On the Front Line RCN Fellows Conference November 2010

Compassionate Learning “We need to make feedback the cornerstone of improving quality and a culture of compassionate learning.” (Thornton and Sieff HSJ June 2010)

Recent History “Historically, Nursing has been viewed as a low status profession, but this must change if we are to embrace the challenges ahead.” (Bernhauser 2010)

Current Challenges - 1 Demand Demand Complexity Complexity Change Change Growing need Growing need

Challenges - 2 “There is a need to ensure nurses are better equipped to address future public health challenges.” (Davies 2008)

Public Image of Nursing Public face of NHS Public face of NHS Myth and Stereotypes Myth and Stereotypes Mini Doctors / Managers Mini Doctors / Managers Education in the class room Education in the class room Image and reality Image and reality

Recruitment “The familiar association of the nurse with pain, suffering and death and the tendency to place her (almost always a her rather than a him) within the setting of a hospital impedes an understanding of the great variety of jobs nurses actually do.” (Briggs 1972)

Perceptions “Nurses have for too long suffered from the fact that policies and rules are made for us rather than by us; made by men for women; by politicians for nurses.” (Tschudin 1999)

Patients want Nurses who; Communicate Communicate Well organised Well organised Confident Confident Safe Safe Can navigate on their behalf Can navigate on their behalf Construct rational arguments for them Construct rational arguments for them Enabling clinicians Enabling clinicians

The Public expects… Well educated Well educated Competent Competent Compassionate Compassionate Caring Caring

The Public expects… “ In addition to being expert technicians, healthcare workers must be good with people, be educators and team players and have a holistic sense of people’s needs.” “ Paternalism is eroding and now a new generation of clinicians is emerging with different attitudes, but more needs to be done.” (Jeremy Taylor – CEO National Voices 2010)

The unique position of nursing Passion Passion Commitment Commitment Responsibility Responsibility Satisfaction Satisfaction Freedom and Flexibility Freedom and Flexibility Team work Team work Vital to the NHS Vital to the NHS

The new story of nursing Fresh image Fresh image Raised awareness Raised awareness New career opportunities New career opportunities Educated to care Educated to care Flexible workforce Flexible workforce All graduate profession All graduate profession

Impact of all graduate profession Improved retention Improved retention Likely to stay longer at bedside Likely to stay longer at bedside Able to act more independently Able to act more independently Capable of taking on more responsibility Capable of taking on more responsibility Advocacy roles Advocacy roles Confident in reaching nursing diagnoses and evaluation Confident in reaching nursing diagnoses and evaluation Confident in use of research Confident in use of research Development of Nurse led pathways Development of Nurse led pathways Increased leadership capacity Increased leadership capacity Both individuals and the profession developed Both individuals and the profession developed Policy regularly influenced Policy regularly influenced

Remaining Issues dependent on; Quality of education programmes Quality of education programmes Development of advanced practice Development of advanced practice Regulation of healthcare support workers Regulation of healthcare support workers Student support / preceptorship Student support / preceptorship Motivated leaders to maintain momentum Motivated leaders to maintain momentum Managing the current financial position Managing the current financial position Multi-professional workforce planning Multi-professional workforce planning DoN champions of care DoN champions of care Ability to identify value for money Ability to identify value for money

Summary Greater emphasis on supporting and educating patients and clients Greater emphasis on supporting and educating patients and clients Patients better equipped to look after themselves Patients better equipped to look after themselves Greater dialogue with the public Greater dialogue with the public Nurses with a different mindset Nurses with a different mindset Nurses who use their experience, rather than acting as experts who dispense it Nurses who use their experience, rather than acting as experts who dispense it

Finally “The future belongs to the people who see possibilities before they become obvious...” (Theodore Levitt)