On the Front Line

1. On the Front Line RCN Fellows Conference November 2010

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

3. 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)

4. Current Challenges - 1 • Demand • Complexity • Change • Growing need

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

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

7. 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)

8. 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)

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

10. The Public expects… • Well educated • Competent • Compassionate • Caring

11. 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)

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

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

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

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

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

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