Heatherwood staff member recognised in nationwide publication

Jane Macpherson, advanced nurse practitioner at Heatherwood Hospital, has been recognised in the nationwide publication ‘Emergency Nurse’, which has a readership of more than 14,500.

As part of her nurse practitioner training course in 2009, Jane submitted an essay that discussed guidance regarding driving for people who have been injured. The article was then published in September’s issue of ‘Emergency Nurse’, along with a link to a specially adapted leaflet also devised by Jane, who splits her time between Heatherwood Hospital and Royal Berkshire Hospital where she is a sister in A&E.

“I couldn’t believe that they wanted to publish it”, says Jane. “I had to write the essay as part of my course and was later advised by my tutor that it might be suitable for publication, which it was!”

The article talks about the legal position of driving by people who have been discharged from emergency or minor injury departments after treatment for injuries and discusses the advice people are given, advice they want and the responsibility of clinicians in providing it. The supporting leaflet, ‘Advice on driving after injury’, is available to all patients attending emergency departments so that they have the advice in a handy takeaway format.

Emergency Nurse is the leading journal in accident and emergency nursing with the highest circulation in its field. Its readers are nursing staff who specialise in emergency care and work in A&E departments, minor injuries units, walk-in centres, NHS Direct, occupational health and ambulance services.