April 06 Newsletter
THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
REVIEW OF NURSING IN THE COMMUNITY
APRIL 2006
Alison Jarvis and Helen Morrison, the two project officers for the Review, have been travelling the country over the past few months to try & meet as many of the key stakeholders as possible, although they recognise there are many more groups & individuals who they would like to have met.
By the end of April workshops will have been held in all but one NHS Board area. Delegates have included:
- Front line nurses from most disciplines working in the community
- Nurse leaders including some Directors of Nursing, nurse managers, team leaders
- Social workers and a few Allied Health Professionals
- General Managers
- National groups & single discipline groups such as:
- Royal College of Nursing, UNISON & AMICUS forums
- Practice nurse forum
- General Medical Services (GMS) implementation group & GMS Human Resources group
- Senior Occupational Health Nurse NHS Managers forum
- Care Commission
- Community Health Partnership Association
- Sub-groups of Directors of Social Work Association
- As well as informal discussions with the British Medical Association & Royal College of General Practitioners
- Users & carers have been included with two dedicated workshops
National Conference 16th March
This was very over subscribed, but over 200 people attended this on a snowy day to hear Paul Martin, CNO give an opening address, putting the Review into context. John Atkinson gave a stimulating & challenging address highlighting the frequently invisible skills of nurses working in the community that are essential for maintaining & improving the health of individuals & communities.
The project officers outlined the key themes from their work undertaken to date which include:
The strengths of nurses working in community of undertaking holistic assessments based on their broad educational background, their skills in supporting independence, their abilities in co-ordinating care & in managing uncertainty & complexity. This enables them to negotiate options with the people they are involved with. They have technical competences but also experience & skills at relationship building with individuals, families & communities. All nurses are involved in work that does not utilise their strengths & which could be undertaken by others. Nurses need to build on their strengths & take forward work in anticipatory care, managing long term conditions, managing hospital admission & discharge, supporting unpaid carers, helping reduce health inequalities & harnessing IT opportunities
Questionnaire
This has been completed by almost hundred people on-line with a further dozen returning a hard copy. The data are currently being analysed & will contribute to the Final Report
Practitioner Reference Group
This group of nurses from all the main community nursing disciplines is meeting to discuss the implications for practice of the recommendations in the Report.
The Final Report
This will draw on the work to date, recognising the demographic & workforce drivers that will impact on the care needed & the care providers; it will build on the policy directives that are shaping health care in Scotland & will sketch out a model for future nursing provision, along with recommendations for further work.
For further information
Please email: communitynursingreview@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Or telephone Jennifer Atack on telephone: 0131 244 2464
Alison Jarvis & Helen Morrison
Review of Nursing in the Community
SEHD, Primary Care Division
Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3D