The 10 most-cited articles in Nursing Standard, 2024

Communication is a process of sharing information and developing relationships through interaction. It is essential for nursing care, providing a basis for nurses to establish therapeutic relationships and trust with patients and their families. It is often assumed that nurses can intuitively communicate well; as a result, traditionally there has been a lack of formal training in this area. However, communication is a skill that can be developed and enhanced. This article explains the elements of communication and discusses the skills required by nurses to communicate effectively and provide compassionate, person-centred care. The author outlines two communication models to demonstrate how nurses can use these skills to deliver bad news and support people in distress.

Neurodivergent conditions such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Tourette's syndrome are common, and it is highly likely that practice assessors and supervisors will be asked to support neurodivergent nursing students in their practice learning environments. This article details the strengths that neurodivergent students can bring to nursing, as well as some of the challenges they may experience in practice settings. It outlines how practice assessors and supervisors can develop neuro-inclusive learning environments where neurodivergent students can thrive, as well as how to support them if they are not meeting their required proficiencies. The authors also discuss how appropriate reasonable adjustments can be implemented by using a collaborative approach with students.

Effective communication within nursing and multiprofessional healthcare teams is essential to promote patient safety. However, communication is a complex concept comprising various elements and variables that affect how messages are delivered, received and interpreted. In this article, the author explores communication within healthcare teams and provides some insight into the factors that affect team communication, such as interpersonal relationships. The author also explores organisational culture and cultural sensitivity, and discusses some evidence-based approaches to enhancing communication within healthcare teams.

Inequalities in people's health due to economic or social circumstances remain a persistent challenge in the UK, with people from disadvantaged communities disproportionately likely to die earlier and experience more health issues than the general population. Health promotion has a vital role in reversing health inequalities and requires a focus on structural and political-level determinants of health, rather than individuals' lifestyle choices. However, while health promotion is a significant aspect of nurse education curricula, individual nurses may experience role confusion regarding the application of health promotion in their practice. Therefore, a shift is required in nurse education and training on health promotion, as well as its practical implementation. This article suggests some approaches that could be taken to reconfigure the role of nurses in health promotion.

This article explores the use of effective communication for nurses when interacting with people experiencing mental health issues. Emphasis will be on the importance of nurses adopting person-centred communication styles that prioritise empathy, with the aim of developing a therapeutic rapport. The article underscores the role of the nurse in promoting positive mental health outcomes through the use of techniques such as active listening, empathy and validation. The author also details some of the barriers to effective communication and how nurses can address them.

Nurses have an important role in providing high-quality care to meet the needs of diverse populations, including people with mental health issues. Developing rapport is essential for engaging with service users and promoting a person-centred approach in the context of mental health care. However, in practice this may not always come naturally to all nurses. In this article, the author discusses several evidence-based methods for effective communication with people who have mental health issues, such as making a good introduction, active listening, using open questions, using silence and being aware of body language. The author also explains how nurses can communicate compassionately, demonstrate cultural sensitivity and develop trust within a therapeutic relationship, thereby enabling them to effectively explore service users' thoughts, feelings and needs.

The effects of climate change, such as air pollution and extreme heat events, can adversely affect the physical and mental health of children and young people at all ages. This article explores the effects of climate change on children and young people's development and explains the effects of air pollution and heatwaves on their health. The article also discusses how children and young people are knowledgeable and concerned about the effects of climate change and can offer new perspectives on addressing these effects. Finally, the authors consider the role of nurses in raising awareness of the adverse effects of climate change on children's health, incorporating climate change in their practice and promoting opportunities for children's involvement in healthcare decision-making, strategies and policy development.

Health inequalities between groups of people are often unjust and avoidable and are influenced by social determinants of health, the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. Gypsy and Traveller communities experience significant health inequalities, including barriers to accessing healthcare services and suboptimal health outcomes compared with the general population. This article provides an overview of health inequalities in relation to Gypsy and Traveller communities and examines three social determinants of health - discrimination and racism, accommodation and access to healthcare - that influence these inequalities. The authors propose that accurate data collection as well as delivery of culturally competent health services and care may facilitate access to healthcare for Gypsy and Traveller communities and potentially reduce health inequalities.

Nurses are regularly confronted with moral questions and ethical dilemmas in their practice, for example where a patient's decisions about their treatment conflict with the nurse's own views. While the standards contained in the Nursing and Midwifery Council The Code: Professional Standards of Practice and Behaviour for Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates provide nurses with an overarching framework to guide practice, it is important that nurses understand the four main principles that underpin ethical care - autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. This article examines these four principles and how they relate to nurses' ethical decision-making. The author also explores how nurses' ethics were tested by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Having an awareness of ethical decision-making can enhance nurses' practice by providing them with a theoretical framework for treating patients with dignity and respect.

Imposter phenomenon is described as persistently doubting one's accomplishments, leading to an internalised fear of being exposed as a 'fraud'. This article identifies the nature and prevalence of imposter phenomenon among nursing students, newly registered nurses and senior nurses. It also explores the effects of this phenomenon for nurses and healthcare organisations, including its potential association with burnout, suboptimal performance and a lack of career development. Evidence suggests that addressing imposter phenomenon is not something individuals can accomplish by themselves, but that it requires system-level interventions from healthcare organisations and higher education institutions. This could raise awareness, promote recognition and improve resources and training to mitigate the detrimental effects of this phenomenon on healthcare provision.