Sometimes, when you hear about a new idea, you just know it’s a good one, which is definitely the case with a nurse-led project to transition from single use to reusable tourniquets. You can read an article about the project in this issue.
Our cover feature, meanwhile, looks at the benefits of holding consultations surrounded by nature and, in this month’s clinical comment, you will find nurses putting forward the case that green interventions, like gardening, should be routinely available in mental health services. These articles are part of our latest annual edition on sustainability and the environment. It represents our fifth such ‘green’ issue.
We have some great articles. One is in the opinion section, where Kate Stables discusses clinical waste created each year from disposing of single-use laryngoscopes across three theatre departments, the weight of which she notes is “equivalent to a fully grown male giant panda”.
A lot of the energy driving change when it comes to sustainable practice is coming from early career nurses. With that in mind, we have also spoken to a group of nurses who are just starting out in the profession but who are already making an impact when it comes to sustainability.