Nurses working alone need robust protection warns Christian Duffin District nurse Neil Thompson tells a grim story about a nurse who was attacked by a desperate drug user. ‘She was by her car and someone slammed the boot lid on her head because they thought she had syringes. She had a head injury and an ambulance was called.’ The story illustrates how nurses working alone need protection, Mr Thompson says. He believes community workers may need portable alarms so they can send an alert if they are in trouble. Mr Thompson represents the east Midlands on the RCN’s UK
RELIANCE
SAFEGUARDING LONE WORKERS
An alarm device hidden in an ID badge can provide extra security for lone workers
Safety checklist: are staff... Issued with lone working procedures? Trained to prevent and manage violence? Issued with appropriate safety equipment? Aware of how to report an incident? Aware that they should never put themselves or colleagues in any danger?
NOTICE BOARD
Source: NHS Protect
safety representatives committee, which has put forward a resolution to RCN congress next week calling for RCN council to ‘take action against organisations failing to provide sufficiently robust lone-working systems to protect community staff’. ‘A lot of organisations are behind on this sort of thing,’ he says. Unite/Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association professional officer Dave Munday argues that: ‘Some organisations are on the ball, but for others it is low down on their priority list.’
Mentorship A two-part programme to help develop nurse mentors has been launched by the Open University (OU). The first part, a free short course called Facilitating Learning in Practice, explores mentorship skills. The second part, for practising nurses supported by their employer, entails assessment of a practice-based portfolio. Mentors who successfully complete the programme can register as local nurse mentors. tinyurl.com/OUMentors Equality leaders A total of 25 organisations have become equality and diversity partners to develop and promote equality in the NHS workplace in 2015/16. The partners will network with each other and the wider
Mr Munday says employers should provide at least an analysis of the risks involved for lone workers and conflict resolution training.
Tracking devices
Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust has decided that all staff who visit patients alone should have protection devices so they can be tracked or alert their colleagues discreetly if in trouble. Interim director of nursing Amanda Pye said: ‘In any circumstances where a member of staff feels vulnerable the
NHS to influence policy and boost performance. They will explore why the NHS is relatively strong in some areas, such as gender equality, and work together on areas such as career progression of people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and those with learning disabilities. The partners can be viewed at tinyurl.com/EandDPnetwork Social media The Nursing and Midwifery Council has published guidance on using social media. The guidance, which underpins the Code, covers the need to use social media and social networking sites responsibly. It sets out broad principles to enable nurses and midwives to act professionally and ensure public protection at all times. tinyurl.com/NMCSmguidance
64 june 17 :: volfrom 29 no 42 :: 2015 STANDARD Downloaded RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
CAREERS
RESOURCES NHS Security: lone working guidance tinyurl.com/NHSBALWG NHS Staff Council’s guidance for managers tinyurl.com/NHSSCG RCN lone worker survey tinyurl.com/RCNLone WorkerSurvey device can be activated and an appropriate response made.’ The trust has also introduced a buddy system, whereby lone workers pair up with a colleague who monitors their movements. In a 2007 RCN survey of almost 1,000 nurses one third said they sometimes felt unsafe working alone, while one third had been assaulted or harassed in the previous two years. Community nurses can be proactive in reducing risk by asking patients to come to the clinic, says Mr Munday. The NHS Staff Council states that managers should give lone workers training in conflict resolution and in using technology for protecting themselves. Information about violent individuals must be reported. Managers have a duty to assess the risks of lone worker jobs, the NHS Staff Council states (see resources box) NS Christian Duffin is a freelance journalist
Support is being offered to mental health students’ mentors
How LAMP blazes a trail From the start, the aim of our The London Association of Mental Health association was to improve the quality Nursing Practice (LAMP) was set up in of practice placements, mentorship and 2013 to support mental health nurses practice assessment. LAMP supports the and academics involved in training mental Department of Health mandate of delivering health nursing students. high quality, effective, compassionate care The association is supported by East as well as developing the right people. London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), City So far, LAMP has looked at how sign-off University and Health Education North East mentors in London exercise accountability, and Central London. student assessment and physical health ELFT gives protected time for two staff to project manage the association while City issues in mental health settings. Next year’s theme will be preceptorship. University hosts the association’s education The association has run a half-day resource and email account. Representatives conference each November on support for from seven London mental health trusts sign-off mentors and and nine London ‘COLLABORATING ON DIFFERENT a main conference in universities are March to disseminate working on solutions PROJECTS MAKES ALL OUR EFFORTS WORTHWHILE’ the projects to pre-registration undertaken that year. training issues. The benefit of collaborating on different The need for a London-wide mental projects is that it makes all our efforts health practice education network was identified in an earlier project commissioned worthwhile. While LAMP is primarily London-based, membership is expanding by NHS London and the London Mental and we hope that everyone gets something Health Directors forum. from the association. The London Mental Health Nursing A core membership attends bi-monthly Pre-Registration Education Project examined project meetings; for others, contact is recruitment issues in mental health nursing. via the dedicated email account. Everyone contributes something NS
Get in touch
LAMP would like to hear from others working in pre-registration mental health nursing and from those working in the learning disability specialty: Contact: [email protected]
Empathy NHS England (London region) has produced a short film called Care is Compassion as part of its Compassion in Practice Programme. The video is designed to encourage staff to think about how patients are feeling and ensure that they demonstrate compassion in everyday practice. It highlights how caring and listening make a difference to patients. It was first shown at the conference Leadership, Culture and Compassion: Pushing the Boundaries of Care, The Collective Leadership Challenge in March. tinyurl.com/CompassionDVD Dementia NHS Employers has created new resources for employers and employees who have caring responsibilities for people with dementia. The guides are intended to help
Betsy Scott is practice experience manager and LAMP project lead, and Laura Pisaneschi is deputy manager of Tower Hamlets Clozapine Clinic and LAMP deputy project lead, both at East London NHS Foundation Trust
employees continue their NHS role if they have dementia or care for someone with dementia. The guides are based on the premise that even as dementia progresses, many people lead active, healthy lives and continue to work effectively. tinyurl.com/NHSEDementiaresources Community nursing The Queen’s Nursing Institute will hold its annual conference, titled Healthcare in the Community: Inspire, Innovate, Implement, on September 28 at the Royal College of Physicians, Regent’s Park, London. Tickets booked before June 30 qualify for an early bird discount and cost £160. The full price is £185. Lunch and refreshments are included. If the employer agrees to pay, the QNI can now invoice organisations. For more information, please go to tinyurl.com/pkul44m
NURSING june No 17 other :: vol uses 29 no 42 :: permission. 2015 65 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
RELIANCE
SAFEGUARDING LONE WORKERS
An alarm device hidden in an ID badge can provide extra security for lone workers
Safety checklist: are staff... Issued with lone working procedures? Trained to prevent and manage violence? Issued with appropriate safety equipment? Aware of how to report an incident? Aware that they should never put themselves or colleagues in any danger?
NOTICE BOARD
Source: NHS Protect
safety representatives committee, which has put forward a resolution to RCN congress next week calling for RCN council to ‘take action against organisations failing to provide sufficiently robust lone-working systems to protect community staff’. ‘A lot of organisations are behind on this sort of thing,’ he says. Unite/Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association professional officer Dave Munday argues that: ‘Some organisations are on the ball, but for others it is low down on their priority list.’
Mentorship A two-part programme to help develop nurse mentors has been launched by the Open University (OU). The first part, a free short course called Facilitating Learning in Practice, explores mentorship skills. The second part, for practising nurses supported by their employer, entails assessment of a practice-based portfolio. Mentors who successfully complete the programme can register as local nurse mentors. tinyurl.com/OUMentors Equality leaders A total of 25 organisations have become equality and diversity partners to develop and promote equality in the NHS workplace in 2015/16. The partners will network with each other and the wider
Mr Munday says employers should provide at least an analysis of the risks involved for lone workers and conflict resolution training.
Tracking devices
Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust has decided that all staff who visit patients alone should have protection devices so they can be tracked or alert their colleagues discreetly if in trouble. Interim director of nursing Amanda Pye said: ‘In any circumstances where a member of staff feels vulnerable the
NHS to influence policy and boost performance. They will explore why the NHS is relatively strong in some areas, such as gender equality, and work together on areas such as career progression of people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and those with learning disabilities. The partners can be viewed at tinyurl.com/EandDPnetwork Social media The Nursing and Midwifery Council has published guidance on using social media. The guidance, which underpins the Code, covers the need to use social media and social networking sites responsibly. It sets out broad principles to enable nurses and midwives to act professionally and ensure public protection at all times. tinyurl.com/NMCSmguidance
64 june 17 :: volfrom 29 no 42 :: 2015 STANDARD Downloaded RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
CAREERS
RESOURCES NHS Security: lone working guidance tinyurl.com/NHSBALWG NHS Staff Council’s guidance for managers tinyurl.com/NHSSCG RCN lone worker survey tinyurl.com/RCNLone WorkerSurvey device can be activated and an appropriate response made.’ The trust has also introduced a buddy system, whereby lone workers pair up with a colleague who monitors their movements. In a 2007 RCN survey of almost 1,000 nurses one third said they sometimes felt unsafe working alone, while one third had been assaulted or harassed in the previous two years. Community nurses can be proactive in reducing risk by asking patients to come to the clinic, says Mr Munday. The NHS Staff Council states that managers should give lone workers training in conflict resolution and in using technology for protecting themselves. Information about violent individuals must be reported. Managers have a duty to assess the risks of lone worker jobs, the NHS Staff Council states (see resources box) NS Christian Duffin is a freelance journalist
Support is being offered to mental health students’ mentors
How LAMP blazes a trail From the start, the aim of our The London Association of Mental Health association was to improve the quality Nursing Practice (LAMP) was set up in of practice placements, mentorship and 2013 to support mental health nurses practice assessment. LAMP supports the and academics involved in training mental Department of Health mandate of delivering health nursing students. high quality, effective, compassionate care The association is supported by East as well as developing the right people. London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), City So far, LAMP has looked at how sign-off University and Health Education North East mentors in London exercise accountability, and Central London. student assessment and physical health ELFT gives protected time for two staff to project manage the association while City issues in mental health settings. Next year’s theme will be preceptorship. University hosts the association’s education The association has run a half-day resource and email account. Representatives conference each November on support for from seven London mental health trusts sign-off mentors and and nine London ‘COLLABORATING ON DIFFERENT a main conference in universities are March to disseminate working on solutions PROJECTS MAKES ALL OUR EFFORTS WORTHWHILE’ the projects to pre-registration undertaken that year. training issues. The benefit of collaborating on different The need for a London-wide mental projects is that it makes all our efforts health practice education network was identified in an earlier project commissioned worthwhile. While LAMP is primarily London-based, membership is expanding by NHS London and the London Mental and we hope that everyone gets something Health Directors forum. from the association. The London Mental Health Nursing A core membership attends bi-monthly Pre-Registration Education Project examined project meetings; for others, contact is recruitment issues in mental health nursing. via the dedicated email account. Everyone contributes something NS
Get in touch
LAMP would like to hear from others working in pre-registration mental health nursing and from those working in the learning disability specialty: Contact: [email protected]
Empathy NHS England (London region) has produced a short film called Care is Compassion as part of its Compassion in Practice Programme. The video is designed to encourage staff to think about how patients are feeling and ensure that they demonstrate compassion in everyday practice. It highlights how caring and listening make a difference to patients. It was first shown at the conference Leadership, Culture and Compassion: Pushing the Boundaries of Care, The Collective Leadership Challenge in March. tinyurl.com/CompassionDVD Dementia NHS Employers has created new resources for employers and employees who have caring responsibilities for people with dementia. The guides are intended to help
Betsy Scott is practice experience manager and LAMP project lead, and Laura Pisaneschi is deputy manager of Tower Hamlets Clozapine Clinic and LAMP deputy project lead, both at East London NHS Foundation Trust
employees continue their NHS role if they have dementia or care for someone with dementia. The guides are based on the premise that even as dementia progresses, many people lead active, healthy lives and continue to work effectively. tinyurl.com/NHSEDementiaresources Community nursing The Queen’s Nursing Institute will hold its annual conference, titled Healthcare in the Community: Inspire, Innovate, Implement, on September 28 at the Royal College of Physicians, Regent’s Park, London. Tickets booked before June 30 qualify for an early bird discount and cost £160. The full price is £185. Lunch and refreshments are included. If the employer agrees to pay, the QNI can now invoice organisations. For more information, please go to tinyurl.com/pkul44m
NURSING june No 17 other :: vol uses 29 no 42 :: permission. 2015 65 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
