RCN Congress 2025 ii - Losing direct nursing skills

No longer an issue for me, but in the mix of careers: health, education, work - professional; employees often find that they are pulled away from what originally brought them to their chosen career. "I want to help people, care for them, make them better." Especially, if they are ambitious, seek better pay and prospects, for themselves and (a) their family. 

This was an issue and tension for discussion at the RCN Congress:

'Climbing the ladder often means leaving the “bedside”, this is something that can leave mixed emotions for the individual. As a result, we are losing years of clinical experience and expertise which could impact on the future training and on-the-job development for early career or inexperienced colleagues.

The secondary issue that arises with nurses leaving the bedside is skill decay, where a person loses the skills developed in the clinical area through lack of everyday practice. This is being increasingly acknowledged in health care literature (Maehle, 2017). However, the biggest barrier is the resulting lack of confidence in personal skills and ability, particularly where someone is now seen as a senior colleague by those at the bedside.' cont. ...

Discussion - Losing direct nursing skills

I didn't make notes but reflected on how your 'basic training' (for me ...) registered mental nurse (RMN) and state registered nurse (SRN) provides the foundation for professional (and lifelong?) learning? This is, after all, what continuing professional development and post-registration refer to. I did realise that in returning to mental health nursing after qualifying as a SRN, I would surrender much learning - instead of consolidating.

Lecture 101, sets in train the scope of your theory and practice. This is why, and where I see Hodges' model having a role at this point in our professional education, whatever the discipline, or profession. Congress included a resolution for debate: Physician associates. 

We really do need to get this right. Get it wrong, and the quality of care and safety of the public are threatened. If existing standards and professional relationships are perturbed, the effects can be long-lasting and (grossly) injurious. Especially at a time of increasing demographic pressures globally for health systems and services.

individual

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group

1. Is the divide represented by parity of esteem in healthcare MIND :: BODY associated with the fact that in mental illness patients do not ordinarily need to be nursed, cared for in bed?	png image from pngtree.com
2. But, wait! What does history, medical sociology have to say?	3. Is the 'bed' the signifier of instititionalised care? It appears to be. The pejorative term 'big bins' seems to epitomise the mechanisation of care. In prisons do they throw away the key?

Previously: 'RCN' : 'skills' : 'beds'.

Also at Congress was the RCN Northwest Multicultural Group, which may be of interest if you are UK based (and not just in the NW). The following is edited from an email ...

Dear All,

I would like to congratulate everyone for an amazing Congress 2025 and take this opportunity to welcome the new members. It was really lovely to meet all of you in person.

Please see below the link to the webpage of multicultural group:

https://www.rcn.org.uk/northwest/Get-Involved/NW-Multicultural-Group

I will be sharing the details of the next meeting and other information via the group and email.

Kind regards,

Olanike Babalola (She/Her/Hers)
Chair/Cofounder RCN Northwest Multicultural Group
Email: olanike.babalola AT reps.rcn.org.uk