Recent Submissions

  • The value of implementing a nursing and midwifery clinical accreditation programme at two NHS Trusts

    Morris, Martina; Creedon, Katrina; Morris, Martina; Creedon, Katrina; Corporate; Nursing and Midwifery Registered; The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (MA Healthcare, 2024-02-22)
    Unit/ward accreditation programmes have been widely implemented by nursing and midwifery teams across healthcare providers in the UK over the recent years and have many associated benefits. These include promoting quality improvement on a wider scale across the organisation, strengthening oversight and accountability of quality and safety from ward to board and vice versa, promoting shared learning, and providing opportunities for sharing and celebrating excellence. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust have recognised the value of this approach, launching a clinical accreditation programme in April 2023. This initially focused on nursing and midwifery, with plans to widen the approach to other disciplines and specialist teams. Up to the time of writing, 56 visits had been undertaken with 30 clinical areas accredited. The remaining visited areas are awaiting their accreditation outcome. The approach has positively contributed to improvements in patient outcomes, such as more patient observations being completed on time, a reduction in patient falls and improvements in pressure ulcers. Colleagues participating in the programme and frontline staff working in the clinical areas assessed have reported how positive the approach has been, providing opportunities for shared learning and celebrating excellence.
  • Introducing the back to the floor concept at the Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trusts

    Morris, Martina; Morris, Martina; Corporate; Admin and Clerical; The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (MA Healthcare, 2023-08-17)
    The Back to the Floor concept has been in existence for many years and is used by nursing and midwifery teams across a wide range of healthcare organizations in the UK. The aim of the approach is to improve patient experience through strengthened, visible, senior clinical leadership. The concept can support the aims and objectives of an organizational nursing, midwifery, and allied health professions strategy, which in the case of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (WHT), is the Quality Framework.
  • Evaluation of the effect of a nursing system framework on nurse sensitive indicators, mortality and readmission in an NHS trust

    Cannaby, Ann-Marie; Carter, Vanda; Warren, Katherine; Gwinnett, Jason; Bailey, Karla; Mahmud, Sultan; Gray, Richard; Cannaby, Ann-Marie; Chief Executive Directorate; Admin and Clerical; et al. (Wiley Open Access, 2023-02-10)
    In 2018, an NHS Trust (UK) implemented an innovative Nursing System Framework (NSF). The NSF formalized a two-year strategy, which provided teams with clear aims and measurable objectives to deliver care. Failures of coordination of nursing services are well-recognized threats to the quality, safety and sustainability of care provision. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of introducing a NSF in an NHS Trust, using nursing sensitive indicators and pre-selected mortality, data outcome measures. Design: A before and after implementation, observational study. Methods: 105,437 admissions were extracted at an admission record level. Data was extracted from 1st September 2018 through to the 31st August 2019. Results: Using SQUIRE guidelines to report the study, insufficient evidence was found to reject a null hypothesis with a chi-squared test of association between in-hospital death and the NSF intervention period, with a p-value of .091. However, trends were seen in the data, which suggested a positive association. Conclusion: The NSF is a complex intervention, which provides direction for improvements but requires further research to understand the benefits for nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and patients.
  • How a better understanding of nursing research roles may help to embed research into clinical structures

    Smythe, Analisa; Carter, Vanda; Dube, Alisen; Cannaby, Ann-Marie; Cannaby, Ann-Marie; Chief Executive Directorate; Nurse Directorate; Admin and Clerical; Nursing and Midwifery Registered; The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent; Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust (MA Healthcare, 2022-09-22)
    Background: Despite efforts to build research capacity within nursing there are growing concerns about the lack of funding and support for nurses who wish to pursue a career in research. Aim: To explore how research capacity within the nursing profession can be increased. Discussion: The disparity in opportunity and support for such roles is a barrier to the growth of nursing research. This article examines the nomenclature that exists around nursing roles in research, including those of clinical research nurse, nurse researcher and clinical nurse academic, and the challenges associated with each of these roles. The authors reflect on their career paths, specifically the transition from clinical research nurse to nurse researcher. Conclusion: To grow research capacity within the nursing discipline, organisations must provide opportunities for research at all career stages, promote the fundamental role that research plays in the quality of patient care and highlight career pathways and roles in nursing research.