News
NURSING MANAGEMENTApril 2009 | Volume 16 | Number 14
On the move
More freedom for nurses
to run healthcare services
The Future of Nursing and Midwifery Commission is
reviewing how nurses can improve workplace safety
Mary Hinds has left her post as
director of RCN Northern Ireland
to become director of nursing
and allied health professionals
at the Regional Agency for
Public Health and Social Wellbeing,
in Northern Ireland. From this month, the
agency will drive the public health agenda in
Northern Ireland, with a particular emphasis
on tackling health inequalities.
Joan Myers as been appointed
by the Department of Health
for one year to advise the chief
nursing officer on equality and
diversity issues. Ms Myers will
work two days a week while continuing as
a nurse consultant in community children's
nursing at NHS Islington, London.
Dickon Weir-Hughes has been
elected president of NANDA
International, formerly known
as the North American Nursing
Diagnosis Association, until
2012. Professor WeirHughes is executive
director of nursing at Barking, Havering and
Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust,
Essex, and professor of nursing at London
South Bank University.
Nancy Fontaine has been
appointed deputy director
of nursing for patient safety
and quality at Whipps Cross
University Hospital NHS Trust,
London. The clinical professorial post was
created by the trust in partnership with
the London South Bank University. Until
her appointment, Ms Fontaine was nurse
consultant in emergency and urgent care
at the trust.
Elizabeth Rosser has been
appointed associate dean
of nursing at Bournemouth
University's school of
health and social care.
Professor Rosser's main research interests
lie in the area of the health and social
care workforce.
Nick Chapman has been appointed chief
executive of NHS Direct, the nurseled
information and advice service. Mr Chapman
has spent the past four years on secondment
to the Department of Health as national
director of the 18 Weeks programme.
By Nick Lipley
Nurses will have more freedom to
manage, commission and run their
services as a result of the Future of Nursing
and Midwifery Commission, launched
last month.
The commission of 16 nurse experts,
including Nursing Management consultant
editor Donna Kinnair and led by health
minister and former nurse Ann Keen,
will advise the government on the
future role of nurses.
The commission was launched at
King's College Hospital NHs Foundation
Trust, london, by prime minister
Gordon Brown, pictured above with modern
matron in general medicine Vanessa sweeney,
and health secretary Alan Johnson.
it will build on existing work identified
in health minister lord Darzi's High Quality
Care for All report and consider how
nurses working in all areas of expertise can
improve safety in the workplace.
The nurse experts will `identify the skills
and support needed by front line nurses to
deliver a 21st century health service' and
report back to Mr Brown by March next year.
Mr Johnson said: `As society has
changed, so has health care. This is
particularly true of the traditional roles
of nurses and midwives.
`Nurses now have more powers to make
tangible improvements on wards, in GP
centres and in the community. They have
taken on far greater responsibility in
clinical care, developing their skills as
leaders and managers.'
rCN general secretary Peter Carter, who
is among the union leader members of
the commission, said: `it is right that the
government is acknowledging that patients
and all public service users will get the best
possible care when decisions are in the
hands of front line staff.
`The commitment to tapping into
the innovation and creativity of health
professionals instead of relying on whitehall
for the next big ideas for the public sector
is very welcome indeed. By genuinely
trusting and enabling different parts of
the public sector to share ideas with each
other, the best ideas will come through.'
ChristopherWoods

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