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THE FIRST trust in England to be rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) under its new Ofsted-style rating system has been praised for its high quality nursing care. Inspectors found ‘exemplary care on wards, strong and effective leadership and an embedded culture of safety’ at Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Surrey. Among the innovative practices highlighted by the CQC is a six-month military-style leadership course for ward sisters, developed in partnership with the army. Director of nursing Nicola Ranger said: ‘I was delighted that nursing leadership at ward level was seen as outstanding. ‘Many ward sisters feel they have lost their voice,’ she added. ‘This course helped them to feel that they own their ward, have authority over their particular area and ignited a sense of pride in them.’ Outstanding is the highest of four possible ratings, the others being good, requires improvement and inadequate.

Government will spend £5m to lure back former nurses ALMOST £5 million is to be invested in a three-year campaign to tempt former nurses back to the profession. The Come Back initiative, announced by Health Education England (HEE) last week, will focus on attracting returners by providing free, flexible training and development. The cost of the course, which can be up to £1,000, will be covered directly by HEE. Students can also apply for a bursary of up to £500 towards travel costs. Health Education West Midlands managing director Janice Stevens, who is leading the Come Back campaign, said: ‘We want to get experienced nurses back into the profession, and we know in the past it has not been as straightforward as it NURSING MANAGEMENT

Mark Hakansson

Exemplary care and leadership earn trust outstanding rating

‘Enough is enough’ – nurses take strike action NURSES AND midwives across England and Northern Ireland went on strike last month in protest at the government’s decision to deny most a 1% cost-of-living pay rise. Members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), Unison, GMB and Unit demonstrated outside their workplaces. Anger over health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s decision in March to reject a recommendation by the independent NHS Pay Review Body to give all NHS staff a 1% should have been. Of course it is more cost effective to train an experienced nurse than spend three years training a new one, but this is about more than money; it is about bringing experienced, caring nurses back to the NHS.’ For details on the campaign go to www.hee.nhs.uk/comeback

NICE urges employers to consider workers’ health and wellbeing EMPLOYERS SHOULD ensure staff work reasonable hours and have regular breaks, according to draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The guidance makes a series of recommendations to employers, including encouraging employees to be involved in the design of their roles.

rise prompted fury. In what unions call a ‘divisive’ move, Mr Hunt said only those staff at the top of their pay band would receive more money. Theatre sister at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, Gill Crooks, pictured, said: ‘I have never done anything like this before.’ She said the government decision was ‘disgusting’. ‘Enough is enough. It doesn’t do anything to encourage people into the profession, even though we need more nurses.’ Managers should be given adequate time, training and resources to ensure they balance organisational performance with concern for the health and wellbeing of their employees, the guideline says. They should show empathy and have an understanding of causes of stress, such as excessive workload, financial worries, work-home conflict or family problems. The guidance coincides with an RCN Publishing campaign to improve the health of the UK’s nurses, by encouraging employers to make sure staff have adequate breaks to eat healthy, nutritious meals. The Eat Well, Nurse Well campaign calls on employers to ensure healthy food is available in workplace canteens.

i Find out more To view the NICE guidance, visit tinyurl.com/lrogobv For details of the Eat Well, Nurse Well campaign, go to tinyurl.com/eatwell-nursewell November 2014 | Volume 21 | Number 7

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NICE urges employers to consider workers' health and wellbeing.

EMPLOYERS SHOULD ensure staff work reasonable hours and have regular breaks, according to draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Ca...
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