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2 in 3
children will experience at least one traumatic event by the age of 16, according to guidance from the Institute of Health Visiting See page 11
STAFF WELL-BEING
‘Don’t forget lessons of Mid Staffs failings’ Nurses and other NHS staff have become ‘shock absorbers’ for a health service under chronic strain, according to a report. The Point of Care Foundation, a patient care improvement charity, argues in its Behind Closed Doors report that lessons from the Francis inquiry into care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust are in danger of being forgotten. The report, based on NHS staff experience, found current reported levels of stress among NHS clinical and non-clinical staff are greater than in the general working population, with stress to blame for one quarter of staff absence. The foundation called on NHS leaders to strengthen measures to protect staff from stress, arguing there is a direct link between staff well-being and patient-centred care.
IN BRIEF
Nurses at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust have signed up to an audio programme to ‘gently retrain the mind’ in a bid to encourage them to eat healthily and lose weight. rcni.com/slimpod
Fast fact
TWEET
‘Important article from @rcni about the hidden wounds affecting our emergency services #PTSD KevinRedmayne @KevinRedmayne
To read our article on post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological problems in the emergency services, go to rcni.com/PTSD-999
Action plan aims to boost practice nurse workforce By Petra Kendall-Raynor
A ten-point action plan to boost the general practice nursing (GPN) workforce has been published by England’s chief nurse. Four regional GPN delivery boards will be set up this month and will be accountable for developing local strategies to fulfil the plan. By January next year, NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) are expected establish a target for the number of additional practice nurses over the duration of the GP Forward View, which aims to improve general practice by 2021. The action plan includes: » Raising the profile of nursing in general practice and improving nurse retention. » Increasing the number of pre-registration placements in general practice. » Ensuring all nurses new to general practice have access to an induction and professional development plan. » Expanding practice nurse career opportunities and progression. » Developing new career pathways into primary care nursing, including nursing associates and healthcare assistants. England’s chief nursing officer Jane Cummings told Nursing Standard the GPN delivery boards are likely to be chaired by a senior nurse,
with practice nurse involvement and representatives from HEE and organisations such as the RCN. She added that the boards would report to her, NHS England and the director of commissioning responsible for the overarching GP Forward View.
Critical role
Professor Cummings said: ‘It is important we recognise the critical role of practice nurses and give them the focus they deserve. ‘GPs cannot afford not to implement this action plan. The positives as a result of implementation will be worth it. ‘The impact practice nurses can have on the GP workload is huge, especially if practice staff are doing the right jobs.’ Research by the Queen’s Nursing Institute published last year showed that one third of practice nurses expressed an intention to retire by 2020, which could equate to more than 8,000 nurses in the next three years. RCN head of nursing practice Wendy Preston said the plan highlighted the pivotal role of practice nurses in giving care close to home. ‘With large numbers retiring in the next few years, we must not delay making general practice an attractive career for nurses.’
nursingstandard.com volume 31 number 49 uses / 2 August /9 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Sep 04, 2017. For personal use only. No other without 2017 permission. Copyright © 2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd
2 in 3
children will experience at least one traumatic event by the age of 16, according to guidance from the Institute of Health Visiting See page 11
STAFF WELL-BEING
‘Don’t forget lessons of Mid Staffs failings’ Nurses and other NHS staff have become ‘shock absorbers’ for a health service under chronic strain, according to a report. The Point of Care Foundation, a patient care improvement charity, argues in its Behind Closed Doors report that lessons from the Francis inquiry into care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust are in danger of being forgotten. The report, based on NHS staff experience, found current reported levels of stress among NHS clinical and non-clinical staff are greater than in the general working population, with stress to blame for one quarter of staff absence. The foundation called on NHS leaders to strengthen measures to protect staff from stress, arguing there is a direct link between staff well-being and patient-centred care.
IN BRIEF
Nurses at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust have signed up to an audio programme to ‘gently retrain the mind’ in a bid to encourage them to eat healthily and lose weight. rcni.com/slimpod
Fast fact
TWEET
‘Important article from @rcni about the hidden wounds affecting our emergency services #PTSD KevinRedmayne @KevinRedmayne
To read our article on post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological problems in the emergency services, go to rcni.com/PTSD-999
Action plan aims to boost practice nurse workforce By Petra Kendall-Raynor
A ten-point action plan to boost the general practice nursing (GPN) workforce has been published by England’s chief nurse. Four regional GPN delivery boards will be set up this month and will be accountable for developing local strategies to fulfil the plan. By January next year, NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) are expected establish a target for the number of additional practice nurses over the duration of the GP Forward View, which aims to improve general practice by 2021. The action plan includes: » Raising the profile of nursing in general practice and improving nurse retention. » Increasing the number of pre-registration placements in general practice. » Ensuring all nurses new to general practice have access to an induction and professional development plan. » Expanding practice nurse career opportunities and progression. » Developing new career pathways into primary care nursing, including nursing associates and healthcare assistants. England’s chief nursing officer Jane Cummings told Nursing Standard the GPN delivery boards are likely to be chaired by a senior nurse,
with practice nurse involvement and representatives from HEE and organisations such as the RCN. She added that the boards would report to her, NHS England and the director of commissioning responsible for the overarching GP Forward View.
Critical role
Professor Cummings said: ‘It is important we recognise the critical role of practice nurses and give them the focus they deserve. ‘GPs cannot afford not to implement this action plan. The positives as a result of implementation will be worth it. ‘The impact practice nurses can have on the GP workload is huge, especially if practice staff are doing the right jobs.’ Research by the Queen’s Nursing Institute published last year showed that one third of practice nurses expressed an intention to retire by 2020, which could equate to more than 8,000 nurses in the next three years. RCN head of nursing practice Wendy Preston said the plan highlighted the pivotal role of practice nurses in giving care close to home. ‘With large numbers retiring in the next few years, we must not delay making general practice an attractive career for nurses.’
nursingstandard.com volume 31 number 49 uses / 2 August /9 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Sep 04, 2017. For personal use only. No other without 2017 permission. Copyright © 2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd
