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The General Dental Council has been through a very difficult period, and there is an appetite within government and the profession for a review of healthcare regulation, with an emphasis on right-touch regulation. The background to those difficulties is reviewed and the nature and impact of changes to the Dentist Act, which are being introduced during 2016, is discussed. The role of the Professional Standards Authority in regulating the healthcare professional is also explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suicide of doctors under regulatory investigation in the United Kingdom has recently been under scrutiny. Despite a commissioned report into the issues surrounding these deaths, we discuss a variety of procedural and legal lacunae not yet openly considered for reform. We identified that the UK coronial system has in place several legal instruments requiring coroners to report the physician suicides as preventable to the regulatory body, the General Medical Council (GMC). We were unable to identify that these suicides were reported in line with established legislation. We also explored the relationship between the GMC and its registered doctors, concluding that the GMC does indeed have a duty of care towards its members on this important matter and that there should be procedural reform to tackle the inherent risk of suicide whilst under investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Background Protection of the public is a key aspect of pre-registration nursing education and UK Nursing and Midwifery Council monitoring processes. Universities must ensure that nursing students are “fit to practise” both during their programme and at the point of registration. However, current evidence suggests that institutional fitness to practise policies and processes can be inconsistent, lacking in clarity, and open to legal challenge. Objectives To examine fitness to practise processes in pre-registration nursing programmes in Scotland. Participants Academic personnel (n = 11) with key roles in fitness to practise processes in nine of the eleven Scottish universities providing pre-registration nursing programmes. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with eleven academics with responsibility for fitness to practise processes in pre-registration programmes. The qualitative data and documentary evidence including institutional policies and processes were thematically analysed. Findings In this paper, we focus on illuminating the key theme of Stages and Thresholds in Fitness to Practise processes i.e. Pre-fitness to practise, Stage 1, Stage 2, and Appeal, along with two thresholds (between Pre-fitness to practise and Stage 1; between Stage 1 and Stage 2. Conclusions Diverse fitness to practise processes are currently in place for Scottish pre-registration nursing students. These processes draw on a shared set of principles but are couched in different terminology and vary according to their location within different university structures. Nevertheless, universities appear to be confronting broadly similar issues around ensuring fitness to practise and are building a body of expertise in this area. Examples of good practice are identified and include the use of staged processes and graduated outcomes, the incorporation of teaching about fitness to practise into nursing programmes, positive attitudes around health and disability, and collaborative decision making. Areas of challenge include systems for student support and consistent, equitable, and auditable fitness to practise processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revalidation replaces the current triennial self-declaration system of maintaining nurse registration. It involves a third-party affirmation process designed to improve public and patient confidence that nurses remain up to date by undertaking relevant professional development activities. While revalidation is ultimately the responsibility of individual nurses, senior nurses have an important facilitating role in ensuring that registrants can remain on the register and so continue to practise. This article outlines, from a practical perspective, the senior nurse's role and responsibilities in supporting registrants through each stage of the revalidation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The General Medical Council's Fitness to Practise investigations may involve a test of competence for doctors with performance concerns. Concern has been raised about the suitability of the test format for doctors who qualified before the introduction of Single Best Answer and Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessments, both of which form the test of competence. This study explored whether the examination formats used in the tests of competence are fair to long standing doctors who have undergone fitness to practise investigation. Methods: A retrospective cohort design was used to determine an association between year of primary medical qualification and doctors' test of competence performance. Performance of 95 general practitioners under investigation was compared with a group of 376 volunteer doctors. We analysed performance on knowledge test, OSCE overall, and three individual OSCE stations using Spearman's correlation and regression models. Results: Doctors under investigation performed worse on all test outcomes compared to the comparison group. Qualification year correlated positively with performance on all outcomes except for physical examination (e.g. knowledge test r = 0.48, p < 0.001 and OSCE r = 0.37, p < 0.001). Qualification year was associated with test performance in doctors under investigation even when controlling for sex, ethnicity and qualification region. Regression analyses showed that qualification year was associated with knowledge test, OSCE and communication skills performance of doctors under investigation when other variables were controlled for. Among volunteer doctors this was not the case and their performance was more strongly related to where they qualified and their ethnic background. Furthermore, volunteer doctors who qualified before the introduction of Single Best Answer and OSCE assessments, still outperformed their peers under investigation. Conclusions: Earlier graduates under fitness to practise investigation performed less well on the test of competence than their more recently qualified peers under investigation. The performance of the comparator group tended to stay consistent irrespective of year qualified. Our results suggest that the test format does not disadvantage early qualified doctors. We discuss findings in relation to the GMC's fitness to practise procedures and suggest alternative explanations for the poorer performance of long standing doctors under investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prompted by the introduction of statutory social work registration into the Republic of Ireland, the authors consider the assumptions that attach to regulation, including the promise of greater public protection vis-a` -vis the management of misconduct issues by social work regulators. They ponder the paradoxical implications for the future of social work if, notwithstanding the arguments in favour of registration, social work fails to the orise and critically reflect on the prevention, interpretation and management of professional misconduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to summarise the Law Commissions' final report and draft Bill on the regulation of health and social care professionals. Design/methodology/approach -- To summarise the key recommendations that are relevant to adult safeguarding. Findings -- The final report concludes that new legislation is needed to govern the UK regulators of health and social care professionals. Originality/value -- The paper sets out the recommended new legal framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study explored the impact of The Open University's (OU) preregistration nursing programme on students' employability, career progression and its contribution to developing the nursing workforce across the United Kingdom. Designed for healthcare support workers who are sponsored by their employers, the programme is the only part-time supported open/distance learning programme in the UK leading to registration as a nurse. The international literature reveals that relatively little is known about the impact of previous experience as a healthcare support worker on the experience of transition, employability skills and career progression. Objectives To identify alumni and employer views of the perceived impact of the programme on employability, career progression and workforce development. Design/method A qualitative design using telephone interviews which were digitally recorded, and transcribed verbatim prior to content analysis to identify recurrent themes. Settings Three geographical areas across the UK. Participants Alumni (n=17) and employers (n=7). Inclusion criterion for alumni was a minimum of two years' post-qualifying experience. Inclusion criteria for employers were those that had responsibility for sponsoring students on the programme and employing them as newly qualified nurses. Results Four overarching themes were identified: transition, expectations, learning for and in practice, and flexibility. Conclusions Alumni and employers were of the view that the programme equipped them well to meet the competencies and expectations of being a newly qualified nurse. It provided employers with a flexible route to growing their own workforce and alumni the opportunity to achieve their ambition of becoming a qualified nurse when other more conventional routes would not have been open to them. Some of them had already demonstrated career progression. Generalising results requires caution due to the small, self-selecting sample but findings suggest that a widening participation model of pre-registration nurse education for employed healthcare support workers more than adequately prepares them for the realities of professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper encompasses the views of 13 Swedish graduating social work students on their education, competence, skills and expectations for their future roles as social workers. It presents the findings of the first phase of a longitudinal study where students in Sweden and Australia are followed from university and during the first 18 months in the profession. A qualitative methodology was employed and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students just prior to graduating. The most salient theme was the strong wish for more time in contact with the field. All of the students would have preferred at least one additional period of field placement. A strong wish for clarity, particularly in relation to understanding what it means to practise social work, emerged. Although most of the graduates talked about their self-development and described themselves as having become more critical and more self-confident, they perceived themselves as more or less unprepared for most social work positions and expected to receive considerable support and guidance in their workplaces. The proportion of theoretical and research courses in comparison to the teaching of practice skills and field placements within Swedish social work education is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Papua New Guinea is seen by many to be one of the most troubled countries in the world today; it is challenged by infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, by violence—both in the home and in the broader community—as well as by the difficulties associated with responding to communities who are largely rural, remote and inaccessible. It is in this context that the profession of Social Work exists and in which students undertake their fieldwork practicum. The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is the primary provider of Social Work education in the country. This small study sought to investigate third-year UPNG Social Work students' reflections on their first fieldwork experience and their perceptions of preparation. Twenty-three students provided data via a written questionnaire. Content analysis revealed that most students felt only ‘just prepared’ for placement. While many highlighted the value of communication skills to them during fieldwork, there was considerable uncertainty about the role and nature of Social Work, with administrative duties seeming to dominate. Students were, however, clear about improvements; these focused primarily on the sequencing of the curriculum, to ensure that they had covered core learning materials prior to placement. The implications for practice and the challenges to implementation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Regulatory bodies governing health professions and professional education set clear expectations regarding fitness to practise. Within the UK, the Equality Act, 2010, poses a challenge to regulators, educators and employers to ensure that people are not excluded on the basis of disability and to facilitate inclusion. This research took a mixed methods approach to exploring the tensions between Higher Education providers and placement providers in the health sector. Disabled and nondisabled students and health professionals engaged in semi-structured interviews and a survey in order to explore their beliefs and experiences. The findings suggest that applying equality legislation within health settings may be particularly difficult and that ‘disability’ is an ambiguous and multifaceted concept. Whilst small in scale, the findings have given a voice to a professional group who are underrepresented in research and have raised a number of important issues that merit discussion and further scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Satisfaction with different organisational elements and aspects of work contributes markedly to overall levels of job satisfaction and intention to leave. For newly qualified social workers (NQSWs), especially immediately after graduation, self-perceived competence and their confidence in their educational preparation are also important. This article reports on a longitudinal study following 280 social work students into social work employment in England using data collected as students and six months after graduation. We focus on their experiences as NQSWs, thus only including those working in social work jobs, reporting the relative importance of their satisfaction with different work elements, such as supervision and job engagement. These are used to construct a model of NQSWs' overall satisfaction and intentions of leaving their social work jobs. The model incorporates NQSWs' perceptions of how well their degree courses prepared them for their current social work jobs in addition to personal, organisational and specific role characteristics. Using statistical techniques of factor analysis and regression modelling we highlight the complexities of how job satisfaction is constructed and we argue that the data reveal the importance of team support and self-efficacy in relation to whether social workers are thinking about leaving their current social work jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This is the first of two articles presenting findings from a scoping review undertaken in 2011 to inform proposals for a review of the social work qualifying curriculum in England made by the Social Work Reform Board. The review used a mixture of published and unpublished resources to compare the issues raised by the reports of the Social Work Task Force with what was known from published research investigating the ways that the current Requirements for Social Work Training (Department of Health, London, 2002) operate. It found that the evidence base on which the key issues relating to the concerns about initial social work qualifying programmes rest was very variable. The absence of a substantial research evidence base in this area hinders the development of effective policymaking on social work education, but the current changes to social work education and to social work regulation offer a timely opportunity to expand what we know about different assessment systems and how best to regulate social work courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explains the impact that professional regulation has on mental health nursing and the remit of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in providing this. The common reasons why nurses in this specialty come into contact with the council are identified. The role of the NMC as a regulatory body, as opposed to a professional one is discussed, along with its limitations, as set down in legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution to Ideas in Action draws attention to the potential gap for social work graduates that exists between the end of teaching and employment in their chosen field. It discusses the possibilities of a role for faculty in increasing readiness to be employed, thus enabling an easier transition into the profession. An initiative to do just this is discussed together with some of the lessons learnt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparing social work students to be effective practitioners is a complex and challenging task undertaken in a dynamic environment both in terms of the field of social work and the higher education sector. There have been recommendations that self knowledge, empirical knowledge, theoretical knowledge and procedural knowledge are the keys to high standards of social work practice. This paper suggests that the concept of practice wisdom is a useful focus for integrating these different aspects of informed practice and for focusing educational programmes for social work. As practice wisdom is more about process than possessed characteristics then there are important motivational and value-based considerations in developing wise practitioners. This discussion considers motivational and personal narrative aspects of practice wisdom so that it can be integrated into social work teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Focus groups are a means of gathering qualitative data from a group of participants who discuss a given topic. This method has been used in health care research for the past 30 years, but has seen limited use in radiation therapy research. Focus group discussions are a useful tool for investigating a variety of educational, training and clinical issues from the perspective of practitioners, students and patients. This paper reviews the issues associated with using focus groups as a means of data collection. In particular, it addresses some of the decisions which have to be made about group composition and conduct of the discussions. The literature review is contextualised using a recent example of how the authors used focus groups to investigate fitness to practise in radiation therapy. Other challenges such as familiarity between participants and researchers, power relationships and anonymity are addressed. The paper concludes with a consideration of data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective To explore the opinions and knowledge of Australian pharmacists about impairment in the profession, and their awareness of new legislation regarding impairment and mandatory reporting. Setting Pharmacy practice in Australia. Method Pharmacists' opinions and knowledge were explored using a purposively designed, de-identified survey distributed by an intermediate mailing house to randomly selected pharmacists registered with the Pharmacy Board. Descriptive statistics and thematic analyses were conducted on the data. Key Outcome Measures This being an explorative study, we analysed various items using standard statistical methods and qualitative thematic analysis for responses to open-ended questions. Results Responses from 370 registered pharmacists were obtained. Of these, nearly 60% were not confident in their knowledge of legislation relating to impairment. The vast majority stated they would consider reporting an impaired colleague in principle, but only after consulting the colleague. Older pharmacists demonstrated increased awareness of new legislation; this was accompanied however, by a marked decrease in confidence regarding knowledge about impairment. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed four main themes: (1) perception of impairment and support systems available (2) stigma related to implications of impairment and whistle-blowing (3) factors affecting reporting of impairment and (4) management of impairment. Conclusion Australian pharmacists in this study recognised the importance of the issue of impairment, but appeared to lack confidence and/or awareness of legislative requirements regarding impairment in the profession. There is a need for educative programs and accessible, profession-specific rehabilitative programs to be instigated for management of impairment in the profession of pharmacy in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the development of an experiential learning exercise at Kingston University, designed to involve service users and carers in assessing students' readiness to practise. The new social work degree places increased emphasis on practice learning and equipping social workers with the knowledge, skills and tools for the job. This article draws out some of the strengths and advantages of involving 'experts by experience' in helping students to develop awareness of self, their impact on others and effective communication skills, ultimately promoting an understanding of reflective practice early in their training. It also acknowledges some of the problems and dilemmas in providing an equitable experience for all students. The students are provided with this learning/assessment experience as part of a module in the first year of the undergraduate social work degree programme and have to pass this element of the module, in addition to the academic component, in order to progress to level two. The terms 'service users' and 'carers' and 'experts by experience' are used interchangeably in this article. The Steering Group at Kingston University, involved in the development of the exercise discussed, are aware of the power and impact of language and have expressed preference to being referred to as 'experts by experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this literature review is to highlight the need for effective learning and teaching facilitation in the clinical workplace, so that nurses are fit to practise on entry to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register. The article focuses on the importance of the relationship between mentors and student nurses, and summarizes recommendations from the literature on this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of La Radiologia Medica is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article seeks to promote a debate about the operation of fitness to practise procedures for students who have been registered onto social work training programmes in England. Information is provided about the General Social Care Council (GSCC) requirements, university procedures and five exemplars are used to tease out some of the key issues in relation to the operation of these processes. From this exploratory position major concerns are raised about the operation of the current process which promotes surveillance of students in all aspects of their lives, is secret, and lacks accountability. At present it is unknown whether these processes are being operated in a fair or just manner, whether they target particular student communities or whether they are being operated equitably across England. This is a highly unsatisfactory position and is in sharp contradiction to social work's avowed commitment to social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the perspectives of decision-makers when assessing the good character of nursing and midwifery pre-registration students in relation to their continued fitness to practise. A qualitative iterative survey design in the interpretive paradigm. An expert panel of fitness to practise decision-makers was established to examine their perspectives when assessing the good character of nursing and midwifery pre-registration students. A qualitative modified Delphi approach was used to collect data via an on-line asynchronous questionnaire through a series of three iterative rounds in 2016. Qualitative data from all rounds were analysed using thematic analysis. A final overall analysis and interpretation was undertaken. The assessment of good character in nursing and midwifery pre-registration students is complex and appears to be heavily influenced by contextual factors including moral beliefs and the student's stage on the course. Determining seriousness and the potential for repetition of behaviour were key components of the decision-making process and were influenced by the student's ability to demonstrate self-awareness through reflection and remorse, and honesty and integrity through a professional duty of candour. Educating students to understand how good character is assessed and the importance of epistemological reflection along with recognition of the student status in Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practise documentation is recommended to promote consistency in the assessment of good character between higher education institutions. Consistent decision-making with regard to good character may assist in maintaining public protection, trust and confidence in the nursing and midwifery professions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Termination of training is a contentious aspect of work for social work educators. Studies in the USA, Australia and Canada have pointed to the need for clear procedures that safeguard the rights of students whilst also enabling social work staff to fulfil their role as professional gatekeepers. In England, recently introduced professional regulations require universities to have such procedures in place. The concept of professional suitability is central, but rarely defined either at a national or local level. This paper draws upon two studies. One is a comparison of procedures from 24 universities in England; the other a qualitative study of the perceptions of staff involved in the investigations of 'fitness to practise' conducted in our own university during the previous year. Some key themes are identified. We conclude that decision making in relation to suitability is necessarily complex and contested. Whilst clear guidelines and consistent procedures are needed, decision making in this area is best understood as an ethical judgement made by a community of practitioners. When the focus shifts from clearer definition of the concept, to regarding suitability as a judgement made in practice, it becomes important to consider who is involved in making that judgement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective nursing practice requires the ability to recognise emotions and handle responses in relationships with clients and their families. This emotional competence includes nurses managing their own emotional life along with the skill to relate effectively to the multiple colleagues and agencies that nurses work alongside. The research was designed to explore the views of nurse educators about the challenges they encounter when seeking to assess a student's development of emotional competence during the three year bachelor of nursing degree. Focus groups were used to obtain from educators evidence of feeling and opinion as to how theory and practice environments influence student nurses' development of emotional competence. The process of thematic analysis was utilised and three key themes arose as areas of importance to the participants. These were personal and social competence collectively comprises emotional competence in nursing; emotional competence is a key component of fitness to practise; and transforming caring into practice. The findings of the study indicate a need for definition of what emotional competence is in nursing. It is argued that educators and practicing nurses, who work alongside students, must uphold the expectation that emotional competence is a requisite ability and should themselves be able to role model emotionally competent communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]