A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

NOTICE BOARD

Nursing professionals looking for a fresh challenge would do well to explore opportunities in the British reserve forces. Following a strategic review in 2010, the government decided that the military reserve personnel should form a larger part of the armed forces to maximise the benefits that they can bring from their workplace to their military roles, and vice-versa. According to recent research by Cranfield University, between 65 and 84 per cent of responding NHS employers recognise the expertise that reservists bring to their workforce. Existing medical reservists develop their skills during deployment opportunities, mainly in Afghanistan. Although the planned withdrawal of forces after 2014 will reduce this opportunity for operational deployment, reserves are still recruiting to medical and other units (see resources). Petty officer Katherine Pink is an NHS nurse at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. She is

attached to HMS King Alfred on Whale Island, home to one of the largest naval units in the country. Ms Pink has been mobilised on three occasions. The first was in 2001 as part of Operation Veritas in Afghanistan when she was posted to Oman for two months then on to Kenya. The second was in 2002 when she was sent to Dubai and Bahrain in support of Operation Telic, the military operation in Iraq. The third was in 2012 when she was stationed in Djibouti, Somalia for six months with the European Union Anti-Piracy Team under Operation Atalanta. Her duties included marshalling helicopters returning from policing the seas and helping pilots to manoeuvre their machines on the carrier.

 Clear planning and communication.  Organisational capabilities.  Thinking creatively when problems arise.  Rapid reaction to changing situations.  Flexibility.

Heart health Heart-e is a web-based, free training programme developed by Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland for all health and social care staff caring for people with heart disease. Its seven core modules cover healthy heart and common cardiac investigations, primary prevention, stable coronary

64 january 8 :: vol 28 no 19 :: 2014

Katherine Pink says that being a reservist has made her a more rounded individual

Transferable skills

Nurse prescribing A workshop for current and aspiring nurse prescribers in primary and secondary care practice will take place on February 12 at Colmore Gate, Birmingham. Delegates will hear the findings of an audit of non-medical prescribing, and discuss non-medical prescribing and safe prescribing. Case study presentations, a legal session and a tips and advice session are also planned. tinyurl.com/HCCNMP

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

CLAIRE MYERS

Military reservists are actively recruiting – and nurses are in demand, says Sonya Thomas

In 2006, Ms Pink had two near-fatal strokes caused by a congenital brain defect. Surgery and her long recovery has added another dimension to her work in an acute stroke ward.

Light bulb moment

Patients often ask how she could possibly understand. ‘I tell them to focus on how far they have come; I should know, I have been there. It encourages them to reflect positively on their future – a vital part of coping with the depression many stroke patients experience.’ Ms Pink’s goal is to become a nurse tutor. Recently, she completed her degree studies and she also

heart disease, acute coronary syndromes, cardiac rehabilitation, heart failure, and palliative care in heart disease. www.heartelearning.org Bursaries The RCN Foundation and the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers offer a series of educational bursaries worth up to £1,000 that are open to all UK nurses. The bursaries are intended to assist with funding learning and development activities that enhance patient care in areas such as acute and emergency care; orthopaedic and trauma care; pain management; palliative care, practice nursing, public health and surgical nursing. Applications must be received by post only by January 22. tinyurl.com/ RCNFNeedlemakers

NURSING STANDARD

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CAREERS

Future force 2020 tinyurl.com/Future-Force-2020 Royal Naval Reserves www.royalnavy.mod.uk/ navyreserves? gained a teaching qualification with the reserves through the Defence Instructional Techniques course. ‘I get such a buzz from seeing someone make the link between theory and practice; suddenly their world opens up. It is a light bulb moment and I love it.’ The challenge of balancing her two roles has been helped by a flexible employer. ‘They have been incredibly supportive; I work with some fantastic people.’ Ms Pink is required to train for 24 days a year, including one continuous block of 14 days. She says that being a reservist has made her a more rounded individual. ‘I have been able to travel, learn more skills, and I can drive a forklift truck. You work hard and play hard and the camaraderie is second to none.’ The threat of another stroke has not disappeared, nor have the effects of the first two. Ms Pink credits her recovery to her military experience and nursing background. ‘You discover unexpected reserves in yourself,’ she says NS Sonya Thomas is a freelance journalist

Kathy French puts the case for enhanced nurse education

Let’s talk about sex Poor sexual health is a public health concern in the UK with high rates of teenage conceptions, abortions, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and increasing incidence of HIV in London. A report published jointly by sexual health charities Brook and the FPA in 2013, titled Unprotected Nation, concluded that an additional £298.6 million would be needed by 2020 to manage unintended pregnancies, including the provision for 22,036 more NHS abortions. Nurses are approached frequently by patients/clients seeking information or advice on sexual health issues. The former London deanery has funded free sexual health awareness sessions for nurses and students. Based on the ‘every contact counts’ initiative, the objectives of the sessions are to: Build sexual health awareness among nurses and students. Highlight data for teenage conceptions, STIs, HIV and abortion. Educate people about national guidelines. Understand legal issues. RESOURCES Unprotected Nation tinyurl.com/FPANationUnprotected RCN public health forum tinyurl.com/PHForum-RCN British Association for Sexual Health and HIV www.bashh.org

Healthcare assistants The Kershaw Family bursaries, worth up to £500, are for healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners to help further their careers. Applicants should have an activity in mind for which they need funding, which can be used to take forward a project or to cover fees for attending a course or conference to learn new skills to benefit patients. The closing date for applications is January 22. tinyurl.com/kershawfamilybursary Training and research funding The Rae Bequest Training Fund and Marcia Mackie Fund are administered by the RCN and are available for nurses working in Northern Ireland wishing to undertake a course, project or research. The former fund helps nurses undertake a course or programme to benefit nurse education while the latter supports personal professional

NURSING STANDARD

Content of learning sessions  Contraception and abortion.  Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.  Teenage conceptions.  Prevention and early intervention.  Consent, sexual assault and female genital mutilation.  National guidelines locally interpreted.  Case studies.

ISTOCKPHOTO

RESOURCES

Provide information on local sexual health services. Poor sexual health has a major cost implication for the public health purse as well as for the individual involved. For this situation to improve, nurses should be equipped to help the patients/ clients in their care. Nursing students are our future. Perhaps the Nursing and Midwifery Council could encourage universities to ensure that students and other nurses possess the competencies to promote sexual health? The newly formed Local Education and Training Boards could support such an initiative NS Kathy French is clinical director at Brook

development activity or research that benefits the applicant’s nursing practice, patients and their service. Closing date for applications is January 22 and information and application forms are available at [email protected] Leadership Nurse leaders can apply to attend the International Council of Nurses/Burdett Trust for Nursing 2014 Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI) on September 6-12 in Switzerland. The governance and management programme will help participants understand global health challenges, gain insight into international leadership styles and analyse global leadership activity. Full bursaries are available for up to 15 of the 30 GNLI spots. Closing date for applications is February 15. tinyurl.com/ICNGNLI january 8 :: vol 28 no 19 :: 2014 65

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A force to be reckoned with.

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