Education, Learning and Development Strategy consultation

The Royal College of Nursing Group CONSULTATION EDUCATION, LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2021-2024

RCN Group ELD Strategy consultation Introduction

The Royal College of Nursing Group is made up of three groups: The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), RCNi (formerly known as RCN Publishing) and the RCN Foundation. The RCN Group has developed this consultation document to further explore the UK RCN membership, staff and external stakeholder views on the education, learning and development offer from the RCN Group.

The RCN Group has recognised that there is an opportunity to: •

lead the nursing workforce across all settings through education, learning and development

• to deliver evidence-based guidance and leadership, quality assured professional development and life-long learning opportunities which support confident influencers and leaders in the nursing profession, students and the nursing support workforce.

This consultation document uses the term nursing workforce as an inclusive term for all the following: nurses, midwives, nursing associates, assistant practitioners, nursing support workers, nursing students and trainee nurses.

RCN Group education, learning and development The education and training of nurses has always been central to the role of the RCN and, as a respected hallmark of quality, has been emphasised in the RCN Royal Charter: The College shall pursue the following Objects in the Area of Activity: 3.1 To promote the science and art of nursing and education and training in the profession of nursing; 3.2 To promote the advance of nursing as a profession in all or any of its branches; 3.3 To promote the professional standing and interests of Members; 3.4 To assist Members who by reason of adversity, ill-health or otherwise are in need of assistance of any nature.

Proposed future RCN Group education, learning and development

The rationale behind the current initiation of education programmes, training courses and learning resources is often based on anecdotal information regarding where the greatest need is. In future, ELD provision will be based on a demonstration of need, feasibility, sustainability, cost effectiveness and impact assessment. It will be aligned to one or more defined criteria, such as: •

Contributing to the RCN Safe and Effective Staffing agenda.

•

Supporting the integration of health and social care agenda.

•

Supporting the national workforce plans in each of the four countries of the UK. 1

• Supporting continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning (LLL) of nurses and the nursing workforce.

The membership voice

The members voice is key to the development of RCN strategies and this strategy is being developed alongside the Independent Care and the Staffing for Safe and Effective Care strategies. The independent governance review of the RCN in 2020 recommended prioritising member engagement and participation to ensure a clear link to decision making at the College https://www.rcn.org.uk/about-us/how-the-rcn-is-governed/independent-governance-review.

Engagement

There are four strategic themes that provide a contextual framework for further development of the membership offer. This document introduces these themes and through this consultation our members, staff and stakeholders are provided with an opportunity to provide the RCN Group with feedback from across the UK and across all health and social care sectors.

This consultation period will be throughout August and September 2020. We would like to hear the views of RCN members, stakeholders’ and staff on the themes that have been presented and outlined within this consultation document. The delivery of the RCN Group Education, Learning and Development Strategy for 2021-2024 will be developed from the responses provided by the members, staff and stakeholders.

RCN members, stakeholders’ and staff will be invited to contribute through a variety of means: •

webinars

•

online focus group discussions.

• dedicated web page with this consultation document and the opportunity to answer the questions posed below online form via this link.

These will be available across the UK between August and September 2020.

We are consulting on the following:

The Vision of the RCN Group Education, Learning and Development Strategy

‘To provide leadership and influence within health and social care, through excellent quality education, learning and development. Empowering the nursing workforce by providing evidencebased guidelines that support the UK future health care workforce requirements.’

Consultation Question 1:

Does this vision represent a desirable and achievable direction for the RCN Group professional and trade union provision of education, learning and development?

Yes No Partially Is anything missing from this vision statement?

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The strategic themes

There are four strategic themes that provide a contextual framework for future development of the membership offer. Consultation on these themes are required to develop our strategic direction for education, learning and development over the next five years.

Summary of the themes: •

Nursing leadership to influence patient outcomes. The RCN Group will ensure we provide evidence-based education, learning and development to facilitate present and future knowledge and skills of the workforce to positively influence patient experiences and outcomes.

•

Education, learning and development for innovation and transformation. The RCN Group will provide quality assured education, learning and development through differing methods to support continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning frameworks (LLL), to widen participation, promoting innovation in best practice that improves patient care and outcomes.

•

Evidence-based guidance for professional practice. The RCN Group will increase the recognition of the RCN as the organisation leading nurses and the nursing workforce with evidence-based guidance, providing the public with confidence in nurses and nursing delivery of safe and effective care.

•

Using the voice of nursing to shape health and social care. The RCN Group education, learning and development will empower nurses and the nursing family to lead the delivery of health care through enhanced effectiveness of innovation and increased national control of delivery.

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Consultation questions Theme 1.0 - Nursing leadership to influence patient outcomes.

The RCN Group will deliver evidence-based quality assured leadership education, learning and development to support the nursing workforce to develop skills, knowledge and competence in leadership.

Strategy priorities

1.

To deliver evidence-based leadership education, learning and development that enables future nursing leaders to develop emotional intelligence, self-awareness, resilience and confidence to effect, deliver and evaluate change and innovate.

2.

To provide the nursing workforce with education, learning and development pathways, providing the skills, confidence and knowledge to influence and lead care delivery in a disciplined systematic way, to positively influence patient experiences and outcomes across the UK. 3.

To ensure the voice of nursing is at the forefront of practice and policy development and delivery.

The RCN Group will achieve this through:

• supporting the nursing workforce with a flexible approach to CPD and LLL across the nursing and midwifery career framework from cadets to executive nurses • providing recognised evidence-based skill, knowledge and competence in inclusive leadership programmes, which influences patient outcomes and the delivery of health and social care impact • providing CPD and LLL to enable members to influence, lead and evaluate the delivery of innovative health care at an individual, team and organisational level across all health and social care environments • providing CPD and LLL that enables members to develop political awareness and confidence to challenge through political advocacy.

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Consultation Question 2:

Do you agree that the RCN Group should ensure the provision of evidence-based quality assured leadership education learning and development resources to develop skills knowledge and competence for all members of the nursing workforce?

Yes No Partially Strategy Building Block: Through education, learning and development pathways, provide skills, confidence and knowledge to ensure the voice of nursing influences and leads practice and policy development.

Please tell us how we can do this?

Theme 2.0 - Education, learning and development for innovation and transformation The RCN Group will ensure the provision of innovative, evidence-based education, learning and development facilitating present and future knowledge and skills of the workforce to positively influence patient experiences and outcomes.

Strategy priorities:

1.

The RCN Group will provide and deliver diverse, inclusive and innovative approaches to clinical education and learning programmes, which enables the equality of access for individuals and organisations training needs.

2.

The RCN Group will deliver a flexible practice-based knowledge and skills framework to support and develop the CPD and LLL for all members to improve patient care and outcomes.

3.

The RCN Group will ensure the nursing workforce have recognition of and access to flexible approaches to CPD and LLL supported by a quality assured framework.

RCN Group will achieve this through development of:

• an RCN centre of excellence, providing evidence-based CPD for nurses and LLL opportunities for the nursing workforce •

quality assured education, learning and development

• our existing Group offer, working with all UK stakeholders, to develop accessible and flexible approaches to CPD •

an easily accessible online platform for clinical /best practice guidance

•

an online channel of CPD and LLL activities supported by experts in their field.

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Consultation Question 3:

Do you agree that the RCN Group should ensure the provision of evidence-based education, learning and development to positively influence patient experiences and outcomes?

Yes No Partially

Strategy Building Block:

To provide and deliver flexible, diverse, inclusive and innovative approaches to clinical education and learning programmes, which enables the equality of access for individuals and organisations.

Please tell us how we can do this?

Theme 3.0 – Evidence-based guidance for professional practice

The RCN Group will increase the recognition of the RCN as the organisation leading nurses and nursing with education learning and development which is underpinned with research and evidencebased guidance, providing the public with continued confidence in nurses and nursing delivery of safe and effective care.

Strategy priorities:

1.

The RCN Group will develop a learning and development offer that builds the evidence-base for the future delivery of care, embedding research, which will provide an indicator for individual and organisational quality.

2.

The RCN Group will develop nurse-led best evidence-based guidance, which provides recognition of the knowledge and skills acquired by nurses and nursing to improve patient care and outcomes.

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3.

The RCN Group will provide best evidence-based guidance to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of care delivery and outcome for patients.

The RCN Group will achieve this through development of:

• a centre of excellence for education, learning and development providing leadership through the development of research and evidence-based guidance for nurses and nursing • nurse led, evidence-based guidance, which provides a measurable framework for quality assurance in the delivery of patient care and measurement of outcomes and impact •

learning resources for members to develop research skills

•

learning resources for members to develop evidence-based practice resources

• our existing Group offer, working with all UK stakeholders, to develop research and evidence-based guidance that leads care improvement and delivery.

Consultation Question 4:

Do you agree that the RCN Group should be the organisation leading the nursing workforce with resources underpinned by research and evidence-based guidance, providing the public with continued confidence in nurses and nursing delivery of safe and effective care?

Yes No Partially

Strategy building block

Provide a nurse-led research and evidence-based guidance for the future delivery of care, which will ensure continuous improvement in the quality of care delivery and outcome patients.

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Please tell us how we can do this?

Theme 4.0 - Using the voice of nursing to shape health and social care

The RCN Group education, learning and development will empower nurses and nursing to lead the delivery of health and social care, through enhanced effectiveness of practice and innovation.

Strategy priorities:

1.

The RCN Group will provide education and learning which will enable the nursing and midwifery workforce to influence the delivery of health and social care.

2.

The RCN Group will provide learning and development through the gaining of skills, which empowers the future workforce to respond immediately to areas of concern seeking a resolution for and by members and colleagues.

3.

The RCN Group will provide education learning and development empowering the workforce to lead organisational change, influencing political and professional leadership.

The RCN Group will achieve this through:

• development of a centre of excellence for education, learning and development providing leadership through the development of appropriate education and research opportunities • providing an education, learning and development offer that will support the future workforce to feel competent and confident and empowered • developing our existing Group offer, working with all UK stakeholders, to develop evidencebased guidance that supports organisational change • developing team learning opportunities in organisation settings, national and speciality forums • developing education, learning and development opportunities that provide opportunity for gaining academic credits.

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Consultation Question 5:

Do you agree that the RCN Group education, learning and development offer should empower nurses and nursing to lead the delivery of health and social care through enhanced effectiveness of practice and innovation?

Yes No Partially

Strategy building block

Empower the nursing and midwifery future workforce through skill development to influence the delivery of health and social care.

Please tell us how we can do this?

Consultation Question 6:

The RCN have quality assurance systems in place for the development of any of its resources for the nursing workforce. It also provides a quality assurance framework for endorsing and accrediting externally produced resources.

Is it important that the RCN quality assures education, learning and development resources for: •

Members

•

The wider sector

•

International

Yes

No

Partially

Consultation Question 7:

Would you be prepared to pay additional fees for education, learning and development access from the RCN Group which could include: • • • •

Modules of clinical learning Bite size clinical learning Access to up to date evidence through an app An up to date flexible online deliver platform e.g. A you tube channel Yes

No

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Consultation Question 8:

Would academic credits be beneficial for the following areas of education learning and development?

• • • •

Large clinical modules?

Short bite-sized learning resources?

Online resources Practice-based learning

Yes

No

Partially

Please explain why?

Consultation question 9:

The RCN is committed to providing education, learning and development that meets the needs of all its membership and the wider health and social care workforce.

Please tell us how the RCN Group can ensure that the learning and development is accessible and impacts positively on all groups?

Consultation Question 10:

The RCN Group would like to know how you currently access RCN Group learning and development.

Is it through one of the following: •

RCN website

•

RCNi website

•

RCNi journals

•

Through Google

•

Other search engine

•

RCN Reps’ Hub

•

Face-to-face sessions

•

Conferences and events

Achievement of the vision and delivery of the strategic priorities The RCN Group will work with members, stakeholders and RCN staff from across the UK to influence and develop the Education, Learning and Development Strategy for 2021-2024.

Through these engagement events we will build the strategy and begin implementation. Further work will be needed to build towards achieving the vision which we will agree with our members, staff and key stakeholders to do this over the next three years.

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This document will also be available in an online Welsh version.

For your opportunity to answer the questions posed in this consultation document please access the online form via this link.

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