Key outcomes, future prospects
Tim Bryson
Project Manager
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To improve the quality and competence of
London mental health nurses of the future
through an agreed consistent approach to
recruitment and selection
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Willis Report and Compassion in Practice:
recruit for values, attitudes and behaviours as
well as competence
London NHS Trusts experience
Too many applicants failing basic tests and
not employable
Widespread ‘legacy’ problem
Acute nursing education retender
MH trusts agreed partnership approach
 ‘Foster a common culture shared by all in the service of putting the
patient first;’
 ‘Enhance the recruitment, education, training and support of all the
key contributors to the provision of healthcare, but in particular
those in nursing and leadership positions, to integrate the essential
shared values of the common culture into everything they do;’
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Concerns about nursing values and
competence
Recommended nursing aptitude test for
compassion and caring (188)
And recruitment for values and commitment
(191)
Students are vital and the life blood of
services
 About recruitment and selection, but also
about support, valuing, coaching and
mentoring
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‘Nursing the Nation’ by Molly Case
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Work stream 1: Agree common standards and
process for pre-registration mental health nurse
undergraduate selection
Work stream 2: Agree common standards and
process for post-registration recruitment and
selection of newly qualified mental health nurses
Work stream 3: To agree development needs for
practice education in mental health NHS trusts
and make recommendations for future
developments.
Make recommendations for future projects
Foothills
Mountains
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Positive partner engagement and involvement
All work streams have been collaborative
Signs of improvement in quality of recruits,
but:
Continuing concerns from Trusts about
calibre of NQNs
Continuing concerns from HEIs on calibre of
pre-reg applicants
Shared concern about quality of learner
experience in clinical placements
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Developed together with
partners
Drew on policy, evidence
base and current good
practice
Challenging but
achievable
Recommend use jointly
as a framework for
review and improvement
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No ‘silver bullet’ !
Mendas: values based screening tool –
validation work continues
Cambridge Assessment: SPSQ commercially
available from autumn 2013
Structured interview process – Multiple Mini
Interview method
Service user involvement
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Identified SNAP as a useful tool
Propose SNAP used pan-London and
minimum standard approach to numeracy
and literacy
SNAP being implemented at City, KCL, LSBU
and West London NHS
Exploratory discussions about potential for
online literacy tool
Clinical Numeracy Level
2
A patient is complaining of chest
pain and is commenced on a
Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) infusion
starting at 10microgram/minute. If
you use a ready constituted vial
containing 50mg GTN in 50mL,
what is the initial infusion rate in
mL/hour?
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Developing a common
assessment centre
methodology for all Trusts
Building on Trust
experience and processes
Common role description of
core attributes
Draft design for the
assessment centre
specification
Draft of exercises and
activities
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Fairness and rigor
Increased quality assurance
Centralised and services involvement
Assesses values and behaviours
Potential for support across trusts, e.g.
shared assessor training
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Developed practice
education framework and
outcomes
Explored NELFT practice
teacher roles and panel
model
Working to establish MH
practice education
network
Recommend Trusts and
HEIs review current
arrangements
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Conference write up
Report distribution
Numeracy: continuing implementation of
SNAP and proposal to HEE on literacy
software tool
Complete and publish work on assessment
centre approach for NQNs
Establish mental health practice education
network
Project close
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LETB implementation plans ?
UK clinical nursing aptitude test ?
Creating a more positive image of mental
health nursing
Work to improve calibre of applicants for preregistration nursing
Common approach to practice assessment ?
Review of curriculum – integrated care ?
Thank you for listening and
being involved !
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Tim Bryson, Project Manager
timbryson@btinternet.com
Lis Jones, Project Sponsor
ljones@tavi-port.nhs.uk
Gen Algie, Project Support
Gen.algie@edu.london.nhs.uk
Charlotte Copley, Project Administration
Charlotte.copley@O2.co.uk