NURSING AND MIDWIFERY WORKFORCE NORTHERN IRELAND: ENABLING PROFESSIONALISM DURING COVID-19 SURGE DEMAND
Welcome to the NIPEC Enabling Professionalism during COVID-19 Surge Demand, for the Nursing and Midwifery Workforce in Northern Ireland.
This site offers advice and resources to Health and Social Care (HSC) trusts and other organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the nursing and midwifery workforce through periods of high service demand.
Nurses, midwives, nursing assistants, senior nursing assistants and maternity support workers[1] have skills and knowledge which are vital to help deliver safe and effective care to as many patients as possible, however in periods of surge demand and uncertainty, staff may be working in practice settings that are unfamiliar, requiring careful consideration of how teams are constituted and used.
This site will be regularly reviewed and updated in response to direction offered from the Department of Health (DoH) Northern Ireland.
The sections below outline aspects of professional practice relevant to COVID-19 surge demand and expanding capacity of the workforce. Click on the wording below the circles within each section to reveal further information.
[1] From this point in this resource the group of staff aligned to nursing and midwifery will be referred to as ‘nursing and midwifery staff’. The terms ‘nursing assistant’ and ‘senior nursing assistant’ may not be used in nursing homes currently – more commonly used are the terms ‘carer’ or healthcare assistant’.
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SECTION 1: SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Click on the wording below the graphics to find out more information.
Regulatory Context Indemnity Teams & Staffing Skill Mix Supervision -
SECTION 2: SUPPORTING APPROPRIATE CARE AND SERVICE ENVIRONMENT
During the global pandemic it is likely that many clinical settings will experience high levels of demand for services along with increased levels of sickness and absence among usual team members.
The four UK Chief Nursing Officers have had to make rapid policy changes to ensure that all nursing and midwifery care in the context of COVID-19 is as safe as reasonably possible.
The following principles are provided to assist thinking in such situations, particularly when shift teams are comprised of many or in some circumstances all staff who are unfamiliar with the clinical environment.
Click on the wording below the graphics to find out more information.
Redeployment Orientation Roles Assessment & Records 
Delegation Organisation of Care Health & Well Being -
SECTION 3: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Checklists for Orientation:
Environmental Orientation Checklist
Skills ChecklistHealth and Wellbeing Support:
Belfast Area
Northern Area
South Eastern Area
Southern Area
Western AreaOther Resources:
Grouping Outline
Our NHS People
Nursing Handover Prompt Sheet
Resources for the Independent Sector:PNH Environmental Orientation Checklist
PNH Grouping Outline
PNH Nursing Handover Prompt Sheet
VLE In Nursing Homes
Guidance for Care Homes