Nursing and Care Quality Forum highlights importance of empowering nurses - RCN
Published: 25 May 2012
Embargoed until 00.01: Friday 25 May 2012
Nursing and Care Quality Forum highlights importance of empowering nurses - RCN
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) today (23 May) welcomed the publication of the Nursing and Care Quality Forum’s initial report, saying that it recognises the importance of empowering nurses to provide the highest standards of care across the board. Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, said:
“We are pleased to have been part of this important Forum which recognises that the vast majority of nurses provide excellent care. We welcome the recommendations which will build on this and improve the ability of nurses, by giving them the right resources and skills, to provide dignified and compassionate care across the board. In particular we welcome the focus on the leadership culture of whole organisations – from board to ward - as pivotal to ensuring that nurses and other staff are able to provide high quality care.
“This report echoes what the RCN has been saying about the importance of staffing levels and skill mix. We recently highlighted that there are worryingly low staffing levels on older people’s wards. In these times of financial constraint we must ensure that the level of nursing care is sufficient across all settings. Organisation boards and regulators all have a role to play in ensuring the focus is not lost on this important area.
“We endorse the ‘friends and family’ test of NHS services which is an important measure of how people perceive the care they provided by their organisation. We look forward to contributing to this work as it develops and there must be a focus on acting on these results to ensure that continuous improvements are made. Giving nurses the time and resources to care – for example freeing them up to guarantee that they spend dedicated time with their patients and get the right administrative support – is crucial in ensuring confidence in care providers.
“It is important to note that this report wholeheartedly supports degree-level entry to nursing. Patient need is increasingly complex and requires staff with both academic knowledge and values of compassion, empathy and dignity. We support the idea that all these elements can be tested at an individual level. We also agree with the Forum that these are areas that everyone should focus on – not just nurses – and that leaders set the organisational tone for the values that their staff take on.”
Dr Carter concluded:
”This report is an important contribution to the discussion on the underlying areas that need to be addressed to ensure that NHS Trusts provide the highest standards of care. We look forward to continuing to work with the Forum while we also pursue our own avenues of enquiry.”
Ends
Notes for Editors
1. For further information, please contact the RCN Media Office on 020 7647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media
2. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nursing staff and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
3. The RCN is undertaking a programme of work looking at seven areas including:
• Education and training
• Staffing levels
• Nursing support workforce and regulation
• Professional attitudes and behavior
• Principles of nursing practice and quality measures
• Leadership
• Nursing paperwork and administration