Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSNHS Direct expands nurse advisor role
Nurses who are on Agenda for Change Band 5 will be able to work for NHS Direct this summer as the NHS telephone helpline expands its nurse advisor roles.
Until now only Band 6 nursing staff had been allowed to work for NHS Direct providing clinical assessments for patients over the phone but the planned expansion of the role will aim to give Band 5 nurses a chance to develop their remote clinical assessment skills.
Helen Young, clinical director and chief nurse at NHS Direct, said: ‘The creation of the band 5 nurse advisor role will enhance the service we currently provide, in line with our service model, to meet the needs of all our callers.’
Current NHS Direct Band 6 nurses will continue to offer clinical assessments to patients as well as provide professional support to new Band 5 nurses.
| For further information about this or other roles within the organisation please email: nationalrecruitment@nhsdirect.nhs.uk or call 0845 6001855 |
|---|
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment.
Online training units, written and reviewed by experts. Earn two hours' CPD and a personalised certificate for your portfolio.
Subscribers get five FREE learning units and non-subscribers can access each learning unit for £10 + VAT.
Share
Readers' comments (2)
Anonymous | 1-Jul-2009 10:55 am
Obviously, this short article hardly outlines what a Band 5 nurse is likely to be doing at NHS Direct, but to me this seems a very important frontline role and a Band 5 nurse will be very junior to be advising members of the public about illnesses. We find that our Band 5 nurses on the ward need an incredibly high level of support with basic care post registration, as their training in many cases does not adequately prepare them for looking after patients and relatives/carers. I am sure that the supervision for Band 5 nurse will have been worked out by NHS Direct, but as a very cynical nurse at the end of her very exciting and fulfilling career, I feel this could be an example of 'getting the service cheap' by employing lower grades of nurses.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Anonymous | 9-Jul-2009 0:42 am
You are right Anonymous. NHS Direct are explaining the employment of Band 5 nurses as being in line with "Modernising Nursing Careers", thus giving Band 5 nurses the "chance" to gain the necessary skills to progress to Band 6. However, previously, Band 6 nurses had to have a minimum of 5 years post-registration experience in a variety of roles. This is just a way of getting in staff on the cheap and probably phasing out Band 6. I am really concerned that, once employed, Band 5 nurses will not have the robust support that they deserve and will shortly become demoralised and worried for their registration. Many Band 6 nurses already feel like that and the attrition rate is through the roof.
Unsuitable or offensive?