Reflections and thoughts from the President, Chair and Deputy Chair
Presidential reflection: standing up for children
Life as a children’s nurse, regardless of your role, your setting, length of experience and type of expertise is busy and demanding. Despite, maybe even because of this, being a children’s nurse is rewarding. I feel privileged to be able to call myself a children’s nurse.
Now, more than ever, children and young people and their families need skilled nurses who are able to think innovatively, identify opportunities, work with and advocate for them as required.
As Rosa Parks stated: "If I can sit down for freedom, you can stand up for children".
Children's nurses need to make sure that they are standing up for children.
Nurses working with children, young people and their families need to think about how they can contribute to change. They need to horizon scan, network and make their voice heard and be active in implementing improvements. This can be achieved through learning from colleagues and via formal education opportunities, reading widely, being curious, asking awkward questions and joining networks, societies and organisations.
The Association of British Paediatric Nurses is here to offer friendship, learning and education opportunities. If you’re already a member, encourage other people to join.
Together we are stronger and that’s better for children, young people and their families.
Professor Bernie Carter, President
bernie.carter@edgehill.ac.uk
Words from the Chair
Firstly, I’d like to wish you a healthy and happy 2025.
The holiday period has been very busy and challenging for health care services with a viral surge of flu, COVID, RSV and norovirus increasing demand for services.
RSV being the main cause of winter pressures in children’s hospitals every year leading to pressures on intensive care beds. The new vaccine programme supports the vaccination of pregnant mothers at 28 weeks which will protect the newborn in the first six months of life from serious respiratory infection. A study in the Lancet (13/08/2024) showed that the new programme could prevent 5,000 admissions and 15,000 ED attendances for infants.
While there is no vaccine for norovirus, Phase 3 clinical trials commenced in adults in October 2024, with vaccines available for three of the four viruses the future is optimistic.
Moving into 2025, our intent is to continue to increase the Association's reach and influence.
If you have not yet attended one of our webinars then please do so, the topics are contemporary and presented by leaders in their fields.
Our plans include the release timely position statements, you can find our newly posted position statements on the CYP workforce on our webpage. If you’d like to join us in our activities to promote CYP nurses and nursing, please do make contact.
Caron Eyre, Chair
caroneyre0@gmail.com
Words from the Deputy Chair
The Association of British Paediatric Nurses (ABPN) wishes all its members and network of friends the very best for 2025.
We have already met significant challenges in the ability to deliver safe, effective, person-centred healthcare due to the increased demand caused by winter emergencies and respiratory illnesses.
It is important that staff are supported to maintain their own good health by being enabled to take meal and comfort breaks whilst at work, and that staff shortages and unmanageable workloads are escalated to managers and service providers for a review of the risks and for assistance with solutions to maintain a safe, quality of care environment.
I was pleased to present the December ABPN webinar about my experiences of children and young people’s nursing whilst working in partnership with statutory services and charitable organisations. The significant and valuable life-long lesson that I have learned, and would like to pass on to readers, is that investing time and energy in developing and maintaining positive partnerships to deliver and improve care for children of all ages, and their families, is truly rewarding and provides the motivation to continue nursing during the most difficult of difficult times.
Dr Jean A Davies, Deputy Chair
jean.davies@bangor.ac.uk
Updates from the ABPN
Announcement of the ABPN's Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the ABPN will be held on the 25th March 2025, 11.00-12.30 hrs.
Further details will be circulated.
Honouring Norman Long and wondering if we say thank you enough
It was a real pleasure to witness Norman Long, ABPN Fellow and Life Member receive a High Sheriff’s Award at a ceremony in the West Midlands in December 2025. High Sherriff’s awards are presented to recognise and celebrate the work of individuals or organisations in the relevant county. Norman’s award recognised the work he has undertaken over many years for the Association of British Paediatric Nurses as well as SSAFA and in his local community.
When you talk to nurses they often tell you that they work with some fantastic people, there is a real pride in what we do, we are intrigued by innovations. Despite all of that do we take time to say thank you to colleagues, or well done? I think we do, but do we do it often enough?
If you have a colleague you would like to say ‘Thank You’ to, why not nominate them for awards such as the High Sherriff’s awards, or even a State Honour, or maybe an ABPN Fellowship, perhaps a Cavell Star Award? All it takes is a quick Google search and it is a great way of saying thank you or well done.
Update on our Enhancing Membership Working Group
The number of student members is gradually increasing following the review of the application process and issues highlighted by the working group.
The working group discussed the current ABPN student recruitment campaign and a 2025 focus on attracting qualified nurses at their recent meeting. The success of the ABPN webinar programme has been acknowledged. Engagement of members discussed, including those that are ‘retired’. Recommendations sent to the ABPN Governance and Development Group to consider in advance of the AGM in March 2025
If you would like to get involved in the working group or have suggestions, email Fiona.smith15@yahoo.com. Your email will be passed onto the chair Michael Tatterton, ABPN Fellow.
Update on our Policy Development Working Group
The Policy Working Group and Governance and Development Group has been busy since you last heard from us, preparing and updating a number of position statements and briefing papers since the last Newsletter.
These documents are developed to underpin the Association’s work in responding to Government consultations such as the NHS Consultation and to support members in your work in service development through the production of a suite of documents relating to workforce standards as downloadable PDFs.
We would welcome support from members in Northern Ireland and Scotland to ensure that our work is responding to the work needed in all four countries of the UK.
If you would like to find out more, please get in touch with the Working Group Chairperson katrina.mcnamara@icloud.com
Update on our Communications and Raising the Profile Working Group
The Communications and Raising the Profile working group continues to be busy working with the other working groups to draft press releases linked to key International and National days, such as World AIDS day and Universal Children’s Day and organise the ABPN ‘free’ and open to all webinar programme which is continually being updated with new presentations and discussion.
We are seeking additional members to participate in our activities, particularly in relation to the development of podcasts and social media activity.
If you have suggestions for future webinars or have ideas about how best to engage members, would like to know more or would like to be involved in the Working Group, please contact the chairperson,fiona.smith15@yahoo.com
Update from the Membership Secretary
We are pleased to be able to share that our student membership is growing with student members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. And we are looking forward to welcoming new student and other members to the Association.
The Association continues to offer a year’s free membership to those people studying as a pre-registration student to be a children’s nurse. The only proviso is that students must join before 1st April 2025.
This is a fantastic offer, so if you’re a student who meets the criteria, don’t hesitate to apply at membersabpn@yahoo.co.uk and/or check out our become a member webpage to find out more details and the benefits of joining.
Update your details on the membership platform
The membership platform is a useful tool for all members. It is not only for administration purposes but also a way of linking members with each other.
We would therefore encourage members to complete the biographical and interest sections. From this we will be able to build up collaborative groups and give you an opportunity to share your expertise or learn from others.
If you have not yet completed the registration process by responding to the invitation to join the platform, get in touch and we can send you a new invitation.
Press Releases and Media Activity
- World Diabetes Day – Diabetes and Wellbeing
- Universal Children’s Day
- World AIDS Day - Remember and Commit
- UNICEF’s Birthday
To read the Press Releases go to our website
Update on Social Media
Thanks to Georgina who has been driving our social media presence forward, we are happy to share that our presence is increasing.
We have now joined Bluesky. You will be able to find us on @abpn-childnurse.bsky.social. We are planning to leave X.
For quick links to our social media content, please go to our social media page on our website
Fellowship Talk
This section plans to bring you the news and views from our Fellows.
Norman Long has been committed to the ABPN for more than 45 years and many members will know him well. He has been a pioneer, a friend, an advocate and a passionate children’s nurse. In the following section he shares some highlights from his career and his work with the ABPN.
Stand up, be proud and be a member of the ABPN
I believe that I am the oldest Fellow of the ABPN, so able to reflect on over 45 years of ABPN membership and volunteering to promote our Association.
As a Staff Nurse caring for a child in an adult ITU I encountered the major demands and differences between General and Children’s Nursing. I was asked if I would undertake Post Registration RSCN course, so that my District Hospital could explore opening a Children’s High Dependency Unit.
Life in the big Children’s Hospital was a massive eye opener as every ward was a specialist area and I don’t think I ever saw a ‘normal’ family or sibling – every child and their family were different, every visit for them was stressful. I learnt a lot.
I joined the ABPN as a Junior Charge Nurse, members were predominately Senior Nurses who warmly welcomed new members and were eager to promote children’s nursing by children’s nurses.
I moved to a different District General and stepped back in time; no nursing or visiting occurred during the Consultants' rounds. Needless to say, lots of changes happened in less than 12 months as we promoted family-centred nursing and multi team approaches to care.
ABPN Annual General Meetings were very formal affairs, usually followed by Civic Reception in whichever UK country, city or town they were held in and then followed by an informative two-day conference. Despite members rarely securing study leave or financial support to attend, often over 100 members attended.
Initially supporting the West Midlands Branch, I was elected Chair and we held our meetings in different hospitals each time to support fellow Children’s Nurses as well as to promote the ABPN.
Upon entering Nurse Education, I was quickly invited to join the ABPN Nurse Teacher Group and met lots of interesting academics promoting different approaches throughout the UK but always seeking to promote Children’s Nursing by Children’s Nurses. Various models of nursing were developed and implemented.
I have been a member of the various national management groups of the ABPN for over 35 years and this year was very kindly nominated and awarded a West Midlands High Sheriff’s Award.
I am very proud to be a member of the world’s oldest children’s nursing association, run by children’s nurses on a voluntary basis. I would encourage not only ABPN members but every children’s nurse to protect and promote children’s nursing as a separate Registration.
Our association is only as strong as our members’ support. So, I would urge every member to be proud to stand up and say I am a member of the world's oldest children’s nursing association and shout out loud that sick children and young people everywhere deserve care from a Registered Children’s Nurse.
Voices from the future: student perspectives
In this section we will be presenting the voices of students.
In this issue we hand over to Ashleigh Crowhurst and Emily Jones.
In September 2024, as newly qualified children’s nurses and Bangor University Alumni, Ashleigh and Emily, had the opportunity to volunteer in Ghana. This four-week inspiring experience of working on the children’s ward and the neonatal unit left a lasting impact. In this contribution - Children’s Voluntary Nursing in Ghana - they reflect on and share their journey.
Children’s Voluntary Nursing in Ghana
Children’s Ward
The children’s ward was made up of an east wing, west wing and high dependency unit. Like wards that we experience in the UK, this ward is a general medical and surgical ward. However, the conditions seen here were different to at home.
For example, children presented with crush injuries from collapsing buildings, or severe burns from home accidents. There were many children requiring critical care for severe dehydration, malnutrition, tuberculosis, encephalitis and intracranial space occupying lesions.
These presentations were mainly caused by malaria and often led to severe sepsis and in some cases, death. Unfortunately, most of the children and families we nursed in Ghana did not have the resources (e.g. anti-malarial medications or mosquito nets) to protect themselves against malaria. Prior to our trip to Ghana we knew that malaria was prevalent, but we underestimated the holistic effect of the illness and the permanent damage this can cause to children and families.
Despite these challenges, the unwavering dedication of the team brought hope and resilience to the care of children and their families. In the face of adversity, nurses provided compassionate care, drawing strength and inspiration from their faith, beliefs, and deep commitment to making a difference. The nursing team bring children and families together and demonstrate family centred care through the most difficult times.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
The neonatal unit provided care for babies from 26 weeks’ gestation, and entailed special, high dependency and intensive care. Due to high patient demand and lack of space, some babies were being cared for in small spaces such as corridors. The ward cared for cases of extreme prematurity and low birthweight, with babies requiring intensive support for nutrition, growth, and respiratory immaturity.
Many mothers, some as young as thirteen, relied on their parents for breastfeeding guidance. In Ghana, breast milk is preferred over formula due to cultural beliefs and financial constraints. When mothers are unavailable to breastfeed, babies are cup-fed rather than bottle-fed due to this being the only available resource. This is often challenging as some parents struggle to express due to malnutrition or stress.
One of the most challenging situations we faced was the frequent occurrence of emergencies, many of which tragically resulted in the death of the baby. Due to financial constraints, essential emergency medications like adrenaline were not kept on the ward. Having experienced emergency situations in the UK, where resources are readily available, it was difficult to witness the limitations faced by the NICU in Ghana.
While the UK offers a range of invasive and non-invasive ventilation options, Ghana relied on bubble CPAP as the primary respiratory support. Ingeniously assembled using a bottle of water, oxygen, tubing, and sticky tape, this improvised device replicated the pressure needed to keep lungs inflated. This inventive solution demonstrated the remarkable creativity and resilience of the nursing staff in delivering effective care with extremely limited resources
Staffing and resources
During our experience, we saw firsthand the barriers nurses face. One major issue was families struggling to afford healthcare due to the high cost of insurance. At 30 cedes a month (about £1.50), it often took up half a family's monthly income, making it hard to prioritize. Without insurance, some children could not receive care and were discharged against medical advice. At times, families had to sleep on the street, as the hospital’s lack of space meant that they could not be accommodated. These challenges deepened our gratitude for the healthcare system we benefit from at home, as well as the ability to provide comprehensive care to both patients and their families.
And finally.....
This transformative experience will forever remain with us and has contributed to shaping and enriching our nursing careers.
Ashleigh Crowhurst and Emily Jones
ABPN Webinar Series
Details of our future webinars are presented below with the links for booking. It’s a simple process and it’s free, so please do look and join some fascinating sessions.
You can also catch up with past webinars via our wesbite.
Children’s Palliative Care Frameworks: An interactive workshop for nurses
- Date and Time: 13th February 4-5pm
- Presenters: Julia Downing, Professor International Children’s Palliative Care network, UK/Uganda; Dr Sue Neilson, Associate Professor, University of Birmingham; Dr Duncan Randall, Principal Academic in Children and Young People's Nursing, Bournemouth University
In this webinar we will be using a team-based approach using Mentimeter to explore how nurses learn to deliver children's palliative care.
We will be drawing on our extensive international education practice and our editorship of a new nursing text. Using the CPCET standards.
We want to explore learning the role of children's nurses across the four levels of the standard, public, universal, core and specialist. There will be opportunity, whatever your area or setting of practice, to reflect on and discuss how you pass on your expertise as a children's nurse.
Fit4CYP project
- Date and Time: 21st February 4-5pm
- Presenter: Dr Matt Carey, PhD, PGCAP, fHEA, RCN, Associate Professor in Child Health Nursing (Education), Post-Graduate Research Coordinator, University of Plymouth
The Fit for Children and Young People (Fit4CYP) project was established to explore how the pre-registration education of children’s nursing student influences their readiness for practice as newly qualified children’s nurses.
There is a paucity of evidence regarding the preparation of children’s nurses and how this may be influenced by the education standards informed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The project team are made up of passionate nurse academics, health policy leads and practice leaders in the field of children's nursing and key stakeholders responsible for the preparation, regulation, and quality assurance of children’s nurses in the United Kingdom (UK) and also work internationally.
In this webinar Dr Matt Carey, Associate Professor in Child Health Nursing at the University of Plymouth and Co-Lead for the project will be giving an overview of the project, its work packages and achievements to date. Do come with your questions to ask at the end of the webinar.
Supporting the family with a child who needs complex care
- Date and Time: 13th March 2025 10.30-11.30
- Presenter: Norman Long, Formerly SRN, RSCN, RNT, Diploma in Nursing, B Ed (Hons), M E. Retired Principal Lecturer and Bank Nurse; Member and Fellow of Association of British Paediatric Nurses
Norman will highlight the challenges of caring for a child with complex needs and the pressures on parents, drawing on a case study when a child required hospitalisation.
During the webinar Norman will outline the totality of care needs and family pressures, especially when hospitalised with either status epilepticus or a chest infection
Enhancing Paediatric Nursing: A webinar focusing on the critical aspects of recognizing signs and symptoms of clinical deterioration in paediatric patients
- Date and time: 18th March 2025 16.00-17.00 (UK time)
- Presenter: Claus Sixtus, Associate Professor in Children's Nursing & Clinical Nurse Specialist Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Aarhus Universitetshospital and Research Center for Emergency Medicine Aarhus Universitetshospital and Aarhus University
Summary of webinar presentation: Join us for an insightful webinar designed for paediatric nurses focusing on the critical aspects of recognizing signs and symptoms of clinical deterioration in paediatric patients.
Drawing from recent research including a scoping review and qualitative research conducted across paediatric departments in Denmark and Norway, this session will explore the interplay between nurses' experiences, intuition, and systematic observations in assessing children's health.
Participants will learn about the identified Paediatric Nursing Indicators that highlight key concerns beyond vital signs, enhancing their clinical judgment. The discussion will also address the challenges nurses face when interpreting parental input and the importance of communication in clinical settings.
This interactive session will provide a platform for sharing experiences and strategies, fostering a deeper understanding of paediatric nursing practices. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and knowledge in paediatric care!
Laying the Foundations for the Future – A new children’s hospital in Scotland
- Date and time: 3rd April 2025 16.00-17.00 (UK time)
- Presenter: Angela Horsley MBE
Summary of webinar presentation: In this webinar Angela will detail the history of the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital; highlight the importance of having clinical input into the commissioning team and future proofing the building.
Angela will talk about the important role of fundraising and raising the profile of the new build and discuss how to work with the communications team and local media and nurturing relationships with Patrons and the Ambassadors. She will also talk about organising the day of the move
Register to attend at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/laying-the-foundations-for-the-future-tickets-1106341921469
Sex, Intimacy and Living with Life Shortening Conditions
- Date and time: 12th May 16.00-17.00 (UK time)
- Presenters: Sarah Earle, Professor of Social Science, Nottingham Trent University, Maddie Blackburn, OBE, Retired lawyer, Senior Health Professional, Visiting Scholar at Nottingham Trent University, UK
Summary of webinar presentation: There are an increasing number of children and young people living into adulthood with conditions that are likely to shorten their lives.
This webinar draws on over a decade of co-produced research and policy development that has focused on supporting sex and intimacy at individual and organisational levels.
The research highlights the significance of sex, intimacy and relationships for young people, its important role in health and wellbeing and the value of adopting a sex positive framework. In this webinar we also reflect on the role that nurses can play in supporting children and young people with sex and intimacy.
Training, Education and Other News
We welcome ideas and contributions to our training, education and other news pages.
So, if you’d like to share any training or education resources and updates, please contact fiona.smith15@yahoo.com
Journal of Child Health Care Resources
Apart from great editorials and high quality peer reviewed papers, the Journal of Child Health Care produces great JCHC podcasts, hosted by Associate Editor, Liz King. These podcasts focus on authors talking about their research and the papers published in the journal.
The latest Editorial from the JCHC focuses on fathers. Enhancing father involvement by increasing flexibility: Meeting fathers halfway.
The latest podcast is by Emily Goldstein, Sherwood Burns-Nader and Julie Parker and is called ‘Exploring the implementation of child life services with facility dogs'
Other podcasts in the series can be found on the journal's website.
Learning hub on Child Poverty
Public Health Scotland have a learning hub on Child Poverty
Children and young people mental health training
Free children and young people mental health certificated CPD: A new, completely free online CPD platform has been launched by the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
ACAMH Learn video and podcast has content from more than 200 world-leading mental health experts on a range of topics, with ‘introductory’, ‘in practice’ and ‘in depth’ content suitable for people in a variety of roles and career stages.
Celebrating Children and Young People’s Nursing Conference, 2025 ‘Our Present, Our Future’
18th and 19th September 2025
This conference will provide one of the largest national and international forums for children and young people’s (CYPs) nurses to collaborate and network on a range of contemporary topics relevant to their practice. A broad range of activities is planned with the aim to connect, inspire, and educate, encouraging thought provoking exchanges. Delegates will be offered the opportunity to share ideas and experiences for the present and future of the profession, meeting the needs of children, young people, and their families.
6th Pediatric Psychosocial and Palliative Care Virtual Conference
November 2025
Together for Short Lives conference
7 - 8 May 2025 Manchester UK
Community Children’s Nurses Network (CCNN) meeting
Free regular online meetings for community children’s practitioners from across the United Kingdom to connect and network.
HCUK Events
As a member you can get 20% off a series of great events and conferences events that are run by HCUK.
Cavell Benefits Calculator
Last year, Cavell’s benefits calculator helped people identify up to three million pounds in unclaimed state benefits; money that you could be entitled to, without realising
The Cavell benefits calculator will help you find out what benefits you can claim.
The calculator is free to use, and the details you provide are anonymous.
Update on policies, guidelines & reports
Care Quality Commission – State of Care 2023-2024
Getting the right care, at the right time and in the right place is important.
For children and young people, delays can have especially significant and lasting consequences.
Some treatments and interventions are less effective if not administered at a specific age or developmental stage – and the opportunity to intervene can be missed completely if the wait for diagnosis is too long.
Children who do not receive the care they need today are at increased risk of becoming adults with long-term mental or physical illnesses, which could affect their quality of life and their ability to contribute to society in the future.
New toolkit to support research carried out across borders in the UK
The Health Research Authority (HRA), NHS Research Scotland, Health and Social Care (HSC) Northern Ireland and Health and Care Research Wales, have launched a new toolkit to make it easier to set up research across the UK.
The toolkit is designed to support researchers who are planning, setting up, and conducting research in more than one UK nation.
While there are some similarities in the research approval and set-up processes across the UK nations, the toolkit provides information on the main differences so that researchers and sponsors are clear on what they need to do.
The aim of the toolkit is to help reduce the time it takes to set up research in the UK. Researchers and sponsors should use the toolkit as part of their planning.
Assisted Dying debate: advice to nurses and midwives from the UK chief nursing officers
The Chief Nursing Officers advocate maintaining a supportive professional culture and avoiding:
- identifying individuals you have cared for unless with their consent;
- directly engaging patients in debate;
- implying that you speak for the nursing and midwifery professions rather than expressing your personal views
Councils need to get support for adoptive families right
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman released a focused report aimed at helping to improve the support English councils process, provision and support throughout the adoption process, drawing upon lessons from investigations of when things went wrong.
The report highlights cases where councils have taken too long to put support in place for adoptive families, with one being on the brink of having the placement disrupted because of the strain and another where the family was not told about their child’s health condition prior to adoption which had long-term consequences for them as a family unit.
Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse on the interlinkages between technology-facilitated violence against children and TFGBV
On 7th November the UK Government signed a call to attention on the critical need to protect children from technology-facilitated violence, exploitation and abuse.
This included the need to recognise that early experience and exposure to violence may increase the likelihood of victimization in adults or violent behaviours, perpetuating a cycle of abuse that spans generations and discouraging young people from engaging fully in public life.
Getting it right first time (GIRFT) virtual wards guidance updated to reflect new NHSE operational framework
NHSE practical guidance updated Guidance to support the use of virtual wards to meet the specific needs of children and young people (CYP).
Uniting the UK’s Health Data: A Huge Opportunity for Society’
The review’s findings set out a bold vision for overcoming the barriers and inefficiencies that currently delay the safe and secure use of health data to improve lives.
It also sets out how that can be achieved, with five key recommendations to transform the national health data ecosystem.
Paediatric diabetes – PREMS report 2024 National Paediatric Diabetes Audit (NPDA)
This Parent and Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) report on the first year of care found an overwhelmingly positive response about relationships with paediatric diabetes teams.
However, it found that there are areas which need addressing including understanding of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), free access to technologies, and the availability of the whole paediatric diabetes multidisciplinary team (MDT) at clinic visits.
It also uncovered the significant impact on parent/carer employment following diagnosis in a child, and a worrying influence on disrupted sleep for parents and carers.
Child Death Review Data Release 2024 National Child Mortality Database
The National Child Mortality Database has published the Child Death Review Data Release for the year ending 31 March 2024.
The data in this report summarise the information about child deaths in England up to 31 March 2024 and the findings of reviews carried out by a Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) on or before 31 March 2024, and is published on the NCMD website alongside data tables, where more detail is available.
Four challenges people face living with learning disabilities
In the UK, approximately 1.5 million people have a learning disability.
The report from Healthwatch describes the experiences of people with learning disabilities and their carers in transitioning from child to adult services, including the lack of integrated working across health and social care, leading to isolation and unmet needs.
It outlines four common challenges they face accessing support and makes recommendations for ensuring support for people who have a learning disability is personalised, accessible and proactively shared with those who might benefit.
New Framework: Routine Pulse Oximetry Testing for Newborn Babies
The British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) has published a new Framework for Practice: Routine Pulse Oximetry Testing for Newborn Babies.
Hypoxaemic conditions such as cardiac, respiratory and infective diseases remain a significant cause of death in the early neonatal period.
Hypoxaemia is readily detected by pulse oximetry.
Pulse oximetry has been shown to be a safe, quick, simple non-invasive test with high specificity and moderate sensitivity for detecting critical congenital heart defects (CCHD) in pre-discharge newborn babies.
Transitions for care experienced young people - a thematic review
The rights of care experienced young people are being upheld as they move on from being in care.
Almost all the young people heard from were experiencing positive relationships with trusted staff and felt supported by them throughout the stages of moving on from care.
A culture of rights and relationship-based, trauma-informed practice for care experienced young people was evident.
However, the experience of moving on from care, envisaged by the Scottish Care Leavers Covenant (SCLC), has yet to be achieved for all young people.
Variable approaches to keeping in touch also means that not all young people have equity of access to all the necessary information during the stages of transition.
Access to suitable housing was the most significant challenge for partnerships and was compromising partnerships’ ability to fully deliver young people’s plans in the way they would wish to.
National Standards for Neonatal Qualified in Speciality (QIS) education
NHS England has published the first national standards for neonatal Qualified in Specialty (QIS) education.
Endorsed by the Neonatal Nurses Association, the British Association of Perinatal Medicine, and the Royal College of Nursing, these standards mark a major step in enhancing neonatal care by ensuring consistency in the neonatal specialty education healthcare professionals working in neonatal settings.
Education providers are encouraged to begin working with local neonatal operational delivery networks to embed these standards into practice by September 2025.
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill summary
The summary provides information and measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill when it was introduced in Parliament in December 2024. These include;
- making a child-centred government;
- keeping families together and children safe;
- supporting children in the care system to thrive;
- cracking down on excessive profit making;
- driving high and rising standards for every child;
- removing barriers to opportunity in schools; and
- creating a safer and higher quality education system for every child.
Joint Review: How are healthcare, education, and children’s services supporting the mental health needs of children and young people in Wales?
The review focused on children aged 11 to 16 in mandatory education and considered the services available to support their mental health needs within healthcare, education and children's services, before referral to or assessment by specialist CAMHS.
The report highlights that many children and young people are still struggling to access the help they need, when they need it and calls for stronger partnerships between health and local authorities to ensure children and young people get the right care at the right time.
National paediatric critical care report
The report highlights that there were 18,498 admissions to PICU in 2023, averaging around 50 per day, with respiratory admissions being the most common primary diagnosis (making up just under 30% of all PICU admissions in 2023).
Other key messages include the fact that children living in highest areas of deprivation were more likely to be admitted to a PICU. It also outlines recommendations for improvement.
Meeting the health needs of CYP in educational and community settings.
This Royal College of Nursing publication provides guidance about meeting the health needs of children and young people in nurseries, schools, and other community settings
Deaths of children in need- Children’s Commissioner in England
This research shines light on the specific risks faced by children known to children’s social care, lack of information sharing between services, and limited contact with children’s services professionals.
Fundamentally, children known to social care are five times more likely to die due to deliberately inflicted injury, abuse or neglect, meaning we are doing too little to protect them.
The Children’s Commissioner calls for:
- a change in the law that gives children equal protection from physical assault to adults;
- schools to be at centre of safeguarding arrangements;
- greater oversight of home-educated children;
- a register of children not in school to be implemented urgently;
- improved data sharing; and
- national thresholds of need for children in need.
The report concludes with further recommendations on how the current system of recording, reporting and learning from the deaths of children in need could be made more effective.
Consultation: Leading the NHS: proposals to regulate NHS Managers -applies to England
A consultation seeking views on options for regulating NHS managers, and on the possibility of introducing a professional duty of candour for NHS managers.
The consultation will seeks views on matters relating to candour, including first on the possibility of delivering a professional duty of candour for NHS managers and leaders.
It will also seek views on making managers accountable for responding to concerns about the provision of healthcare patient safety.
Closes 18th February 2025
The ABPN Policy Development Working Group would be keen to hear your views
Roundup of Reviews & Articles
“You need to be supported”: An integrative review of nurses’ experiences after death in neonatal and paediatric intensive care.
This integrative review addressed the question, ‘what is the experience of the nurse after death of a patient in neonatal and/or paediatric intensive care?’
Thirty-two papers reporting primary research, representing more than 1850 nurses from 15 countries, were included.
They identified three themes: (i) postmortem care; (ii) caring for bereaved families; and (iii) nurses’ emotional response, which includes support for nurses.
The authors conclude that ‘recognising neonatal and paediatric critical care nurses' experience after death is key to comprehensively understanding the professional and personal impacts, including the shared grief of a young life lost.
Enabling nurses to acknowledge and reflect upon their experiences of death and seek their preferred supports is critically important’.
Urban density and child health and wellbeing: A scoping review of the literature
This scoping review examine the relationship between urban density and child health and wellbeing, focusing on how urban density has been measured and its association with various child health outcomes.
Fifty-three studies were included and ‘most studies showed mixed or inconclusive results for physical health and mental health and wellbeing, some consistent findings were observed for positive associations between urban density and growth and nutritional status in studies from Asia and Africa, and for negative impacts on child development in studies from Europe and North America’.
The authors note the ‘importance of considering broader social determinants and the unique experiences of children within urban environments for improved policy, practice and placemaking, advocating for participatory research methods to capture children’s perspectives on urban density’.
An Analysis of the Diversity of Skin Colour Representation in Paediatric Nursing Practitioner Textbooks
This study analysed five commonly used textbooks to determine how diverse skin tones are represented in paediatric nursing practitioner education.
Two investigators trained in skin prototyping coded each textbook for skin colour representation in teaching photographs.
The authors note that ‘of the 2112 teaching images that met the criteria, 593.5 included images of type IV-VI skin (darkly pigmented skin), resulting in a 28% representation of dark skin tone images. Additionally, 2 of the 82 total illustrations included patients with dark skin tones, indicating a representation of 2.5%. However, chapters addressing conditions of child abuse/neglect (55.95%) and stigmatised social issues (infectious disease, 54.88%) displayed a disproportionate representation of patients from these demographics’
They conclude that ‘enhancing equitable representation in educational resources for nursing practitioners’ is important.
A holistic perspective on children's health: A review on the benefits of nature-based recreational activities.
This review examines the positive impacts of nature-based recreational activities on children's overall health and well-being.
Fifty-nine articles were reviewed; 23 indicated direct positive health effects and 36 indicated indirect benefits. 23 articles discussed the health benefits of outdoor recreation directly.
Findings suggests that ‘nature-based recreation is vital for promoting a holistic approach to child health, improving their emotional, physical, spiritual, intellectual, and social health’.
Impact of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs): A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies
This systematic review examined longitudinal studies that addressed the impact of cumulative Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs).
Eight publications (three focusing solely on adolescent outcomes) with a total of 16,451 participants were included.
The authors note that ‘PCEs were associated with reduced rates of depression, substance use, delinquent behaviour, risky sexual behavior, persistent insomnia, and lower inflammatory markers. Cumulative PCEs in childhood may moderate the impact of ACEs, potentially playing an important role in reducing the risk for mental disorders and other adverse outcomes later in life.’
Joy and humanity in communication: A design-based research approach to developing and understanding the impact of a novel education programme on hospital staff, co-designed and facilitated by clown doctors.
This study used a design-based research (DBR) workshops approach with the aim of (i) shaping the educational design and content of communication skills-based workshops for clinicians and (ii) understanding the educational impact on participants.
Forty participants (medical, nursing, allied health and administrative) participated in five workshops.
The authors note that ‘five educational principles emerged: self-awareness, curiosity, play, spirit and self-reflection. Four central themes regarding educational impact were generated: creating joy and breaking barriers; the heart, not the science of communication; workplace tensions challenge change; and communication training but not as we know it’. The authors concluded that a ‘novel education programme facilitated by clown doctors at a hospital offered unique communication skill learnings, while bringing joy and connection to the workplace through education’.
Health problems in children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: a scoping review
This scoping review aimed to investigate and categorize health problems in children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD).
Twenty-two publications were included (894 patients) across all the articles.
The authors noted that the ‘most reported health problems in children with PIMD were epilepsy, respiratory infections, feeding difficulties, GERD, scoliosis, and visual impairment. There was no uniformity in the definition and terminology of PIMD’.
They conclude that further research is required on the presence of health problems, the age of onset, and appropriate treatments. Awareness, early detection, and treatment of the health problems could optimize the medical care and quality of life of children with PIMD’.
Effect of storytelling on anxiety and fear in children during hospitalization: A systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of storytelling in reducing children's anxiety and/or fear during hospitalization.
Eight studies were included.
The authors note that ‘compared to standard care, storytelling was found to be effective in reducing anxiety and/or fear in children during hospitalization. Anxiety scores were not affected by the participants' age, but the geographical location and type of measurement scales used showed significant subgroup differences’.
They conclude that ‘storytelling interventions help to reduce anxiety and fear levels in hospitalized children… and that hospitals could provide the necessary training to healthcare workers to perform storytelling more effectively’.
Identifying the Needs of Paediatric-Friendly Care in Emergency Department: A Delphi Study
This two-round Delphi study aimed to systematically analyse expert perspectives on paediatric-friendly care in the emergency department and establish specific indicators.
Within this Delphi, 30 experts from clinical practice and academia assessed 56 paediatric-friendly care criteria in the emergency department.
Following consolidation, 37 paediatric emergency-friendly care needs were identified.
The authors note that ‘these needs were categorised into six dimensions: timely comfort (3 items), emotional care (5 items), frontline safety (11 items), emergency response (10 items), human resources support (5 items) and treatment efficiency (3 items)’.
They conclude that ‘paediatric emergency nurses play a vital role in caring for children, improving soft skills through compassion and training and ensuring a well-equipped, safe environment in the emergency department’.
Telehealth use in the well-child health setting. A systematic review of acceptability and effectiveness for families and practitioners
This mixed methods systematic review aimed to explore the global evidence on the use of telehealth in well-child health settings within high-income countries.
Twenty studies were included.
The authors report that ‘telehealth acceptability among families was reported in 13 studies….three studies examined practitioners' acceptance…effectiveness was observed in 15 studies'.
The authors conclude that 'telehealth shows promise for well-child health services, but there is limited evidence of its effectiveness and safety. The COVID-19 pandemic increased its use, yet risks need further exploration'.
They state that to 'validate telehealth in this field, we must identify effective applications, tackle implementation barriers, and ensure client safety. Additional research is essential for developing evidence-based policies for future practices.'
Digital health interventions for mothers and their high-risk neonates discharged from NICU: A systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis examines mHealth interventions' impact on high-risk neonates' clinical outcomes and their mothers' psychological outcomes at post-NICU discharge.
Twenty-one studies (16 RCTs, 5 non-RCTs) were included in data synthesis.
Digital health strategies identified were mHealth, e-Health, telemedicine, phone reminders, and text messages.
The authors conclude that the review ‘emphasizes the importance of training mothers in digital technology and implementing digital-oriented interventions to support mothers of high-risk neonates discharged from NICUs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, for effective utilization of digital health interventions’.
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