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Power to Care
Nursing Standard's Power to Care campaign aims to boost the authority and status of ward sisters and charge nurses.
Power to Care wants all ward managers to have:
- A supervisory role - to oversee care, teach and support staff
- Authority to match responsibility - to order equipment or staff without a manager's approval
- Administrative support - a ward clerk as part of their team
- Housekeeping support in their team
- Managerial support from their director of nursing
- Equal status to consultant and specialist nurses
- Appropriate preparation for role
Power to Care calls for more support for the estimated 24,000 NHS nurses managing clinical teams. Independent sector ward managers need to be added to this figure.
Power to Care will highlight health organisations that are already delivering for ward managers. The campaign's focus will be hospitals but it will also examine the equivalent role in the community. We will ask experts what measures are required to push for change locally - and nationally.
Responding to the campaign launch, a Department of Health spokesperson said: 'We recognise the ward sister or charge nurse role as key to the organisation of hospital nursing and high quality patient care, combining management, clinical expertise, education and teaching.
'However, it is for local NHS organistations to determine how much authority is delegated, taking into account their nurses' skills, training and existing workloads'.
Give us your views
Do you remember a ward sister or charge nurse who inspired you in your career?
Or perhaps you are a ward sister? Get in touch and let us know about the main challenges you face, whether you enjoy your job, and what would be the one factor that would improve your working life.
Or maybe you are a staff nurse? Let us know whether you aspire to become a ward sister or if you have decided the role is not for you (and why). Perhaps you believe the role should have a higher status and pay.
Or maybe you are a student? If so, what is your career ambition?
Let us know by writing to:
Adele Waters
Power to Care
Nursing Standard
59-65 Lowlands Road,
Harrow
Middlesex HA1 3AW
Email: powertocare@rcnpublishing.co.uk
Tel: 0208 872 3162
We could feature you in future campaign coverage.
The RCN Publishing Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal College of Nursing, the world's largest organisation for nurses. RCN Publishing produces one weekly, eight monthly and two quarterly nursing publications. Nursing Standard, the flagship journal, is the UK's biggest selling weekly for nursing. It is produced by RCN Publishing Company along with a suite of specialist nursing journals - Cancer Nursing Practice, Mental Health Practice, Learning Disability Practice, Nursing Children and Young People, Nursing Management, Emergency Nurse, Nursing Older People, Nurse Researcher and Primary Health Care. RCN Publishing Company also produce the RCN Bulletin, a major source of up-to-the-minute information for RCN members in all specialities, grades and working environments. With the latest nurse vacancies from trusts nationwide, it has become the most cost-effective nurse recruitment magazine available.