Clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH) decision-making in adult patients presents complex ethical dilemmas that require careful consideration and navigation. This clinical review addresses the multifaceted aspects of CANH, emphasising the importance of ethical frameworks and the role of advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) in guiding decision-making processes. The pivotal role of ACPs is highlighted, from their responsibilities and challenges in decision-making to the collaborative approach they facilitate involving patients, families and multidisciplinary teams. The article also explores ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, elucidating their application in CANH decision-making. Legal and ethical frameworks covering CANH are examined, alongside case studies illustrating ethical dilemmas and resolutions. Patient-centred approaches to CANH decision-making are discussed, emphasising effective communication and consideration of cultural and religious beliefs. End-of-life considerations and palliative care in CANH are also examined, including the transition to palliative care and ethical considerations in withdrawal or withholding of CANH. Future directions for research and implications for clinical practice are outlined, highlighting the need for ongoing ethical reflection and the integration of ACPs in CANH decision-making.

BACKGROUND: This study outlines the nature of Advanced Clinical Practice in Midwifery (ACPiM), reporting on a stakeholder analysis as part of a national project to develop a career framework for advanced practice in midwifery on behalf of the National Health Service (NHS) in England.
METHODS: Between June and July 2022, 31 advanced practice midwives were recruited across England within the NHS settings. Convenience sampling was used to identify midwives working as advanced practitioners, and those pursuing this career route. Focus group and one-to-one interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed. These stakeholder data were then analyzed using a reflexive thematic approach.
RESULTS: ACP midwives were active across many professional settings. The findings resulted in three themes: Midwifery autonomy, Desire for progression, and Avenues of support. Midwifery autonomy highlighted a midwifery desire to utilize specialist skills and expert decision-making to provide holistic care directly to women and families. Desire for progression highlighted that, regardless of career stage, midwives aspired to advance their practice requiring a range of pathways to fulfil career satisfaction and meet local population health needs. Avenues of support discussed the barriers and facilitators to progression, highlighting the need for service vision, a multi-disciplinary approach to facilitate support for individuals, and strong midwifery leadership.
CONCLUSIONS: Although the ACPiM role is desired by maternity institutions and organizations, midwives remain unclear about how to achieve this position, and employers remain unsure of how an ACPiM could transform services. If midwives are to successfully achieve ACPiM status, organizational support is needed to facilitate individuals drive for career progression, resulting in a strengthened workforce and improved patient experience.

UNASSIGNED: Advanced clinical practice roles, usually filled by nurses, have had positive effects on clinical effectiveness, including in patient satisfaction, but their benefits for other stakeholders (such as employers, health professionals, education providers and commissioners and professional/regulatory bodies) are less clear.
UNASSIGNED: This study aimed to identify UK research on the potential benefits of advanced clinical practice and evaluate the evidence base for key stakeholders in this field.
UNASSIGNED: A mixed-methods systematic literature review was carried out to inform a narrative interpretive synthesis.
UNASSIGNED: 44 articles of mixed quality were identified. Consensus was found regarding the definition of and barriers and facilitators to advanced clinical practice. This role is split into substitution (eg, of doctors) and supplementation (eg, adding value) aspects, and the clinical practice element dominates. Training for the role varies, as do scope of practice and regulation.
UNASSIGNED: There are several barriers to the implementation of advanced clinical practice and therefore the realisation of its benefits for key stakeholders. Areas requiring attention include training, support from others for role expansion and organisational issues.

A septic pulmonary embolus occurs from the embolisation of an infected thrombus - typically from an infected source such as an abscess - that enters the venous circulation, implanting in the lungs, which in turn causes a parenchymal infection. This case discussion gives a candid reflection on the treatment and management of a patient who was a known intravenous drug user, with a past history of a deep vein thrombosis and new presentation of a groin abscess. He was initially reviewed by a trainee advanced clinical practitioner, working out of hours in a hospital setting. This article will reflect on the patient presentation, the clinical examinations and investigations undertaken, which finally led to the diagnosis of septic pulmonary emboli. Although this condition is rare, having a high index of suspicion in patients with known risk factors may lead to early diagnosis and successful treatment.

This research explores how emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs) become role proficient given experience variation and lack of role standardisation.
To understand how ENPs experiences in practice influence their feelings of role proficiency.
A hermeneutic phenomenological study was undertaken utilizing an interpretive standpoint. A two-phase approach was adopted with ten participants using a digital diary informing a semi-structured interview. A three-stage data analysis approach was applied.
Six themes emerged: the meaning of role proficiency, relationships, confidence, learning and knowledge, exposure and experience, and care. Models of proficiency and its development are presented.
Proficiency is defined where confidence in the components that proficiency consists of and their application to each clinical presentation is required. Proficiency is a continuum supported by regulatory mode theory. Inconsistency of role understanding gives rise to three ENP groups, resistors, maintainers, and innovators.
Role clarity is required to establish a consistent culture within organisations founded on the voice of the ENP as captured in this research. This model of proficiency be incorporated in ENP role development for current and future ENPs.

Demand for joint arthroplasty surgery in the UK has increased significantly over the past 10 years. Advanced clinical practitioner (ACP) roles in arthroplasty care, typically fulfilled by expert nurses or physiotherapists, have been developed to alleviate service pressures and facilitate care for the growing number of patients undergoing arthroplasty surgery. There are numerous different models of ACP-led services both in the UK and internationally, driven by local service and population needs. ACPs in arthroplasty care will be involved throughout the patient journey, including pre-operative assessment, peri-operative care and long-term surveillance. ACPs in arthroplasty care will develop expertise across all four pillars of advanced clinical practice and have the potential to influence and contribute to the development of guidance and policy for the future of arthroplasty care delivery, ensuring best quality, evidence-based practice is achieved.

Increased demand in services, workforce pressures and continued financial constraints has resulted in a significant expansion in advanced clinical practice roles in the United Kingdom. This article will describe the personal experience of a perioperative Advanced Clinical Practitioner in the design and implementation of a training programme to achieve competence in ultrasound-guided lower limb peripheral nerve blockade. Three specific lower limb peripheral nerve blockade were included in the training programme, namely sciatic nerve block at the popliteal fossa, saphenous nerve block, and femoral nerve block. Key service drivers underpinning development, rationale for Advanced Clinical Practitioner involvement in lower limb peripheral nerve blockade and governance will also be discussed.

OBJECTIVE: The prompt recording of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and its correct interpretation is crucial to the management of patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with cardiovascular symptoms. Since triage nurses represent the first healthcare professionals evaluating the patient, improving their ability in interpreting the ECG could have a positive impact on clinical management. This real-world study investigates whether triage nurses can accurately interpret the ECG in patients presenting with cardiovascular symptoms.
METHODS: Prospective, single-centre observational study conducted in a general ED of General Hospital of Merano in Italy.
METHODS: For all patients included, the triage nurses and the emergency physicians were asked to independently interpret and classify the ECGs answering to dichotomous questions. We correlated the interpretation of the ECG made by the triage nurses with the occurrence of acute cardiovascular events. The inter-rater agreement in ECG interpretation between physicians and triage nurses was evaluated with Cohen\'s kappa analysis.
RESULTS: Four hundred and ninety-one patients were included. The inter-rater agreement between triage nurses and physicians in classifying an ECG as abnormal was good. Patients who developed an acute cardiovascular event were 10.6% (52/491), and in 84.6% (44/52) of them, the nurse accurately classified the ECG as abnormal, with a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 43.5%.
CONCLUSIONS: Triage nurses have a moderate ability in identifying alterations in specific components of the ECG but a good ability in identifying patterns indicative of time-dependent conditions correlated with major acute cardiovascular events.
UNASSIGNED: Triage nurses can accurately interpret the ECG in the ED to identify patients at high risk of acute cardiovascular events.
UNASSIGNED: The study was reported according to the STROBE guidelines.
UNASSIGNED: The study did not involve any patients during its conduction.

BACKGROUND: An extended role being explored globally is the advanced clinical practitioner (ACP). In England this is an extended role for allied health professions, nurses and midwives in a range of settings.
OBJECTIVE: This paper focuses on three research questions: 1) What is the role of ACPs in England? 2) What are the barriers and facilitators to implementing the role? and 3) What is the contribution of ACPs to health services in England?
METHODS: A qualitative, exploratory study to explore perspectives on the ACP role in a range of clinical settings.
METHODS: We recruited 63 stakeholders, including 34 nurses, working in a ACP role or ACP education. A purposive snowball sampling technique identified participants meeting inclusion criteria.
METHODS: One-to-one semi-structured interviews throughout 2020, recorded and transcribed verbatim, anonymised and thematically analysed.
RESULTS: The ACP role in England was undertaken in a broad range of clinical contexts. In England \'advanced clinical practitioner\' was not a protected title. There were high levels of variability and ambiguity of understanding and deployment of the ACP role in England. Facilitators to the implementation process included training and education, clinical supervision and organisational support. Lack of protection for the role and variances in experience were barriers. Employer support facilitated development of the ACP role, however where support was limited, at either an individual or organisation level, this was a barrier. Our study highlighted the wide range of ways the ACP role benefitted patient outcomes and workforce development.
CONCLUSIONS: This study outlines the contribution that ACPs can make to health services, contributing factors and key barriers and facilitators to implementing this role. The work showed the positive contribution ACPs can make to service redesign, workforce development and patient outcomes, whilst accepting there is much work to do to ensure protected status and parity across all professions and clinical contexts.

Nurses working in critical care, consisting of the intensive care and high dependency units, will encounter a broad range of diseases and conditions. Therefore, a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of common presentations is required, especially for advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs). One of the most common electrolyte disturbances seen within these areas is hyponatraemia, affecting around 40% of patients in critical care and 30% of inpatients. It is important that ACPs working in this area are aware of the symptoms and recommended diagnosis and management.