Skill Mix Solutions in Emergency Care Role of the Nurse Consultant Paula Bennett – Nurse Consultant Emergency Department

Background Domains of a Nurse Consultant role What can a Nurse Consultant offer in Emergency Care How can the effectiveness of a Nurse Consultant role be maximised

Background 1 st proposed by RCN in 1975 Tony Blair 1999 – Clinical career path for senior nurses – Maintain expertise at the bedside – Better patient outcomes Improving quality Strengthening clinical leadership

Domains of the NC role 4 domains (DH 2000) – Practice (>50%) – Education, training and development – Research & evaluation, practice and service development – Leadership & consultancy Partnership working Whole role greater than sum of the parts

Current challenges Critical importance of – patient experience – safe and effective care – productivity – innovation Emergency Care – Performance – Increasing attendances – Inexperienced workforce – Recruitment problems Nursing Medicine

Emergency Nursing Senior Nurses – Significant management remit – ED/MAU/ACU etc. etc. – Performance target and challenges with flow Nursing roles advanced beyond initial registration – Unique core ED nursing skills – ENPs – ANPs – Non-medical prescribing

What can an NC role offer Transformational culture – Change as a way of life Staff empowerment Practice development Partnership and cross-boundary working

What can an NC role offer Educator, trainer and developer – Practitioners increased confidence and competency – Consistent practice – Improved patient safety – Risk reduction

Capturing the impact of NC roles Clear organisational objectives For patients, staff and the organisation – What is the Added value Difference Impact Return on investment

How to maximise the impact Organisations must – Understand and recognise NCs’ value and contribution at executive level. ensure that NCs have the strategic and organisational authority and the ongoing support necessary to achieve their full potential – Appoint NCs with the full range of skills required to transform practice and services provide ongoing support for those NCs without the full range of skills to develop these promptly actively implement succession planning for aspiring NCs – recognise the skills required when developing others for these posts, and how outcomes are dependent on the skills and experience possessed Manley & Titchen (2011)

References Manley & Titchen (2012) Becoming and being a Nurse Consultant. RCN Gerrish, MacDonald & Kennedy (2011) Capturing the Impact of Nurse Consultants. Sheffield Hallam University Leary (2011) Capturing the return on investment of Nurse Consultants within English Acute NHS Trusts. Sheffield Hallam University 0report%20final.pdf Gavin-Daley & Mullen (2010) Ten Years On – An evaluation of the non- Medical Consultant Role in the North West. NHS NW /Executive_Summary_and_Main_Findings_September_20101.pdf 169/Executive_Summary_and_Main_Findings_September_20101.pdf

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