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Content Article
Friends of African Nursing
Patient_Safety_Learning posted an article in International patient safety
Friends of African Nursing (FoAN) was started as an organisation by Lesley and Kate, who had family contacts in Africa and due to their professional nursing backgrounds, had taken an interest in the health systems in African countries which they had visited whilst on holiday. It was apparent to them both separately, that the privilege of the healthcare environment in which they both worked in the UK - which offered continuing education, ready access to journals, speciality (perioperative) education and a professional association (in which they were closely involved, at home) as a ready made network was indeed a huge privilege which should be shared. Their primary interest is in supporting nurses and nursing in Africa. FOAN specialises in supporting nurses who work in Operating Theatres particularly and work with the surgical teams. Surgery is often high risk in Africa and their key interest is to update practice, educate on risk management and patient safety as well as infection prevention measures. They have also delivered programmes for ward leaders and other bespoke courses. Visit the FoAN website to find out more via the link below. -
Content Article
This is part of our series of Patient Safety Spotlight interviews, where we talk to people working for patient safety about their role and what motivates them. Judi talks to us about her experience of managing patient safety for a large healthcare provider, the importance of ensuring implemented safety standards are sustained and how crucial it is to professionalise patient safety. -
Content ArticleThe UK government’s long-awaited NHS workforce plan for England outlines a vision to increase the number of nursing staff in England over the next 15 years, with a promise of 170,000 more nurses by 2036/37. This article from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) outlines how the detail of the plan will affect nurses. It argues that the plan fails to acknowledge the financial investment needed if its objectives are to be fulfilled, and expresses the RCN's concern that it does not address financial support for student nurses.
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Content Article
This is part of our series of Patient Safety Spotlight interviews, where we talk to different people about their role and what motivates them to make health and social care safer. Martin talks to us about the role of Professional Nurse Advocates (PNAs) in improving patient safety through restorative clinical supervision for nurses. He also talks about the need to recognise the close relationship between staff safety and patient safety, and the impact that long waiting lists and limited NHS capacity are currently having. -
Community PostLets talks NEWS... Nurse and carer worry, I like to think that Critical Care outreach teams take this very seriously and that the 'worry' has a heavy influence in our management. Many of our patients may score 0, but warrant a trip to the ITU (AKI patients for instance). However, as part of our escalation policy it states that staff should alert the doctor and or the Outreach team when NEWS is 5 or 3 in one parameter. This causes the 'radar referral effect'. We often have a group of these patients on our list. Personally, I find them difficult to prioritise as they are often receiving frequent observations and have a plan. By concentrating on this group and make sure they have everything in place can take time, but... what about those not scoring in this threshold? Do they get pushed to the bottom of the list? Should nurses follow this protocol to safeguard themselves as well as the patient or are we not looking for sick patients in the right place? Don't get me wrong, the NEWS has been revolutionary in the way we deal with deterioration, but as a tool to prioritise this may not be the case. There are softer signs at play here....has anyone got any solutions to deal with the 'radar referals' Lots to discuss @Ron Daniels @Emma Richardson @LIz Staveacre @Danielle Haupt @Kirsty Wood
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Content ArticleThe presentation was held following the inaugural William Rathbone X Lecture, given by Professor Alison Leary, who spoke on the highly topical subject, ‘Thinking differently about nursing workforce challenges.’ The presentation can be watched from The Queen's Nursing Institute website.
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Content ArticleThis study looked at nursing within the UK and The Netherlands' health sectors, which are both highly regulated with policies to increase inclusiveness. It aimed to investigate the interplay between employment conditions and policy measures at sectoral level, in order to identify how these both facilitate and limit employment participation for disabled workers.
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Content Article
Using patient stories to reflect on care (2016)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Patient stories
There is an increasing emphasis on, and commitment to, using patient narratives in nursing practice and nurse education. Listening to the voices of those receiving our care is just the beginning. The challenge is to use these narratives to improve practice and the patient experience. This seven-part series in the Nursing Times presents narratives from three fields of nursing: adult, mental health and learning disability. Each article includes opportunities to reflect on the stories presented and consider their implications for practice. -
Content ArticleDespite steps towards closing the gap between mental and physical health services, many people still cannot access services and face long waits for treatment. Addressing workforce challenges in mental health services will be crucial to improving this situation. This report, commissioned and supported by NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network, takes stock of progress across the country in staffing the single largest profession within the mental health workforce: nurses.
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Content ArticleMany cross-sectional studies and reviews have demonstrated that higher registered nurse staffing levels are associated with better patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify and assess the evidence for an association between nurse staffing levels, including the composition of the nursing team, and patient outcomes in acute care settings from longitudinal studies.
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Content ArticleInstitutional racism within the United Kingdom's (UK) Higher Education (HE) sector, particularly nurse and midwifery education, has lacked empirical research, critical scrutiny, and serious discussion. This paper focuses on the racialised experiences of nurses and midwives during their education in UK universities, including their practice placements. It explores the emotional, physical, and psychological impacts of these experiences. The study concludes that the endemic culture of racism in nurse and midwifery education is a fundamental factor that must be recognised and called out. The study argues that universities and health care trusts need to be accountable for preparing all students to challenge racism and provide equitable learning opportunities that cover the objectives to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements to avoid significant experiences of exclusion and intimidation.
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Content ArticleDespite being the employees who often have the most direct contact with service users, NHS clinical support workers, such as healthcare assistants and maternity support workers, have long experienced a range of barriers to their effective deployment and development. These include a lack of standardised entry requirements, inconsistent task deployment and truncated career progression pathways. These have a detrimental impact on service delivery, including patient satisfaction. The degree to which local employers are able to determine the recruitment, deployment and development of support workers is a key reason why these issues endure; however, this article suggests that a deeper reason is the existence of a segmented labour market in the NHS, with support workers existing in a secondary market. This duality resides in the socio-economic differences between registered and non-registered staff. Recent NHS support workforce strategies present an opportunity to finally address the issues support staff face.
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Content ArticleThe aim of this Australian study was to assess the impact of adding assistants in nursing to acute care hospital ward nurse staffing on adverse patient outcomes using administrative health data. The results suggest that the introduction of assistants in nursing into ward staffing in an additive role should be done under a protocol which clearly defines their role, scope of practice, and working relationship with registered nurses, and the impact on patient care should be monitored.
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Content ArticlePeter Griffiths and Chiara Dall'Ora, in this BMJ Editorial, discuss the staffing shortages in the NHS and what needs to be done.
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News ArticleRegistered nurses at Alhambra Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new three-year contract yesterday, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention.. The collective bargaining agreement was the result of an almost six-month fight, which included an informational picket for patient safety and multiple other actions. So Hee Park, an ICU nurse at Alhambra, said, “We are so thrilled that after months of negotiations, we have ratified an agreement that provides substantial measures to ensure nurses feel supported and can continue to provide optimal patient care, as well as numerous provisions that will improve recruitment and retention of experienced nurses.” The contract includes several highlights that will help nurses create better outcomes for their patients, such as provisions for ensuring hospital compliance with existing registered nurse-to-patient safe staffing laws. The agreement also establishes a new Infectious Disease Task Force that will offer new protections against communicable diseases and guarantee levels of PPE supplies. The contract also expands workplace violence prevention plans for all hospital units, as well as stating that quality care be provided to all patients regardless of their immigration status. Under the contract, nurses will also receive proper orientation when they’re floated to new hospital units, improving care for patients. And, rather than being sent home at management's whims, RNs will be able to remain at work to provide meal and break relief to other nurses, bolstering safe staffing. These measures will ensure nurses are prepared to provide patients with the highest and safest levels of care possible, resulting in improved nurse retention at Alhambra, which will benefit the entire community long term. Read full story Source: National Nurses United, 10 November 2022
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News ArticleRegistered nurses (RNs) at US Prime Healthcare’s West Anaheim Medical Center (WAMC) will hold an informational picket today to protest chronic short staffing and its impact on safe patient care. Nurses say that the hospital should cancel elective surgeries because those beds and nurses are needed for other emergent patients. RNs in all medical departments are short-staffed, putting patient safety in jeopardy. “Nurses are under incredible pressure to care for patients beyond the state’s mandated safe staffing ratios due to the staffing crisis in our hospital,” said John Olarte, RN at WAMC. “The employer should be making beds available by canceling elective surgeries for the foreseeable future. Save those beds for the patients who most need them and at the same time give the RNs a chance to truly care for these patients by not forcing nurses to take patients that don’t need to be in the hospital right now. The public needs to know that the hospital is not doing everything they can to help the nurses care for patients.” “There is a staffing crisis because RNs are leaving,” said Sofia Rivera, RN in the emergency department at WAMC, “To attract and retain quality nurses — just staff the floors so the RNs do not have to pick up multiple extra shifts due to the revolving door of RNs in this hospital.” Nurses say they want a strong contract so they can recruit and retain RNs and they want to establish a health and safety committee to ensure they have a voice on issues of nurse safety and patient care. They have been in contract negotiations since May 2021. Their contract expired in June 2021. “We are getting slaughtered in the ER,” said Rasha Tran, RN. “Ambulances are just leaving their patients in the ER instead of waiting for an available bed because they are waiting too long. I don’t even know how we can sustain this demand to care for so many patients. It means less care for each patient. Continuing elective surgeries means that a regular bed is not available for a patient in the ER who is now is being held for hours or days before they are admitted. Even before this most recent Covid surge, nurses have been picking up extra 12-hour shifts to help our coworkers, often without a break for meals or rest periods.” Read full story Source: National Nurses United, 11 February 2022
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News Article
7,469 research nurses and midwives across the UK and Ireland, new census reveals
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
There are at least 7,469 research nurses and midwives across the UK and Ireland working within all areas of healthcare, reveals a landmark new census initiated by a group of NIHR 70@70 Senior Nurse & Midwife Research Leaders. The census, incorporating responses from research nurses and midwives across all four UK nations and the Republic of Ireland, reveals nurses and midwives are working at every level in healthcare from Bands 5 – 9 in the UK, and from staff nurse to Directors of Nursing or Midwifery in the Republic of Ireland. This suggests there are opportunities to join the profession at every level, with continued potential for career progression. Clinical research nurses and midwives are a specialist workforce, with knowledge, skills and expertise in both clinical practice and research delivery. The census shows that: 33.7% reported working in joint posts, for example as a clinical research nurse for part of their role as well as a clinical nurse specialist; 72% are working within a single disease/area specialism; 28% reported covering multiple disease areas. NIHR Director of Nursing & Midwifery Professor Ruth Endacott said: “This census reveals the true breadth and depth of our research nursing and midwifery community. We know there are scores of people working incredibly hard day and night helping to bring us new treatments and medicine alongside their healthcare colleagues but we now have a much clearer idea of the size of the workforce. Research nurses and midwives are making a difference to the health of people across the UK and Ireland." Read full story Source: National Institute for Health Research, 9 February 2022 -
News ArticleHundreds of nurses, paramedics, health and care workers have been disciplined over allegations of sexual assault, including incidents involving child sexual abuse, The Independent can reveal. It comes as the government begins a year-long inquiry into the sexual abuse of dead patients by “morgue monster” David Fuller. Charities claim the true scale of the issue is likely to be hidden by “vast underreporting” while safeguarding experts say there is no “uniformity” in how NHS trusts handle such cases. The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which regulates just under 300,000 workers including paramedics, occupational therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists, has taken action on 154 occasions following 293 investigations carried out into allegations of sexual assault or abuse since 2012, according to figures obtained by The Independent. Fifty-three clinicians were struck off, 20 were cautioned and a further 29 were either suspended, had restrictions placed on their practice or agreed to be removed from registration. More than half of the actions followed allegations of sexual abuse of a child patient. Separate data from Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which has more than 700,000 registered nurses and midwives. shows action was taken 113 times in the past four years against nurses and midwives who did not maintain professional boundaries; in more than 80 per cent of those cases, the clinician was struck off. Read full story Source: The Independent, 21 January 2022
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News Article
Concern over ‘disgraceful’ nurse staffing levels planned for mini Nightingales
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
NHS leaders have raised concerns over the “new mini Nightingales” as hospitals draw up plans for use with “minimal” nursing levels, The Independent has learned. In December the NHS announced it would be launching eight “surge” hubs dubbed “mini Nightingales” to help hospitals manage increased admissions amid the Omicron wave. These facilities would be able to admit about 100 patients and have been set up as temporary sites across eight NHS hospitals. Details around the safety requirements and required staffing levels have yet to be published, however several NHS sources have said some hubs are planning to use a “low” ratio of 1:15 nurses to patients within the units. One trust chief has called the staffing models a “disgrace” and says the hospitals should never be used. Senior sources have questioned the safety of using a 1:15 ratio, although they said the risk would depend on how ill the patients being sent to the units are and whether there would be sufficient health care assistant support. However, sources have said the staffing models have yet to be finalised and so could change. Read full story Source: The Independent, 20 January 2022 -
News ArticleA nurse who was struck off for refusing to admit a woman to a mental health unit before she killed herself said 'leave her, she will faint before she dies' before he kicked her out of the facility. Paddy McKee allegedly made the comment as Sally Mays, 22 - who had mental health issues - tried to strangle herself when she was refused admission. Ms Mays killed herself at home in Hull in July 2014 after being refused a place at Miranda House in Hull by McKee and another nurse. Despite her being a suicide risk, they would not give her a place at the hospital after a 14-minute assessment. Her parents Angela and Andy have fought for several years for improvements to be made and lessons to be learnt from her death. McKee was this month struck off following a Fitness to Practice hearing conducted by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The report by the NMC was this week published and condemned McKee, saying 'he treated her in a way that lacked basic kindness and compassion'. The NMC found his actions to refuse Ms Mays' admission had contributed to her death. Read full story Source: Mail Online, 12 January 2022
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News Article
Nurse ‘bullied’ for wearing cross wins unfair dismissal case
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A Christian nurse who claimed she was discriminated against for wearing a cross at work has won her case for unfair dismissal. Mary Onuoha, a theatre practitioner at Croydon University Hospital in London, said she was bullied and harassed for refusing to remove her necklace in 2018. But an employment tribunal has ruled Croydon Health Services NHS Trust discriminated against and harassed Ms Onuoha over her refusal to remove the jewellery. The trust told her the necklace was a safety risk and must not be outwardly visible. Ms Onuoha, supported by Christian Legal Centre, said she had worked at the hospital for 13 years before being asked to remove the symbol. The tribunal found the employer’s uniform policy arbitrary, with many staff allowed to wear necklaces and other religious symbols were permitted. Following the ruling, Christian Legal Centre chief executive Andrea Williams said the trust’s interpretation of uniform guidance had led to a campaign of harassment against a devoted, experienced, and highly professional nurse, who was in effect hounded out of the NHS. Ms Onuoha said she was investigated and suspended from clinical duties when she refused to remove the item and she was demoted to receptionist duties. In June 2020, she went off work with stress and said she felt she had no alternative but to resign. Read full story Source: Nursing Standard, 6 January 2022 -
News ArticleA nurse who was sacked by a private hospital provider treating NHS patients which believed she had deliberately tried to sabotage its Care Quality Commission inspection has won a tribunal. An employment tribunal found Care UK’s dismissal of Lorna Jarrett carried “the taint of race discrimination” and said the company had provided no evidence of any malice on her part. Ms Jarret worked at the North East London Treatment Centre. The judgment said management at the facility were convinced Ms Jarrett had deliberately faxed confidential patient identifiable data to the inspectorate instead of the GP surgery they were supposed to be sent to. This incident occurred in the week of the centre’s CQC inspection. However, the tribunal ruled Care UK “did not explore any evidence that might support the claimant’s account and disbelieved her explanation”. It added: “Finding that she sent the fax deliberately and maliciously demands an explanation.” The tribunal judgment said it was Ms Jarrett’s case that “subconscious bias was in play” and found Care UK had not explained the “lack of any motive”. Employment judge Lewis said: “Whilst we accept that Mr O’Brien did not consciously discriminate against the claimant because of her race we find that the factors relied on, her demeanour, attitude, her supposed lack of remorse, are matters that demonstrate subconscious bias and are not free from the taint of race discrimination. We find that the respondent has failed to discharge the burden on it to explain the difference in treatment.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 15 December 2021
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News Article
Doctors and nurses vent anger as unvaccinated Covid cases delay vital operations
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS has a backlog of 5.8 million waiting for surgery and specialists are increasingly frustrated at how the unvaccinated have left them unable to tackle it. Doctors and nurses have told of their anger and frustration at not being able to treat seriously ill patients as new figures show that more than 90% of Covid sufferers requiring the most specialist care are unvaccinated. While the success of the vaccination rollout has reduced the overall impact of COVID-19 on hospitals, intensive care clinicians from across England have spoken out over the continuing pressure they are under. Between 20% and 30% of critical care beds in England are occupied by Covid patients and three-quarters of those have not been vaccinated, according to the latest data up to July this year. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 4 December 2021 -
News Article
How hiring district nurses may reduce pressure in the NHS
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Is hiring more district nurses the smartest way to tackle the NHS care crisis as overstretched staff claim they are quitting hospitals due to intolerable pressure? District nurses are the unsung backbone of the NHS – going in to people’s homes to perform everything from wound dressings to support at the end of life. Yet what was once a thriving district nurse workforce has, over the past decade, been decimated. An ever-increasing caseload, limited resources and far more complex and challenging health needs have left them burnt out and fed up. As a result, they’re leaving in droves – at a time when we need them more than ever. The number of people dying at home is up by one third since before the pandemic, and those who do make it into hospital for care are discharged faster than ever to free up beds, long before they’ve made a full recovery. Ministers have tabled some ambitious ideas to address the vital need for at-home care, including a wave of new community health hubs, or more video appointments. But none are a quick fix, nor are they proven to solve the problem. Recruiting more district nurses could help alleviate these pressures, say experts, as well as tackling what threatens to be a spiralling crisis in community care. But this might be harder than it sounds. Read full story Source: Mail Online, 13 November 2021 -
News ArticleVacancies for nurses and midwives in Scotland have increased by almost 20% in just three months, new figures show. Official figures revealed that at the end of September the whole time equivalent (WTE) of 5,761.2 posts were unfilled across the NHS – a rise of 18.9% from the WTE total of 4,845.4 that was recorded at the end of June. The rise in vacancies comes at the same time as health service staffing reached a record high, with the NHS employing the equivalent of 154,307.8 full-time workers as of September 30 – 5.2% higher than a year ago. However, opposition leaders warned the health service, which is coming under ongoing pressure as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, is facing a “staffing crisis” this winter. Scottish Labour health spokeswoman and deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “Across our NHS services are on the brink of collapse, and things will only get worse as the cold weather bites. “This staffing crisis at the heart of this catastrophe has unfolded entirely on Nicola Sturgeon’s watch and will jeopardise the ability of services to remobilise and cope with demand. “Looking at the state of services in Scotland, we can all only hope we don’t get sick this winter.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 8 December 2021
