Opinion
Vantage point Unity or chaos I AM writing this column as junior doctors prepare to walk out for a second day of industrial action over proposed changes to their contract. While sympathy has been expressed for the doctors, the public response has not been unanimous, and there is a perception in some quarters that a privileged middle-class profession is putting self-interest before the needs of patients. Placards about saving the NHS compete for the moral high ground against ministers’ pursuit of a ‘24-hour NHS’. But demonstrating outside hospitals while patients experience the stress and perhaps more tragic consequences of cancelled operations is hardly compatible with the Hippocratic oath. It is worth noting that, during the general election campaign in 2015, the British Medical Association (BMA) urged parties not to politicise the NHS. Yet a few months later, the BMA is not practising what it preached. It must be possible to negotiate medical cover that does not exhaust young doctors. After all, nurses have always provided round-the-clock care, with a shift system that shares the load. The RCN has generally eschewed strike action, which it has regarded as unprofessional. Most nurses would be reluctant to use patients as a bargaining tool, whatever their views of the government of the day. Nevertheless, could the junior doctors’ struggle spread to nursing? One strength of our profession is the high proportion of managers who are nurses, who understand the challenges of the work. Maintaining unity will be crucial in preventing a confrontational atmosphere stirred by agitators more interested in political battles than in patient care. Without unity, expect chaos. Niall McCrae is a lecturer at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London and a member of the Nursing Management editorial advisory board
16 March 2016 | Volume 22 | Number 10
Book reviews Leadership, Management and Team Working in Nursing Shirley Bach and Peter Ellis Learning Matters £19.99 | 192pp ISBN: 9781473918849 HEALTH AND social care services require staff who can demonstrate leadership, management and teamwork skills. It is therefore vital that nursing students are encouraged to acquire such skills as soon as possible. This book offers an overview of the essential concepts of leadership and management in nursing, and includes a series of case studies and activities that bring theory to life and help cement what has been learned.
Advanced Nursing Practice: Changing Healthcare in a Changing World David Barton and Douglas Allan Palgrave Macmillan £24.99 | 320pp ISBN: 9780230378131 THIS BOOK provides a welcome and timely synopsis of the literature about advanced nursing practice. The early chapters give an overview of the evolution of advanced nursing practice from UK and international perspectives. They also provide a fascinating insight into the evidence base for, and history of, the advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) role. The chapter on education will be of particular interest to those undertaking studies and running courses.
Theory is also supported in each chapter through reflective questioning. The authors encourage readers who want to become leaders to explore their own values and experiences, and to develop emotional intelligence. They also offer practical guidance for the immediate challenges faced by new nurses, including team working, delegation, conflict management and negotiation. Each chapter draws on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s standards and essential skills clusters for pre-registration nursing education. Overall this book is easy to read and has a straightforward and attractive format. It deserves to be read by nursing students and newly registered staff alike. Jacqueline Harley is a senior lecturer at the Nursing and Midwifery Higher Education Department, St Helier, Jersey
The chapters concerning advanced assessment, clinical decision making and non-medical prescribing are well written and engaging, with the provision of several case studies to highlight the themes under discussion. However, because each chapter is written by a different contributor, there is some repetition of themes and content, most notably in the early sections. The part on career progression, which includes interviews with several ANPs, helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The range of specialties will inspire staff working towards ANP roles. I would recommend the book to university libraries, researchers and academics, and to staff aspiring to be ANPs. Other readers may find the book best to dip in and out of, or as a reference guide. Amy Pepper is a consultant Admiral nurse at the London Borough of Sutton Admiral Nursing Service
What’s your view? If you want to express your opinions about any of the issues in the news, email the editor, Nick Lipley, at [email protected] NURSING MANAGEMENT
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Jul 03, 2016. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2016 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Vantage point Unity or chaos I AM writing this column as junior doctors prepare to walk out for a second day of industrial action over proposed changes to their contract. While sympathy has been expressed for the doctors, the public response has not been unanimous, and there is a perception in some quarters that a privileged middle-class profession is putting self-interest before the needs of patients. Placards about saving the NHS compete for the moral high ground against ministers’ pursuit of a ‘24-hour NHS’. But demonstrating outside hospitals while patients experience the stress and perhaps more tragic consequences of cancelled operations is hardly compatible with the Hippocratic oath. It is worth noting that, during the general election campaign in 2015, the British Medical Association (BMA) urged parties not to politicise the NHS. Yet a few months later, the BMA is not practising what it preached. It must be possible to negotiate medical cover that does not exhaust young doctors. After all, nurses have always provided round-the-clock care, with a shift system that shares the load. The RCN has generally eschewed strike action, which it has regarded as unprofessional. Most nurses would be reluctant to use patients as a bargaining tool, whatever their views of the government of the day. Nevertheless, could the junior doctors’ struggle spread to nursing? One strength of our profession is the high proportion of managers who are nurses, who understand the challenges of the work. Maintaining unity will be crucial in preventing a confrontational atmosphere stirred by agitators more interested in political battles than in patient care. Without unity, expect chaos. Niall McCrae is a lecturer at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London and a member of the Nursing Management editorial advisory board
16 March 2016 | Volume 22 | Number 10
Book reviews Leadership, Management and Team Working in Nursing Shirley Bach and Peter Ellis Learning Matters £19.99 | 192pp ISBN: 9781473918849 HEALTH AND social care services require staff who can demonstrate leadership, management and teamwork skills. It is therefore vital that nursing students are encouraged to acquire such skills as soon as possible. This book offers an overview of the essential concepts of leadership and management in nursing, and includes a series of case studies and activities that bring theory to life and help cement what has been learned.
Advanced Nursing Practice: Changing Healthcare in a Changing World David Barton and Douglas Allan Palgrave Macmillan £24.99 | 320pp ISBN: 9780230378131 THIS BOOK provides a welcome and timely synopsis of the literature about advanced nursing practice. The early chapters give an overview of the evolution of advanced nursing practice from UK and international perspectives. They also provide a fascinating insight into the evidence base for, and history of, the advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) role. The chapter on education will be of particular interest to those undertaking studies and running courses.
Theory is also supported in each chapter through reflective questioning. The authors encourage readers who want to become leaders to explore their own values and experiences, and to develop emotional intelligence. They also offer practical guidance for the immediate challenges faced by new nurses, including team working, delegation, conflict management and negotiation. Each chapter draws on the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s standards and essential skills clusters for pre-registration nursing education. Overall this book is easy to read and has a straightforward and attractive format. It deserves to be read by nursing students and newly registered staff alike. Jacqueline Harley is a senior lecturer at the Nursing and Midwifery Higher Education Department, St Helier, Jersey
The chapters concerning advanced assessment, clinical decision making and non-medical prescribing are well written and engaging, with the provision of several case studies to highlight the themes under discussion. However, because each chapter is written by a different contributor, there is some repetition of themes and content, most notably in the early sections. The part on career progression, which includes interviews with several ANPs, helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The range of specialties will inspire staff working towards ANP roles. I would recommend the book to university libraries, researchers and academics, and to staff aspiring to be ANPs. Other readers may find the book best to dip in and out of, or as a reference guide. Amy Pepper is a consultant Admiral nurse at the London Borough of Sutton Admiral Nursing Service
What’s your view? If you want to express your opinions about any of the issues in the news, email the editor, Nick Lipley, at [email protected] NURSING MANAGEMENT
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Jul 03, 2016. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2016 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
