NURSING

The Nursing Roadmap for Quality: a signposting map for nursing (3rd March 2010)

The Nursing Roadmap for Quality has been designed help nurses and their teams understand the elements of the quality framework that relate to nursing practice.

The purpose of the document is to:

• inform nurses and their teams of their role in supporting quality improvements against the seven elements of the quality framework
• provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for key resources, which nursing teams can use to further demonstrate their added contribution to quality
• reinforce the need for nurses to identify ways to reduce waste and repetition, by contributing to the quality and productivity challenge.

Document

NURSING AND MIDWIFERY

Front line care: Report by the Prime Minister's Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery in England (2nd March 2010)

The Commission was established in March 2009 to explore how the nursing and midwifery professions could take a central role in the design and delivery of 21st century services in England. It built on Lord Darzi’s 2008 report of the NHS Next Stage Review, High Quality Care for All, and considered all branches of nursing as well as midwifery, in all settings, services and sectors within and outside the NHS. This report endorses important existing directions of travel and identifies new ones, and where necessary proposes to accelerate the pace of change. It adds new thinking about how best nursing and midwifery can support service users, families and local communities.
Report

MATERNITY/MIDWIFERY

The Family Nurse Partnership Programme (3rd December 2009)
This letter from Ann Keen and Dawn Primarolo informs about the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) Programme. FNP is an evidence-based, preventive programme for vulnerable first-time young parents, delivered from early pregnancy until the child is two. Extensive evidence points to short and long term benefits for children and parents.
Information

Birth and beyond: stakeholder perceptions of current antenatal education provision in England (8th December 2009)
This research examined stakeholder perspectives about current NHS ante-natal education across ten strategic health authorities in England. The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Health.
Report

Birth and beyond: a review of the evidence about antenatal education (8th December 2009)
The aim of this study was to synthesise published evidence concerning the cost and effectiveness of antenatal education, alongside evidence about stakeholder perspectives.
Report

Getting Maternity Services right for pregnant teenagers and young fathers - 2nd edition (November 2009)
This guide is aimed at practitioners working in mainstream services or areas where the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is relatively low and where there are no dedicated services for pregnant teenagers. It sets out the reasons why it is important to improve the maternity service offered to young parents, and offers practical guidance on working with pregnant teenagers and young fathers.

This guide, originally produced in 2008, has been revised following feedback from midwives and other maternity workers saying that they would welcome more guidance on ways of effectively engaging with young mothers. The content has been revised with the close involvement of the Fatherhood Institute and offers practical guidance on working with pregnant teenagers, young mothers and young fathers.
Guide

NURSING

Nurses employment and morale: Scotland 2009. Employment Survey (30th October 2009)
This report describes the findings for Scotland from the 22nd Royal College of Nursing (RCN) employment survey of a sample of RCN members. This year, as in 2007, 9,000 nurses from across the UK were surveyed (including 1400 identified as living in Scotland). The RCN membership is broadly representative of the nursing workforce as a whole, thus the results of this survey of members in Scotland can be taken to broadly reflect the UK and Scotland nursing populations more generally. This report seeks to describe the employment characteristics of nurses in 2009, and identify changes in the employment behaviour and morale of the nursing workforce in Scotland.
Report

Nurses' employment and morale: Wales 2009. Employment Survey (6th November 2009)
This report describes the findings for Wales from the 22nd RCN employment survey of a sample of RCN members. This year, as in 2007, 9,000 nurses from across the UK were surveyed. The RCN membership is broadly representative of the nursing workforce as a whole, thus the results of this survey of members in Wales can be taken to broadly reflect the UK and Wales nursing populations more generally. This report seeks to describe the employment characteristics of nurses in 2009, and identify changes in the employment behaviour and morale of the nursing workforce in Wales.
Report

Legal advice on using the internet (9th November 2009)
Information technology, and the internet in particular, is now an integral part of our daily lives, and almost everyone will have access to a computer at work, and very often at home as well. However, employers and professional bodies are becoming increasingly alert to the potential abuse of the internet. The growing popularity of social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and Twitter has raised the risks of a health care worker experiencing potentially serious legal and professional repercussions through the inappropriate use (if only inadvertently) of this recent technology. This guide gives a list of do’s and don’ts for using the internet – and information on the risks and repercussions if used inappropriately.
Guide

Nursing and the economic downturn a roundtable discussion (10th November 2009)
This is a summary of the roundtable discussion on Nursing and the economic downturn which was held on 25 August 2009 at RCN headquarters in London.
Summary

NURSING

Integrated core career and competence framework for registered nurses (16th October 2009)
The Royal College of Nursing has launched a career and competence framework which brings together the core and specific dimensions of the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) that are relevant to nursing.

Integrated core career and competence framework for registered nurses has been written to help nurses and health care assistants guide their own development. It will also help to capture evidence to support the development of KSF profiles, demonstrate readiness for career progression and support ongoing registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
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NURSING

Work-related stress. A good practice guide for RCN representatives (8th October 2009)
Work related stress has overtaken musculoskeletal disorders as the main cause of absence and ill health in the health sector. Nursing is often seen as one of the most stressful occupations, therefore work-related stress is a major concern for RCN representatives. This guidance takes RCN representatives through the HSE's managament standards and the process of conducting a stress risk assessment. The guidance details how RCN safety representatives can get involved in each stage of the risk assessment process, with a number of case studies highlighting how representatives have implemented the HSE standards in their own workplaces. The standards are a useful tool and and can help in addressing issues such as workload, work patterns and organisational change. This publication may also be useful for stewards and learning representatives when supporting RCN members who are returning to work following a stress related illness or when negotiating learning and development opportunities for members.
Guide

Assessing, managing and monitoring biologic therapies for inflammatory arthritis (12th October 2009)
The role of biologic therapies in the treatment and management of patients with inflammatory joint disease is an evolving area that has significant implications for all practitioners. This guidance also contains a practitioners' workbook to aid a standardised assessment and management process, and part two of the publication covers specific issues for the care of children and young people. It has its own reference section and appendices that refer specifically to paediatric care.
Guidance

Clinical nurse specialists: stoma care (2nd October 2009)
The Royal College of Nursing has published new guidance which reviews the role of the stoma nurse specialist.

The publication covers stoma care education, management, consultancy and research. It also includes a series of case studies and patient stories which highlight the work of stoma nurse specialists.
Guide

DIRECTIONS

The National Health Service (Nursing Care in Residential Accommodation) (Amendment) (England) Directions 2009 (29th September 2009)
These Directions come into force on 1st October 2009 and apply to every Primary Care Trust.
Directions

The Delayed Discharges (Continuing Care) Directions 2009 (29th September 2009)
These Directions come into force on 1st October 2009 and apply to every English NHS trust and Primary Care Trust.
Directions

The NHS Continuing Healthcare (Responsibilities) Directions 2009 (29th September 2009)
These Directions come into force on 1st October 2009 and apply to every Strategic Health Authority, Primary Care Trust and social services authority in England.
Directions

NURSING

Pain in Children (28th September 2009)
Originally published in 2000, and now completely revised and updated as of 2009, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) guideline on the recognition and assessment of acute pain in children looks at when and how pain should be assessed and by whom. As well as the report itself, this resource provides high quality tailored material to inspire and support implementation of the findings and recommendations in the guideline.
Resources

NURSING

Supporting children and young people with diabetes: guidance for nurses in schools and early years settings (11th August 2009)
The prevalence of diabetes amongst children and young people is increasing, and requires different and more complex management than diabetes in adults. Although diabetes should not prevent a child from participating in school and extra-curricular activities, research shows that children with diabetes miss significantly more school than their non-diabetic peers. The RCN is aware of inequality in the care provision of children and young people with diabetes, and has outlined the principles that need to be put in place to ensure their needs are met. This guidance is aimed health care professionals and education staff who are caring for children and young people with diabetes. It includes key facts about the Disability Discrimination Act, how to draw up individualised care plans and emergency procedures, and how to access support. The aim is to ensure that children and young people receive appropriate care without prejudicing their health or education.
Guidance

Rheumatology nursing: results of a survey exploring the performance and activity of rheumatology (10th August 2009)
Rheumatology services have to date not been included in any national policy initiatives. This survey report provides preliminary data about the work and activity of nurses working in the rheumatology field. The publication provides an up to date snapshot of rheumatology nursing services in the UK and identifies the scope and breadth of nursing activity, while enabling nurses to compare their skills and competences against other specialists in their field of practice. It also provides an important resource for commissioners, seeking to understand and plan the provision of the specialist support and workforce needs, to commission and deliver high quality patient care.
Publication

NURSING

Policy+. From bench to bedside. What role for nurses in helping the NHS make better and quicker use of technological innovations? (July 2009)
The adoption of innovative healthcare technologies with a proven ability to deliver increased patient benefits and significant efficiencies is perceived as slower and more variable in the NHS than other healthcare systems. Nurses are the largest workforce in the NHS and end users of much technology at the bedside. Drawing on a recently completed systematic review (1), this Policy Plus summarises what we know – and do not know – about the nurses’ role in adopting and assimilating such innovations into routine clinical care and considers the challenges for nurse leaders.
Publication

NURSING

The nature, scope and value of ophthalmic nursing (2nd July 2009)
This third edition from the RCN Ophthalmic Nursing Forum represents the strategic vision of ophthalmic nursing. It has been revised to reflect the current climate of clinical ophthalmic nursing care delivery. The document discusses the fundamental nature of ophthalmic nursing, asks how ophthalmic nurses can contribute to health care and looks at the value of the role. It also includes standards which are based on current empirical evidence, an audit tool and useful reading lists.
Document

Competences: an education and training framework for paediatric dermatological nursing (6th July 2009)
Skin disorders are common in children and young people and many of them will be cared for entirely in primary care, including through out of hours services, walk-in clinics and GP surgeries. Health care professionals in these settings must be able to demonstrate relevant knowledge, competence, skills and experience in nursing children with skin disease. Recognising this need, children’s dermatology nurses from across the UK have developed this RCN competence framework. The framework aims to establish explicit, nationally-agreed role profiles for children’s dermatology specialist nursing roles.
Document

CANCER

Using self-directed learning as a way of developing new clinical skills for breast cancer specialist nurses. An evaluation report for the Department of Health (June 2009)
NHS Improvement has been working collaboratively with the University of the West of England (UWE), NHS SKills for Health and North Bristol NHS Trust in order to pilot and test a new approach to the development of clinical nurse specialist skills to support service improvement and to meet the new breast cancer waiting times.

A new work-based learning 12 month programme has been developed and the third round of this programme is now underway.
Document

The Excess Burden of Cancer in Men in the UK (15th June 2009)
This report, published by the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) and Cancer Research UK together with the Men's Health Forum, reveals that men are almost 40% more likely than women to die from cancer.

The report, to mark Men's Health Week, also reveals that they are 16% more likely to develop the disease in the first place.
Report

NURSING

Competences: an integrated career and competence framework for nurses working with HIV-associated lipoatrophy in adults (12th June 2009)
Facial lipoatrophy can be devastating for those affected. It can influence an individual’s sense of wellbeing, perception of body image and self-esteem. This in turn can increase anxiety levels, particularly when addressing the complexities of HIV-associated facial lipoatrophy. The role of the nurse is essential, not only in administering the corrective treatment, but also assisting patients in dealing with the psychosocial effects of facial lipoatrophy and implementing the appropriate actions. This document aims to provide a framework for nurses working in HIV-related medical aesthetics and, while not prescriptive, can be used as a template to guide clinical practice.
Document

NURSING

Health and nursing care in the criminal justice service. RCN guidance for nursing staff (11th May 2009)
The role of health care nurses in the criminal justice service is varied, complex and often challenging. This guide will help you to access up to date information, toolkits and sources of advice to assist you in your work. It is a resource to support the delivery of high quality services to people in a broad range of environments, from police custody to high security prisons in all four UK countries. This guide replaces the 2002 Royal College of Nursing publication, Nursing in Prisons, and highlights the specific health and nursing care needs of offenders.
Guide

Guidance on uniforms and work wear (11th May 2009)
This updated guidance sets out information on issues related to the selection, wearing and decontamination of uniforms or clothing worn in the delivery of patient care and is aimed at nurses and their employers. It can be applied to all settings in which health care takes place and for any clothing worn when undertaking patient care activities.
Guidance

Raising concerns, raising standards (11th May 2009)
This booklet from the RCN is to inform nurses how they can help and support them to give the best care they can and to help nurses protect patients if they raise concerns over patient care.
Booklet

NURSING

Research ethics. RCN guidance for nurses (23rd March 2009)
Many nurses are now undertaking research in a range of settings; therefore it is important to ensure that any research you are involved in is safe, robust and ethical. There are many different types of research: service evaluations, clinical trials or action research studies, but the ethical principles that should guide those involved remain constant. This updated guidance provides an introduction to these as well as providing nurses with an overview of recent developments in research ethics.
Guidance

Mental health in children and young people: An RCN toolkit for nurses who are not mental health specialists (18th March 2009)
One in 10 children and young people will experience behavioural, emotional and mental health problems at some point in their lives. However, identifying mental health problems and responding appropriately can prove challenging for nurses working with children and young people. The RCN has prepared this publication to assist those nurses who are not mental health specialists who work with children and young people in community and hospital settings. It will help them in identifying the skills and knowledge they need to recognise and, if necessary, refer children who have problems affecting their mental health.
Toolkit

Defending Dignity - challenges and opportunities for nursing (March 2009)
Underpinning the thinking behind the RCN's Dignity campaign is a survey, which took place over a three-week period from February 2008. Attracting more than 2,000 participants, the study explored the attitudes and experiences of RCN members about this crucial aspect of care. Amongst the survey’s significant findings are:

• more than eight out of 10 respondents say they always or sometimes feel upset or distressed because they are unable to give the dignified care they know they should
• 65 per cent say they sometimes or never have enough time to devote to the dignity of their patients or clients
• meanwhile more than 98 per cent say that the dignity of their patients and clients is important to them.

Respondents cite several issues that prevent dignified care being given. Looking at the physical environment, these include:

• overcrowded wards
• the layout of the clinical area
• the curtains around beds
• noisy and disruptive environments
• mixed sex wards.

Organisationally, these include:

• resources and staffing levels
• overwhelming paperwork
• targets and statistics
• a lack of leadership on this issue.

Report

HEALTHCARE

Local healthcare commissioning: grassroots involvment? A national survey of health advocacy groups (18th February 2009)
This report, from National Voices and Royal College of Nursing Local Healthcare Commissioning, reveals that many patients feel local healthcare commissioning (LHC), the process intended to ensure health and care services effectively meet the needs of the local population by engaging with patient representatives, is not working effectively. The report also identifies specialist nurses as the best placed healthcare professionals to make the commissioning process a success.
Press Release
Report
Appendix

Healthcare in Europe (18th February 2009)
Discussions are ongoing in Europe to decide new rules that should apply to patients seeking healthcare in other European countries at the expense of their home system. The NHS European Office carried out a consultation exercise to assess potential implications of the proposed legislation for the NHS. This Briefing summarises NHS views on some key aspects of the EU proposals.
Briefing

NURSING

Breaking down barriers, driving up standards. The role of the ward sister and charge nurse (26th February 2009)
Ward sisters and charge nurses have many roles, but their responsibility is clear – to oversee patient care on a ward. This Royal College of Nursing report looks at how the role is working across different types of hospital trusts in England, including mental health, children and adult wards. The importance of the ward sister and charge nurse role applies universally, and where the role is supervisory, patient care benefits. The RCN worked with focus groups of charge nurses and ward sisters across England and the findings were validated by further groups of ward sisters and nurse directors. The report findings highlight that work urgently needs to done to strengthen and support the role for the delivery of high-quality nursing.
Report

NURSING

Who wants to be a nurse? (January 2009)
Nursing roles and the configuration of health services will change in the future, but there will be an ongoing need to draw large numbers of talented people into nursing careers to deliver the Next Stage Review’s vision of a “quality workforce”. This edition of Policy+ considers who is currently entering nursing and what can be done to maintain or increase the number of high calibre applicants to nursing courses.
Document

NURSING

An RCN toolkit for school nurses. Developing your practice to support children and young people in educational settings (15th December 2008)
The publication aims to highlight the role of the school nurse and to disseminate best practice. It includes guidance on school health profiling, which are the assessment of a whole school's health with action plans and questionnaires. The title also covers infection control, travel health, safeguarding children and risk assessment.
Publication

NURSING

Can you measure nursing? (October 2008)
This edition of Policy+, from King’s College London, explores measures of the quality of nursing care. It is based on a report from the National Nursing Research Unit (NNRU) “State of the Art Metrics for Nursing: a rapid appraisal”. Drawing on a range of existing sets of indicators and systematic reviews linking aspects of nursing to patient outcomes, the paper examines whether or not nursing could be measured in a way which would allow comparison between institutions and facilitate accountability for the quality of care.
Document

High quality nursing care - what is it and how can we best ensure its delivery? (October 2008)
The Next Stage Review “High Quality Care for All” places quality at the heart of the NHS. Nurses are in a powerful position to improve the quality of care, the experience of patients, and health outcomes across health services. This paper summarise key aspects of the recent National Nursing Research Unit report, “Nurses in Society: starting the debate”.
Paper

Abortion care. RCN guidance for nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses (27th October 2008)
This publication is an update of previous work by the RCN around the issue of abortion care. The guidance aims to provide clear and accurate information for nurses; to improve knowledge about abortion and abortion care; to empower nurses to develop their roles in abortion care and to protect the public by identifying relevant legislation and standards of care.
Publication

Dignity: RCN Definition of Dignity (13th December 2008)
This flyer is part of the RCN Dignity Campaign.
Flyer

Dignity: Small changes make a big difference: how you can influence to deliver dignified care (16th October 2008)
This resource provides you with some ideas about how to influence to maintain and improve dignity in your area of practice. The resource has been developed with nursing teams in mind and is designed to help you understand what ‘influencing to improve dignity’ means by providing explanations and examples of good practice. The resource also provides opportunities for you to identify and develop skills and strategies that will help you influence for dignity in your practice area. It is intended to provide you with practical support to help you take the first steps towards maintaining and promoting dignity in your workplace.
Document

Dignity: delivering dignified care: a practice support pack for workshop facilitators (16th October 2008)
Aimed at senior nurses who will deliver a dignity workshop, and developed with Help the Aged, the pack contains an interactive DVD and a guide to facilitating a workshop focusing on changing attitudes and practice.
Support Pack

Dignity: Information Poster and Flyer (16th October 2008)
To be put up on notice board in any care setting to promote dignity.
Poster 1
Flyer

Dignity: a pocket guide (16th October 2008)
Quick portable reference to make dignity a priority when on the go, contains the RCN definition of dignity and quick and simple ideas to get you thinking about how dignity relates to ‘places, people and processes’
Pocket Guide

Dignity: Dignity workshop worksheet (16th October 2008)
Accompanying support material for dignity workshops for use with Delivering dignified care: a practice support pack for workshop facilitators.
Worksheet

Dignity: Dignity workshop poster (16th October 2008)
Accompanying support material for dignity workshops for use with Delivering dignified care: a practice support pack for workshop facilitators.
Poster