Specialist nurse and senior practitioner group
Published: 20 February 2013
Update from Jane Buswell, Chair of the British Geriatrics Society Specialist Nurse and Senior Practitioner Group
The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) is a multi-professional association of doctors practising geriatric medicine, as well as nurses, therapists, scientists and others with a particular interest in the medical care of older people and promoting better health in old age.
The Specialist Nurse and Senior Practitioner Group is one of the numerous special interest groups, and I have recently been appointed as Chair. During 2013 we are hoping to collaborate with the RCN Older People’s Forum on a number of issues that affect the quality of care that older people receive, in whatever setting.
Main aims
- To raise the profile of the contribution of specialist nurses and senior practitioners, contributing to excellence in the care of older people in both primary and secondary care settings and in care homes.
- To provide high-quality professional advice and leadership on a local and national level on the nursing care, health and well being, quality of life and social care of older people.
- To provide a forum through which innovations and developments in the care of older people can be shared on a national basis and across all disciplines, linking clinical practice to research and education. One way we are currently achieving this is by inviting all practitioners to contribute to an online survey on the use of subcutaneous fluids administration in their area.
Membership
Membership of the group is open to non-members of the BGS who currently hold nursing or allied health professional (AHP) specialist or consultant posts and those who do not have nurse or AHP consultant posts but who are working at a senior level and demonstrate innovation and/or excellence in the care, research or education of older people, on application to the committee.
To find out more, join the group, or access the resources available, visit the nurses' pages on the BGS website. Alternatively, you can visit the BGS website home page, look along the top scroll bar and select groups, then nurses.
There you will find a number of resources and national reports relating to nursing and older people, as well as details of our current work, future meetings.
Next meeting
Nurses are also invited to attend the BGS autumn and spring meetings. The next meeting takes place in Belfast from 17 to 19 April. The conference will feature sessions on care home issues, pain management, dementia and much more.
Study grant available
Nurses can apply for a BGS nurses’ study grant of up to £300 to enable attendance at conferences, seminars and meetings which will enhance their understanding and appreciation of the special needs of older people.