Writing a paper for publication in “Working Papers in the Health Sciences”

This paper is specifically designed to help authors write scholarly papers for publication in “Working Papers in the Health Sciences” (WPHS). A comprehensive model based on 11 steps and detailing the specific architecture expected for the journal is suggested for the writing of a range of papers. This is commensurate with the recognised style of similar academic journals

Stemming the tide of young person suicide and self-harm

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper from the University of Southampton discusses strategies to reduce the incidence of suicide and self-harm in young people.</p

Editorial. Child carers: the forgotten workforce

Following the untimely death of a young carer earlier this year (Bennett, 2007) the plight of child carers has been the subject of much debate in the press recently, although concern about these vulnerable children has been expressed by health and social care professionals for many years. Over a decade ago Keith and Morris (1995) were warning that the rights of children who acted as primary carers were being undermined and that some children’s very own childhood was being blighted in caring for dependent siblings or relatives’. The scale of the problem is both hidden and underestimated. Doran et al (2003), in analyzing the data from the 2003 census, confirmed that the previous estimates of young carers which had estimated that there were between 10 000 and 50 000 were taken too lightly and that the real figure was closer to 114 000 with recent press reports putting it as high as 175 000 or more. Worryingly this same census data set showed that 9 000 children were providing at least 50 hours of care per week

Optimising the care of children with intellectual disabilities in hospital

Emeritus Professor Edward Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton discusses the complexities of care delivery to children in hospital with intellectual disabilities

Editorial. Ensuring that care complies with best practice

The NHS Clinical Governance Support Team service is scheduled to close on 31 March 2008 and, as of 1 April 2008, the Strategic Health Authorities in England will be responsible for clinical governance. It is therefore timely to re-appraise how nurses can champion the rights of children and young people to receive the best standards of care based on current policies. This is important as Coles et al (2007) have, while measuring compliance to one of the standards of the children’s national service framework (Department of Health (DH), 2003) in an English Strategic Health Authority, reported several disquieting elements of less than optimum performance

Editorial. The landscape is changing

The field of children’s and young people’s nursing is celebrating nearly 18 years in its current configuration, following Project 2000. In that time the parameters of care delivery for sick children, young people and their families have changed beyond recognition. Journal of Children’s and Young Peoples Nursing has been launched in recognition of the changing landscape of this maturing profession

Editorial. Out of Athens, looking forward

At the first international congress on paediatric nursing, hosted by The International Paediatric Association (IPA) as part of their 1998 congress meeting in Amsterdam, the nurses there launched the International Association of Paediatric Nurses (IAPN). The Dutch Association of Pediatric Nurses, with the support of the International Pediatric Association (IPA), was highly instrumental in developing the IAPN and subsequently the Paediatric Nursing Association of Europe, which was established in April 2003 as a regional group of the IAPN to encourage collaboration between professional organizations for nurses caring for children and young people in Europe. Prime movers in these initiatives have been JCYPN board members Corry van den Hoed-Heerschop, from the Dutch Association of Paediatric Nursing, and Dr Imelda Coyne, newly appointed associate professor and director of children’s nursing research at Trinity College Dublin. This is highly significant, not only because it demonstrates the growing maturity of a profession dedicated to the care of sick children everywhere, but also because of these individuals’ willingness to actively collaborate with other professionals in the pursuit of this goal.<br/

Prime Minister backs concept of presumed consent

The parents of children with chronic illnesses, where future transplant might be necessary to prolong life, will have applauded the overt stance as reported in the Mail on Sunday in January 2008 (http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=507945&amp;in_page_id=1770) of Prime Minister Gordon Brown regarding his support for the collection of potential organs for transplant from deceased patients, predicated on the concept of presumed consent. Mr Brown, himself the parent of a child with cystic fibrosis, has endeavoured to raise the level of debate which, if successfully concluded, might help many children and young people who are waiting for an organ donation. The current system of consent for organ donation is an ‘opt in’ rather than an ‘opt out’ system. It is reinforced by the Human Tissue Act (2004), which followed the disquieting events at Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital (Alder Hey), where body parts from children were removed without proper consent procedures being applied. Ironically, this act is now seen by some as an obstacle to increasing the availability of donors, as it is predicated on informed consent and contains no provision for presumed consent

Enhancing the uptake of vaccines in childhood

Emeritus Professor Edward Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, considers the use of vaccines to prevent illnesses among children and discusses a range of initiatives and strategies used to address parental fears related to immunization.</p