Changes to the meningococcal C conjugate (MenC) vaccine schedule 2013-2014: Advice for healthcare professionals. This document summarises the changes to the schedule, and addresses likely technical questions about making the changes work in practice.

Department of Health and Care Quality Commission framework agreement
The Department of Health has announced details of a framework agreement with the Care Quality Commission which defines the important elements of the relationship between the two organisations these include: roles and responsibilities; lines of accountability and governance arrangements. It sets out how the department is assured that CQC’s role is being fulfilled efficiently, effectively and in line with the department’s and wider government’s financial procedures.

Medical revalidation
The King’s Fund has published Medical revalidation: From compliance to commitment. This paper, presents the findings from focus group discussions with doctors and interviews with wider staff. It provides analysis from interviewees’ perspectives and offers commentary on how leaders at all levels can use revalidation to help create a culture of excellence in patient care.

NHS News
The latest issue of NHS News (Issue 48) includes the following news items:

• New cervical cancer drug added to Cancer Drugs Fund
• Emerging findings on commisioning general practice services published
• New guidance on electricity demand reduction pilot launched
• Review of support available for women who experience loss in pregnancy
• Thousands of funded places available on frontline leadership programme
• Better Care Fund plan clarifications
• NHS England expands its innovative Commissioning through Evaluation programme
• Patient safety alert: rising trends and outbreaks in carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae
• Change to NHS Numbers for babies
• NHS Standard Contract resources updated
• Blogs

Bulletins
NHS Workforce Bulletin: issue 407
Winter health watch summary: 13 March 2014

…and finally St. Patrick’s Day – the evidence base! Happy St Patrick’s Day to all our library patrons!