The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has designed a 'Raising Concerns toolkit', which includes information to help members navigate the process of escalation, from identifying a potential concern through to formally reporting it to senior colleagues.
It’s been designed to help members decide when to escalate a workplace issue and includes a flowchart to support them in deciding what, when and how to report concerns.
The toolkit outlines the types of concerns that might be raised such as staffing and patient safety, a lack of support or training, as well as cultural or criminal issues.
It supports nursing staff to understand the importance of remaining factual, staying neutral and keeping records of events.
RCN Deputy Director of Nursing Eileen Mckenna said: “We know that raising a concern at work isn’t easy, but it safeguards nursing staff and can provide learning opportunities. Our Raising Concerns toolkit can be used by nurses, nursing associates, students and health care support workers in the NHS and independent sector to help them through the process of escalating an issue.
“All workplaces that employ nursing staff should have a culture of safety and focus on system learning, not individual blame in the event of a mistake being made. We will always support members who challenge unsafe practices, processes or conditions at work in the interests of their own safety and that of patients. It’s an important skill that promotes psychological safety, a positive learning environment and wellbeing.”
Source: RCN, 2 March 2022
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