Skill based 'Attribute list' for community nurse role

Nurse leaders are finalising a set of skill-based 'attributes' that community nurses will have to display in the future.

The guidelines are intended to help community nurses improve their skills in order to deliver the extended role of primary and community care, outlined in the NHS next stage review (NT News, 8 July, p3).

The attributes are based on suggestions in the review of what being a practitioner should entail. They will cover improving skills in health promotion, clinical innovation and entrepreneurism, leading service change and championing clinical quality.

Drawn up by the transforming community services programme – set up to carry out the NHS next stage review's community plans – the attributes are expected to be ratified by the programme's board later this week.

Viv Bennett, deputy chief nursing officer for England, told NT: 'Although it is taking time, the programme work is all going forward well.

'We have been looking at transformational attributes, which will enable nurses and therapists to be key to transforming services in the community.'

Meanwhile, King's College London is finalising the details of a document called Nursing in Society: Starting the Debate, which NT understands will be released mid-October.

It was commissioned by chief nursing officer for England Dame Christine Beasley to provide detail on how the profession should develop careers and its image.

At the same time, King's College is finalising recommendations on the development of the specific set of indicators, or metrics, for nursing (NT News, 24 June, p2).

Deputy chief nursing officer for England Janice Sigsworth said: 'It will give a synopsis about the state-of-the-art metrics and how you would implement them and what they would look like.

'It will describe where we have got to with the metrics and it will help nurses understand some of the implications of the metrics on their own practice, along with a series of recommendations,' she added.