Competency versus proficiency: trying to develop an understanding of these terms in the context of practice learning.

The language of nurse education in the UK has shifted from 'competency' to 'proficiency' since 2018. The shift in language has been poorly articulated leaving individual higher education institutions, practice supervisors and assessors to interpret what these terms mean in relation to assessing student nurses. There appeared to be some confusion regarding the interpretation of the term proficiency among those who engaged in an exchange on the topic via Twitter. Students may focus on the procedure-based checklists within the standards. The relationship between proficiency and implementing a person-centred approach to care remains unclear.

Critical exploration of the new NMC standards of proficiency for registered nurses.

Following its consultation with key stakeholder groups the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has launched Future nurse: standards of proficiency for registered nurses ( NMC, 2018a ). These compulsory new standards will be available for use in curricula by approved education institutions (AEIs) from the end of January 2019. In this article, the authors provide their personal perspectives on the potential impact of the new standards, particularly focusing on those relating to supporting and assessing students from within the practice environment. The new roles of practice supervisor, practice assessor and academic assessor are explored, making comparisons to the current mentorship role. There is a clear need for effective partnerships between AEIs and healthcare organisations as they lead on the implementation of the standards. They must think creatively about practice placements and provide opportunities for interprofessional supervision, so that students can learn about the roles of other disciplines and how to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team.

Transgender, Mental Health, and Older People: An Appreciative Approach Towards Working Together.

It cannot be assumed by healthcare providers that transgender people routinely receive care and treatment that is of the quality and sensitivity that should be expected. In particular there are concerns from within the transgender community that they experience discrimination and disrespect from both individual practitioners and the healthcare system as a whole. This causes an avoidance of contact that is undesirable for both users and providers of healthcare services. Older transgender people are vulnerable to a range of mental health problems and, like all elderly, increasingly to dementia; failure to access specialist services in a timely manner may result in unnecessary distress and potentially to crisis. This paper reports on the use of an appreciative inquiry approach towards identifying the opportunities for one health board in North Wales to work more closely with older members of the transgender community it serves.

The health risks of incense use in the home: an underestimated source of indoor air pollution?

The health impact of indoor air pollution is a growing area of interest for public health professionals. People typically spend up to 90 per cent of their time indoors, particularly women, young children and elders. Although the adverse health effects of second-hand tobacco smoke are well recognised, the impact of burning incense in the home has received little attention in Western literature. Incense burning in the home is common in a number of cultures (particularly Asian, North African or Arabic). Many health visitors (HVs) work with communities who use incense regularly for religious/cultural reasons and it is a neglected area of study and research.The literature suggests that home incense use can have significant adverse health effects, particularly on cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. Further research is needed to identify which individuals are most susceptible, which types of incense are most harmful, and whether any actions can be taken to minimise exposure.