05.12.12
Compassionate care strategy launched
Nurses should be recruited, appraised and trained according to values as well as technical skill, the new nursing strategy published by the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) states.
Launched this week, following an eight-week consultation with over 9,000 nurses, midwives, care staff and patients, the strategy ‘Compassion in Practice’ calls for greater compassion in the workforce.
Six values that underpin good care have been identified as: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment. These values will provide nurses with a clear and consistent way of working, and patients will know what they can expect from their care.
To accompany these values, six areas of action include: helping people to stay independent; working with people to provide a positive experience of care; delivering high quality care and measuring the impact of care; building leadership; ensuring the right staff, with the right skills, are in the right place; and supporting a positive staff experience.
Specific measures to embed this include recommendations for trust boards to publish regular reviews of their organisational culture and staffing levels, and the development of new patient experience measures for children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Chief nursing officer Jane Cummings said: “Being a nurse, a midwife or a care worker is an extraordinary role. We are proud to be part of a remarkable health and care service that does make a difference to people's lives each and every day.
“But the context for health care and support is changing.”
She highlighted that changing demography was leading to more patients with multiple and complex needs, causing pressure on the health service and sometimes resulting in very poor care.
“Such poor care is a betrayal of what we all stand for,” Cummings added, “We must seize this opportunity to create a future where people are treated with compassion, dignity and respect by skilled staff who have the competence and time to care.”
Viv Bennett, who will lead implementation of the public health and social care elements of the strategy, said: “Nurses, midwives and care staff have a big role in preventing ill-health and promoting good health and wellbeing.
“This means working across health and care boundaries to enable people to remain active, connected and independent in their own homes, or another place of their choice, for as long as they are able. And it means joining up health and care services to provide the integrated care people want.”
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said that nurses play an important role in ensuring patients get the best possible care and commented: “We want to do all we can to support those who care for patients – and this new vision will help us do that.”
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