Care home staff: RCN unveils resource designed to meet your needs

RCN's online tool aims to support nursing staff in care homes

Nursing staff in care homes can now access an interactive online resource to help guide them through different stages in residents' care.

The bespoke web page on the RCN’s website provides care home staff with evidence-based guidance on typical clinical and social developments that residents are likely to experience.

Easy pinpointing of information

RCN professional lead for older people and dementia Dawne Garrett, who led the tool's development, said care home-based nurses have previously had to trawl through literature only relevant to the NHS and the acute sector, before finding the information they need.

The resource enables nurses easily to pinpoint evidence-based information by following the 'stories' of three fictional care home residents and the nursing staff who support them.

‘This interactive resource brings together all the expertise and support the RCN can offer to nursing staff working in care homes’

Dawne Garrett, RCN

Nurses can click on each character's name to access vital information about pre-admission, admission and ongoing care of people in particular circumstances, along with advice.

Collective expertise

Ms Garrett said: ‘More than 30,000 RCN members are based in care homes, and their work is complex and highly skilled. It requires a broad, in-depth and specialist knowledge of short and long-term conditions associated with ageing.

‘This interactive resource brings together all the expertise and support the RCN can offer to nursing staff working in this area, and I hope it will help answer the clinical questions that frequently affect those caring for older people.’

• RELATED: ‘We work in the residents’ home, they don't live where we work’

One of the characters is John, an 86-year-old retired mechanic, who initially lives at home and has chronic respiratory disease and dementia.

Nurses using the programme can follow John’s journey to Red Cedars, including assessments before and during his move.

• Click here for the Care home journey resource

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