Jane Ball
Nurses have been taken for granted for far too long – but here’s how to make that stop
Short-staffing will only get worse if nurses continue to feel under-valued
Nurse staffing is too important to leave to wishful thinking
New workforce standards will help decision-makers see nurses as an asset
Why is a fair pay rise for nurses not seen as a critical expense?
A 1% pay offer shows how little the government values NHS staff
Analysing the implementation and effects of safe staffing policies in acute hospitals
This article examines the main findings of several high-profile inquiries and reports
Jane Ball: Don’t knock ‘obvious’ research on nurse staffing levels and outcomes – use...
The latest evidence on missed care and poor outcomes adds to the evidence on the value of registered nursing staff. But the need for ‘enough nurses’ has to be obvious to everyone, says researcher Jane Ball.
Working in care homes:a survey
Aim To explore the impact of policy changes on care homes and the provision of nursing in care homes. Method Eight hundred Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members working in nursing care homes were surveyed by postal questionnaire in 2004. Results A 37 per cent response rate (n=296) was achieved. Of these, 274 worked in homes registered to provide care for older people and/or those with dementia. Although the majority of respondents were happy in their posts, they said that they were not always able to meet residents’ needs. They voiced concerns about inappropriate admissions, the assessment process and the need to fill beds to maintain income. Although 65 percent of residents were state-funded, almost 75 per cent of the homes charged these residents a top-up fee. Conclusion Care homes should be given enough resources to ensure that the needs of residents are met. The RCN is developing a programme to lobby government for adequate resources for care home placements.
Working in care homes: a survey
Aim To explore the impact of policy changes on care homes and the provision of nursing in care homes. Method Eight hundred Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members working in nursing care homes were surveyed by postal questionnaire in 2004. Results A 37 per cent response rate ( n =296) was achieved. Of these, 274 worked in homes registered to provide care for older people and/or those with dementia. Although the majority of respondents were happy in their posts, they said that they were not always able to meet residents’ needs. They voiced concerns about inappropriate admissions, the assessment process and the need to fill beds to maintain income. Although 65 per cent of residents were state-funded, almost 75 per cent of the homes charged these residents a top-up fee. Conclusion Care homes should be given enough resources to ensure that the needs of residents are met. The RCN is developing a programme to lobby government for adequate resources for care home placements.
Why are we waiting?
Accident and emergency units are one of the key interfaces between patients and the health service. In addition, A&E units have to accommodate a diverse range of activity and face a considerable amount of uncertainty as to the demands that will be put upon them at any one time. They are therefore a logical place to begin to explore the perceptions of increased pressures on the whole of the NHS.