Perinatal mental health : preparing the future nursing workforce

Perinatal mental health (PMH) problems occur during pregnancy and up to a year after giving birth. They can have a significant effect on the mother and family, and can affect the social, emotional and cognitive development of the child. PMH nursing is gaining increasing recognition in national policy; additional funding has been announced to align national perinatal services with agreed standards and the perinatal workforce has been identified as an area of growth. The PMH competency framework published by Health Education England and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, London, is aimed at training staff to deliver high-quality care to women who experience mental health problems during the perinatal period. However, the framework does not address the competencies required from the emerging workforce: nursing students. The pre-registration nursing curriculum must align with PMH competencies to ensure that nursing students become competent practitioners who are adequately prepared to care for the PMH needs of the mother and family

Working together to implement a Pre-Qualifying Skills Passport in Wales: Report of a pilot project

Midwives are required to undertake a wide range of hands-on skills. Immediately upon qualification, they will be expected to use these skills safely and effectively as part of their practice. Therefore, student midwives must be supported to develop competence and confidence in such skills. Currently, many practical midwifery skills are not specifically identified in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2009) Standards for pre-registration midwifery education. Over time, it has become clear that some midwives were qualifying from universities in Wales and entering their new posts feeling unprepared to undertake a number of important midwifery skills, such as the administration of intramuscular vitamin K to babies. This article describes how heads of midwifery education and lead midwives for education worked together with heads of midwifery to develop and implement an All Wales Midwifery Pre-Qualifying Skills Passport, to address these shortcomings

Back to nursing: new standards for return to practice programmes.

In a climate of growing nurse shortages nationally and internationally (Buchan et al, 2017) it is vital that we attract and retain as many registered nurses (RNs) as possible and support them as they adjust to contemporary practice. To practise as an RN in the UK, nurses must revalidate every 3 years from the date of initial registration. This involves providing evidence of professional competence, including a minimal level of working hours and continuing professional development. Failure to fulfill revalidation requirements results in a lapse in registration. To return to work as an RN thereafter it is necessary to complete a return to practice (RtP) programme, the standards for which are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Following an extensive consultation process, the 2011 standards have been updated and published this month (NMC, 2019a). What did the consultation process reveal and how have the standards changed

Exploring the characteristics of effective communicators in healthcare

Nursing requires strong communication and interpersonal skills to provide effective care, and to ensure that patients, relatives and loved ones have a positive experience of receiving care. The new Nursing and Midwifery Council standards for education and training recognise that nurses are practising in increasingly complex environments and roles. This article identifies the essential communication skills required by nurses in the future, summarising the evidence and theories that comprise the characteristics of a modern nurse communicator. It also suggests approaches that nurses can use to develop their skills

Supporting the mental health needs of young people: The spatial practices of school nurses

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of an understanding of how school nurses work in multiple spaces, supporting young people in relation to promoting and protecting their emotional and mental health and wellbeing. It is argued that young people’s emotional health needs are still as prevalent today as they were over 150 years ago, when Charles Dickens wrote about them in the novel Nicholas Nickleby. Design/methodology/approach Soja’s (1996) typology of spatial practice is applied to school nursing practice in an attempt to explore how different types of space influence how support is given to young people. Findings Examples are provided from previous research (Sherwin, 2016) of how Soja’s theory of Firstspace, Secondspace and Thirdspace can be identified within school nurses’ practice, thereby providing an understanding of how school nurses provide support to young people on an everyday basis. It is proposed that in an addition Fourthspace also exists and a new conceptual model of spatial practice is proposed. Originality/value School nurses have the potential to make a significant impact on preventing and protecting young people’s mental health. They provide valuable support to young people to enable them to cope with the complexities of their lives, yet relatively little is known about their everyday practice as this is an under-reported area of nursing. A new conceptual model is proposed to help provide an understanding of their practice

Should I stay or should I go? Stress, burnout and nurse retention.

Janet Scammell, Associate Professor (Nursing), Bournemouth University looks at problems retaining nurses

Including the Newborn Physical Examination (NIPE) in the pre-registration midwifery curriculum: National Survey

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in British Journal of Midwifery, copyright © MA Healthcare, after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2017.25.1.26An online questionnaire was sent to all Lead Midwives for Education to assess the scope of NIPE education in programmes of pre-registration midwifery education. Findings are reported in two parts: part A (the current paper) examines the education provision for the inclusion of NIPE in the midwifery curriculum. Part B (a subsequent paper) explores NIPE education as a post-registration module. 68.9% of AEIs completed the questionnaire. 25% stated that NIPE training is included in in their pre-registration midwifery programmes. 37.5% reported plans to implement this within the next 2-5 years and 30% had no plans to do so. Benefits for practice partners, commissioners, students and service-users were identified. Challenges were noted, particularly in relation to resources and student support in practice. Although barriers doubtless exist, the success of the few institutions which have incorporated NIPE into their curricula is evidence that this is not only possible, but has proven benefits.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Legal aspects in nurse prescribing

This article discusses the legal implications nurse prescribers need to be aware of in their interactions with patients. There have been huge changes as a result of common law changes regarding consent and autonomy