24. Understanding the person (emergency resolution)

RCN Older People's Forum

That this meeting of the RCN Congress urges Council to take action to ensure nurse education is fit for purpose in meeting the needs of people living with dementia.

On this page:

Progress report

Council Committee: NPPC
Committee decision: Covered by existing work
Council member/other member/stakeholder involvement:
Staff contact: steve.jamieson@rcn.org.uk

The Nursing Department has secured substantial funding from the Department of Health (England) to develop practice in the area of dementia care. A project manager has already been appointed to lead this work. Since then the project has developed to raise awareness of dementia and gather best practice to inform and develop resources and guidance. A plan has been developed to develop these resources.

In addition, cognitive impairment has been included in the NMC Educational Standards for pre-registration nursing.
 
The RCN has also been involved with and input into the DH Dementia workforce development strategy and is a member of the Dementia Action Alliance which works to raise the awareness of dementia and improve understanding.

Debate report

This emergency resolution was proposed by Chair of the Older People's Forum Iain McGregor who outlined the prevalence of dementia and the need to ensure adequate treatment through appropriate training. He referred to recent research showing the majority of pre-registration adult nursing students receive little or no training in dementia care. This, he said, needed tackling and he urged Congress to support this resolution.

His sentiments were supported by almost all speakers, many of whom reflected on Wednesday's emotive speech by broadcaster Angela Rippon on the issue. RCN Association of Nursing Students Executive Committee member Joanne Sharkey seconded the resolution and mentioned how brave and determined nursing staff will need to be to ensure real change in education on dementia. She said: "It is vital student nurses get equipped with the skills to help care and cope with the challenges dementia patients pose".

Other members spoke of the importance of having time to care when meeting the needs of those with dementia and recommended that training in this condition is not confined to student and registered nurses. Social workers and health care support workers are equally important in this equation, they said.

Jenny Aston from the RCN Advanced Nurse Practitioner Forum said it was unrealistic to expect all nursing staff to become dementia specialists but that "we can all get support and training to make us dementia aware".

Members voted overwhelmingly in support of the motion with the resolution passed by a 99.3% majority.

For: 427 – 99.3%
Against: 3 – 0.7%
Abstain: 1