NCEPOD Highlights Importance Of Training And Safe Staffing Levels - Royal College Of Nursing, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 06 Nov 2009 - 3:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Responding to today's publication of the National Confidential Enquiry Into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) study, Dr Peter Carter of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) stressed the importance of ensuring safe staffing levels and giving nurses the opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills, so they are able to provide quality end-of-life care. Dr Carter said:

"This stark report underlines the importance of training and development of all healthcare staff, particularly in end of life care. It also shows that effective communication between staff is the engine that ensures quality care is constant. It is crucial to realise that to reduce stress on patients and their carers the right information is shared within clinical teams as well as from one healthcare setting to another, should the patient need to be transferred.

"The RCN recently revealed that four out of ten (42%) nurses feel care is compromised at least once a week because of short staffing. We must make sure there is the right number and balance of nursing staff in hospitals and in the community. This is especially important in end-of-life care which is predominantly delivered by nurses.

"We recognise the need to improve care in this area and the RCN has been heavily involved in implementing the end-of-life care strategy."

Source
Royal College of Nursing