British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)最新文献

Sam Foster explores the concept of the small, expert 'tiger team' and how it can help solve critical problems in a healthcare service context.

Background: Nurses should develop and maintain self-assessment abilities as this offers opportunities to build awareness of their professional behaviours and supports them to function as a reflective and competent registrant.

Methods: One cohort of preregistration adult nurses (n=100) undertook self-assessment of five professional behaviours (timekeeping, communication, professionalism, teamworking and evidence-based practice) on two occasions in 1 year. Lecturing staff (n=4) then assessed the students and provided feedback. The results of student and staff assessments were compared and shared with students electronically. Surveys were used to evaluate the experience of self-assessment and the results were thematically analysed.

Results: Staff and students found self-assessment useful for building professional behaviours, with student and lecturer assessment scores becoming more congruent over time.

Conclusion: Self-assessment builds self-awareness, which in turn promotes recognition and understanding of professional behaviours and provides crucial direction for future preregistration education. Self-assessment should be included in curricula to support the development of competent registrants.

A comprehensive body of research shows the trepidation experienced by adult nurses caring for people living with mental illness who are accessing physical care. The prevalence of mental illness means this is an everyday aspect of nursing work, yet adult nurses remain undersupported and undereducated in their practice in this area. A cultural and organisational position of separating health care for the mind and the body has left people with physical and psychological comorbidities experiencing a shorter life expectancy, barriers to accessing physical care and stigma from health professionals. Adult nurses are not formally prepared to assess, engage and care for people who live with mental illness at a level within their scope of practice. Although adult nurses cannot offer expert mental health care akin to that provided by a specialist mental health nurse, therapeutic communication, attention to distress and stigma reduction enrich patient experiences and instil confidence in adult nurses as they fulfil their duties as professional registrants.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted traditional clinical placements for nursing students, prompting the development of alternative models such as peer enhanced e-placement (PEEP). PEEP is a virtual, peer-led simulated practice model that offers nursing students an opportunity to gain essential clinical experience in a controlled environment. Grounded in experiential learning and social constructivism, PEEP advances peer collaboration, reflective learning and critical thinking. This article explores the evolution, implementation and evaluation of PEEP. The approach enhances clinical preparedness, increases placement capacity and provides an innovative solution to the difficulties posed by the pandemic; it also helps meet the need for greater placement capacity at a time of staffing and resources constraints.

The nursing associate (NA) role bridges the gap between healthcare assistants and registered nurses. Although becoming more common in mental health and learning disability settings, to the authors' knowledge the role has not yet been evaluated in this context.

Aim: To explore the experiences of NAs in learning disability and mental health settings, focusing on their training and subsequent work.

Methods: Eight qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were thematically analysed, resulting in four themes: Theory into practice, Not my responsibility, Preparedness, and Finding the balance.

Findings: NA training was praised for its hands-on approach, aiding practical application of theoretical knowledge. However, short placements limited skill development, and balancing clinical hours with written tasks caused stress. Trainee NAs often lacked protected learning time, leading to feelings of exploitation; they performed tasks outside their defined scope, both during and after training.

Conclusion: Clearer role definitions, good support and protected learning time are essential to improve NA effectiveness and wellbeing.

Sam Foster discusses the implications of the latest Budget for the nursing profession and nurse leaders.