Ward sister and charge nurse publication launch

Published: 26 February 2009

The Royal College of Nursing has today (26 February 2009) launched a brand new report which looks at how the ward sister and charge nurse roles are working across different types of hospital trusts in England. The report findings highlight that work urgently needs to done to strengthen and support the role for the delivery of high-quality nursing.

Entitled ‘Breaking down barriers, driving up standards. The role of the ward sister and charge nurse’, the report recognises that the importance of the ward sister and charge nurse role applies universally, and where the role is supervisory, the patient care benefits.

Writing in the publication forward, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, Dr Peter Carter said:

“Ward sisters and charge nurses have many roles, but their responsibility is clear – to oversee patient care on a ward.

All ward sisters must have the authority and the resources to make their wards run as well as they possibly can, and this report shows that where this has already happened, patients feel the benefits”.

The report will be launched today (26 February 2009) at a reception at University College London Hospital. Limited numbers are available to order from RCN Direct. Telephone: 0845772 6100 and quote the publication reference 003 212. Copies are also available in the publications area on the RCN website.