| Delivering Care: Nurse Staffing in Northern Ireland was developed based on the best evidence available including a range of recognised workforce planning tools, and produced in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including commissioners and service providers, nurse managers, front-line staff and personal and public involvement, professional and staff side organisations. A core element is the development of a staffing range or model. This approach has been taken in preference to the simple application of an absolute number or ratio, as individual care setting staffing is influenced by a range of factors all of which must be considered. |
The development of the third phase of publication of the framework has included a document relevant to nurse staffing levels in District Nursing teams which are defined as: individual teams led by a District Nurse supported by registered nurses, and health care assistants. A District Nurse is defined as: a qualified nurse with a graduate level education and specialist practitioner qualification recordable with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
This document, when published, will refer to the policy context and rationale for the work of the Delivering Care Project in Northern Ireland and include the following elements:
- Background, context and strategic drivers for developing staffing approaches for District Nursing teams
- Assumptions of the framework
- A nurse staffing model for District Nursing teams
- Factors which influence the determination of a complement of staff appropriate for providing safe effective, person-centred care for care settings in which District Nursing teams work.
The document will also provide a brief summary of the elements of the Phase 3 approach, how they were agreed and how they might be applied in the context of the changing healthcare settings nurses work in currently.
View the most recent Communique here from the Steering Group to District Nursing Teams in Northern Ireland
The products of the Delivering Care Project aim to provide all staff, but particularly nurses, both in front line practice, management and commissioning with a framework which will assist workforce planning processes and support constructive conversations about nurse staffing levels in Trusts.
View the Delivering Care Documents here