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In the UK, student nurses, nursing associates and midwives are supervised by practice supervisors and practice assessors while completing the placement-based component of their training. Because of increased clinical commitments, staff shortages and rising student numbers, demands for the supervision and assessment of student nurses have increased in recent years and this was exacerbated by COVID-19. The Nursing and Midwifery Council's Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment separated the roles of practice supervisor and assessor, giving rise to opportunities to assess students in a different way. Some integrated care systems are exploring the new role of roaming assessor. Roaming assessors can fulfil the role of practice assessors while providing additional support for student nurses. This role could be expanded to other health professions. This article explores the use of practice learning facilitators as roaming assessors for student nurses in the UK and evaluates the potential benefits and limitations of this approach. Roaming assessors may provide a useful service to deliver practice assessments, increasing the reliability and availability of assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health and care staff have limited opportunities to design, deliver and lead critical enquiry activities. Aims: To explore barriers and enablers of building capacity, capability and confidence of these practitioners who wish to undertake critical enquiry activity. Methods: A realist conceptual framework including the development of middle range theory allowed analysis of the scholarship process and outcomes. Data were collected through snap surveys, interviews (face to face and online) and project output (posters). Results: Nine scholars completed the programme and all participated in the study. They all experienced an increase in capacity, capability and confidence in critical enquiry activity. Six overarching themes arose from analysis of the interviews and snap survey data: value; expertise; attitudes; meaningful, responsive support; brain space; and skill and knowledge acquisition. Discussion: A combined focus on people and project while staff remained embedded in their work area was key for the growth of skills and knowledge and creating impact from projects. Guilt at having dedicated time to take part in the programme was a self-imposed barrier to building capacity and capability. Social capital (gained from bringing together individuals from different groups with shared values) facilitated bonding, which increased psychological safety and helped enable capability and confidence. Conclusion: The combination of theory and practice embedded in a real-world context led to positive outcomes for staff, patients, carers and the facilitation team as real-life changes were made in clinical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Redeployment in health care can have a negative impact on the mental wellbeing of staff. Advanced planning and provisions for wellbeing support for health professionals has been recommended following previous pandemics. At the authors' institution nurses were redeployed overnight from a specialist cystic fibrosis ward to a COVID-19 high-dependency unit. Aim: To evaluate nurses' wellbeing following this redeployment during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A mixed online survey, consisting of both open and closed questions, based on literature, preliminary results of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Nursing and Midwifery Workforce (ICON) study and staff feedback. This was sent to 28 nurses to explore their feelings and experiences of redeployment to a COVID-19 environment. Purposive sampling was used to select study participants while thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Findings: The survey had an 86% response rate. Using thematic analysis three key themes emerged: redeployment anxiety, lack of organisational preparedness and newfound teamworking. More than half (57%) of respondents expressed anxiety and concern when told of their redeployment; 52% reported that they did not receive adequate support from senior staff and management. However, 74% reported that they felt their nursing was positively influenced by support and teamwork from those in patient-facing roles. Twenty-five percent reported that they were looking for a new job or leaving their current role. Conclusion: This study examines the effects that redeployment to a COVID-19 environment has had on nurses. It highlights the need for further improvement to ensure redeployed staff are supported to safeguard their mental wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is limited literature on the experiences of internationally educated nurses (IENs) who have joined NHS trusts in England in the past 20 years. The objectives of this integrative review included exploring and analysing the experiences of IENs in the NHS in England and identifying the cultural, pastoral and training needs of IENs during their first 2 years working in England and providing research-informed recommendations to better support IENs. Design: An integrative review of primary research studies using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods of data collection. Data source: CINAHL, British Nursing Index and Google Scholar. Results: Nine articles met the inclusion criteria for this integrative review. All articles contributed to the findings of three main analytical themes: expectations, challenges and belongingness. Conclusion: Limited research fully met the search criteria. This was concerning since IENs have been working in the NHS for decades, yet so few primary studies have been conducted into their experiences. The findings were in line with previous studies, which found that IENs faced challenges both in the workplace and in settling into an English way of life, and often reported feeling that they were not treated equally to their English counterparts. This integrative review raises issues and increases awareness of how the NHS in England can better support IENs transitioning into their new life and ways of working, to further aid recruitment and retention of the international nursing workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the initiatives led by an experienced infection prevention and control (IPC) nurse during their career, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include improving standards of care for central venous catheters (CVCs), enhancing care for peripheral vascular access devices (PVADs), and developing a skilled and efficient IPC link workforce.

Investment in nursing is key to having a healthy workforce and a healthy population. NHS Chief Nursing Officers for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England Alex McMahon, Maria McIlgorm, Sue Tranka and Ruth May reflect on policies adopted over the past year aimed at developing the healthcare workforce [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Tingle, Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, discusses what stakeholders in health and patient safety want the next government to deliver [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges faced by the social care workforce in the UK, including high turnover rates and difficulties in recruitment and retention. Topics include the economic impact of social care, the need for a person-centred approach in nursing education to prepare students for social care settings, and proposals to establish social care nursing as a recognized fifth field of practice.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers proposals to increase support worker numbers, which include taking a more co-ordinated approach and better training [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges faced by the National Health Service in aligning its workforce growth with the increasing demand for healthcare services, particularly due to factors such as an ageing population and vacancies. Topics include the importance of effective clinical placements for both learners and healthcare facilities in addressing workforce shortages, the factors contributing to learner attrition and strategies to enhance learner retention by fostering a sense of belongings.

The article focuses on the challenges faced by the public health nursing workforce in England, including recruitment, retention, increased workload, and demand. Topics discussed include the Professional Nurse Advocate (PNA) Advocating and Educating for QUality ImProvement (A-EQUIP) program, its role in enhancing workforce wellbeing and resilience, and the importance of implementing the model to support staff wellbeing in public health nursing teams.

The article reflects on the significance of International Nurses Day (IND) 2024, emphasizing the value of registered nurses and the importance of celebrating their contributions to society. It discusses the theme set by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) for IND 2024, focusing on the economic power of care and the need for investment in nursing. It highlights challenges such as underinvestment in the nursing profession, recruitment and retention issues.

An editorial commemorates International Nurses Day, acknowledging the profound contributions of nurses globally. It celebrates their unwavering dedication, resilience, and compassion, drawing inspiration from the legacies of nursing pioneers like Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale. It emphasizes the importance of supporting nurses and prioritizing their wellbeing within healthcare systems to ensure the continuation of exceptional patient-centered care.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the issue of long-term workforce planning, focusing on England [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the reliance of the National Health Service (NHS) on international recruitment to address workforce shortages, emphasizing the growing proportion of internationally educated nurses and midwives in the British healthcare system. Topics include the scale of international recruitment in healthcare, regional disparities in reliance on international staff, and the strategic investment in training, development, and retention efforts to ensure a sustainable healthcare workforce.

Sam Foster, Executive Director of Professional Practice, Nursing and Midwifery Council, considers the report of the Times Health Commission, which looked at all aspects of the NHS [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the ASPIRE project, which addresses nursing shortages in the United Kingdom by offering a fast-track education program for healthcare assistants to enter the second year of the Bachelor of Science (BSc) Nursing course in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities. Topics include the project's initiation, its emphasis on practical experience and recognition of prior learning, and the positive impact observed on both healthcare workforce expansion and professional development.

The article focuses on the need to expand placement capacity in healthcare education to include social care and other settings, amidst challenges in recruiting registered supervisors and assessors. Topics include the development of a new practice education model to support placement expansion, fostering collaboration between educational institutions and placement providers, and the importance of supporting clinical staff interested in teaching and research roles.