A new competency framework for nursing staff working in complex rehabilitation services has been launched in Cheshire and Merseyside.
The Nursing Competency Framework in Specialist Rehabilitation sets out the skills and knowledge required of registered nurses and nursing support workers in this area of practice, which is focused on supporting patients’ recovery after a traumatic illness or injury.
“It’s a way to support and empower the nursing teams and wider multi-disciplinary team”
Fahim Anwar
The framework covers different specialist clinical areas, from neurological and respiratory care to psychological and mental health care, and is split into three levels of competency, from competent to highly specialised.
The framework has been launched by the Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network (CMRN), which is hosted by The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, and will be used to support the specialist training of registered and non-registered nursing staff.
The network covers seven inpatient units across the region, which provide a total of 103 beds.
CMRN manager Angela Harrison said: “The network is a collaboration between our commissioners and our partner organisations which provide a high-quality patient rehabilitation service.
“Continued education and training is a key priority for the network, and the framework is an excellent example of this, and it also recognises the ongoing complexity of the nature of our patients.”
One of the motivations behind producing the framework was to support the CMRN in meeting the British Society of Physical & Rehab Medicine (BSPRM)’s staffing standard, which stipulates that 30-45% of nursing staff working in rehabilitation should have specialist training.
The BSPRM has endorsed the Cheshire and Merseyside framework.
Dr Fahim Anwar, chair of the BSPRM educational committee and consultant in rehabilitation medicine, praised the document as “more than just a training tool”.
“It’s a way to support and empower the nursing teams and wider [multi-disciplinary team], giving them the skills and confidence to provide the best possible care for their patients,” said Dr Anwar.
“Rehabilitation nursing is a highly specialised field, and this framework reflects the network’s commitment to ensuring that every nurse and healthcare assistant has the training, knowledge and support they need to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.”
Sarah Flynn, assistant chief nurse for neurology and rehabilitation at The Walton Centre, said the framework highlighted the “important work our nurses do to support patients recovering from traumatic injuries”.
The framework comes as work is going on at a national level to create a similar resource.
The nursing team at the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) – a new centre of excellence due to open this summer – is creating a new competency framework for complex rehabilitation nurses.
An NRC spokesperson told Nursing Times that they were in discussions with the CMRN on how they can work together.
