UNISON Nursing Updates

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Factsheet for nurses on the legal responsibilities of employers regarding professional malpractice, and the extent of UNISON’s Professional Indemnity cover. For more information, click here

http://www.unison.org.uk/file/Professional%20Indemnity%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Online Social Networking Sites and Work

More and more people are registering with and using social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Friendsters to stay in touch with friends & families, join interest groups and/or share information. However, nurses, healthcare assistants, students and midwives should be careful as these online conversations are stored permanently and searchable by the public and can be used by employers against staff if they feel that you have acted inappropriately or breached patient confidentiality.

We have provided a Factsheet on this, for briefing on Online social networking sites & work: click here 11023.pdf

Nursing Matters Newsletter

This edition if full of current and topical issues. To read click here http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/19136.pdf

Raising and Escalating Concerns

The NMC says that the guidance will support nurses and midwives who wish to raise or escalate concerns about the safety or wellbeing of people in their care.

UNISON has responded to the NMC's consultation. To see our Response to NMC's consultation: click here 11011.pdf.

Mary Seacole Development and Leadership Awards 2010

Applications are now available for the Mary Seacole Awards.

We would encourage all UNISON nurses, midwives and health visitors to consider applying for these awards. Click here for details for Mary Seacole Awards.

For further information contact either Gail Adams (Head of Nursing) or Jennie West (Supporting Officer) on 020 7551 1317 or 020 7551 1357 respectively.

Health Care Assistants Project 2010

As the leading union for Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) – UNISON is delighted to highlight a new national project for and about HCAs.

This project is about highlighting the vital role that HCAs play in delivering care, it has a number of strands to the work and we would welcome your contribution.

1. Identifying and benchmarking core national competencies for the Health Care Assistant (HCA) role, irrespective of where they work across health and social care.

2. Link the competencies to the pay bands of agenda for change to ensure clarify about what staff should do within their sphere of responsibility

3. Develop guidance on how to seek a grading review if you are being asked to work outside your normal duties or to take on additional responsibilities

4. Revise UNISON’s national code of conduct for HCAs

5. Undertake a literature review of the evidence on the role and benefit of HCAs

6. Map what could be a regulatory framework based on the work that HCAs do and where they do it but that takes account of existing legislation background.

At the moment the HCAs’ role and employers’ expectations on the role and responsibilities varies widely across the United Kingdom. It’s been described as a postcode lottery as to what you do and your pay band. This poses a number of problems as it means that job descriptions, standards, responsibilities and knowledge are inconsistent. As a result if you move employer very often staff find themselves having to start their career over again.

We will also be looking at developing a model job description for HCAs on bands 2 and 3. The benefits that this would bring include recognition of the role and responsibilities that comes with HCAs’ work. The national modelling of HCAs’ role will help to identify training and training needs for HCAs.

In the UNISON Healthcare Assistant Survey (2008), it revealed that there was widespread dissatisfaction felt by HCAs at the level of training offered to them. Two-thirds of those who participated in the survey believed that the training was insufficient to enable them to reach their potential.

As part of this project, we hope to address some of these issues but also to repeat our survey to see if views and opinions have altered. UNISON will also be developing some guidance for employers which identifies what steps they should take if they want to develop HCAs further or to look at their responsibilities. We want HCAs to be recognised for taking on additional duties, and therefore will also be developing guidance on how to seek a grading review if your role or responsibilities have changed. Another issue that needs to be addressed, and which received strong backing from those who participated in the survey, is the regulation of the HCA profession.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council have independently commissioned research on the risks and benefits of regulation of HCAs who work to nurses and midwives by undertaking delegated duties. The union continues to be proactive with this work and in early March UNISON will be meeting with the project group of HCAs. We will be using their experience and job roles to identify core competencies, best practice and training needs.

We plan to further consult with HCAs at the UNISON Health Care Conference in July. This piece of work is being undertaken by HCAs. Their role has changed significantly over the last 10 years but more often than not it’s been as a result of their determination and dedication. We want HCAs to be in control of their role.

If you are interested in being part of a wider virtual group reviewing and helping to develop our policy please email Gail Adams Head of Nursing or Jennifer West gail.adams@unison.co.uk or j.west@unison.co.uk

NMC Consultation on Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Education

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has launched a consultation on their proposal to introduce new standards for pre-registration nursing education.

The consultation is in the form of a questionnaire in which respondents are being asked to provide their views on the framework of the proposed standards and competencies. As part of our consultation we are keen to hear your views, UNISON will be submitting a formal response to the NMC.

http://www.unison.org.uk/healthcare/nursing/pages_view.asp?did=10787

Nursing & Midwifery submission

UNISON has made a submission to the Prime Ministers Commission into Nursing & Midwifery.

Gail Adams, Head of Nursing, said: "As a result of responses from members from all areas of practise we have been able to develop a comprehensive submission that covers a range of nursing and midwifery practices. We were delighted to hear from so many students and HCAs - their feedback has made our evidence stronger.

"The commission will now move into a series of SHA engagement events. If you are interested in attending one of these please speak to your local chief nurse or contact Gail via email gail.adams@unison.co.uk

Nursing & Midwifery submission - PDF

CALL FOR EVIDENCE ON THE FUTURE OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY

The Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery is calling for evidence.The Commission in particular would like to hear your views on:

1. What are the knowledge, skills and attributes that nurses / midwives require to take a central role in the design and delivery of 21st century services?

2. What would you like to see nurses and midwives doing more of and/or doing differently in the future - whether in people’s own homes, in the community or in hospital?

3. What might be preventing nurses and midwives from doing this now?

4. How can these barriers be overcome?

For more details on the Commission, what it is asking for and where to send your views please click on the link belowCall for evidence(click here)

NURSING MATTERS NEWSLETTER

A new edition of Nursing Matters newsletter has been published. Copies are available from our North Tyneside Office.

Now available on line at http://www.unison.org.uk/file/Final%20draft.pdf

UNISON AND NURSING TIMES LAUNCH EXCITING NEW PARTNERSHIP

A unique partnership between UNISON and the Nursing Times has been launched, to expand and enhance the range of services and information available to the union's nursing members.

A new UNISON/NT microsite is now live on the magazine's website.And new pages on the UNISON website will give nursing members increased access to clinical and research information to inform and develop their practise.

Readers of the NT and visitors to its website will see the major role that UNISON plays as the leading health union.

UNISON national nursing sector chair Ann Moses said: "I am really excited about the link up with NT and know that it will make a real difference to our members. I have always been a member of UNISON and have always read the NT. Bringing the two together in this way makes sense."

UNISON will be publishing regular news items and articles in the Nursing Times magazine and on its website, tackling important issues that affect nurses, midwives, health visitors and healthcare assistants.The partnership will also develop further activities such as joint campaigning and research projects making the most of the two organisations' shared values.

UNISON members have a fantastic opportunity to subscribe to the magazine at a special discounted rate, with a sliding scale of discounts of up to 40%. For further details, click here.

UNISON NURSING

A number of resources for Nursing Staff

UNISON Nursing Matters Newsletter conference special http://www.unison.org.uk/file/17178.pdf

UNISON Student Nursing Newsletter Spring 2008
http://www.unison.org.uk/file/A6432.pdf

Health Care Assistants conference 2008
http://www.unison.org.uk/file/A6906b.pdf

Get Connected join UNISON Nursings Electronic Forums
http://www.unison.org.uk/file/A6501.pdf