Open Council 22nd February 2008 Agenda Item 08/08 – 1.1 Nursing Development Committee Report 1. A meeting of the Nursing Development Committee was held on 23 January 2008 with Jenny Booth in the Chair. Members present were Naomi Baker, Jane Bovey, Gerry Bolger, Bobbie Chadwick, Anthony Daniels, Jane Denton, Cathy Geddes, Ann Griffiths, Chris Piercy, Jan Rushford, Alison Twycross and Les Storey. Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive and General Secretary, Jane Clarke, Director of Governance Support, Geraldine Cunningham, Head of Learning and Development , Steve Jamieson, Interim Head of Professional Nursing Department and Joanne Davies, Committee Administrator were also in attendance. Welcome and Introductions 2. Anthony Daniels, Jane Denton, Cathy Geddes, Chris Piercy and Alison Twycross joined the Committee in January. The Committee spent time getting to know each other and talking about the skills and experience they would bring to the work of the Committee. Modernising Nursing Careers 3. There was a joint session with the Public Policy Committee and the Membership, Representation and Diversity to discuss the RCN’s response to the Modernising Nursing Careers consultations on pre and post registration education. The Committees discussed the responses received from the wider membership and agreed that the RCN’s response would reflect the variety of membership views but would also set out clearly established RCN policy positions i.e an all graduate profession. 4. The Committees agreed that they would submit any further comments to the RCN Policy team and that the Committee Chairs would sign-off the final response before the 15 February 2008. Reporting Arrangements for Learning Representatives 5. The Committee discussed the reporting arrangements for the UK Learning Representatives Committee with the Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee. It was agreed that the Committee would continue to report into the Nursing Development Committee and that there should be regular joint sessions on issues of interest to both Committees. Work Programme 2007/08 Update and Priorities for 2008/09 6. The Committee received an update on the key projects within the Nursing and Learning Development operational plans. It discussed how the key issues would be reported in the future and asked that a first draft of a work plan for the year ahead be prepared for its next meeting. The first of the monthly e-mail 1 Open Council 22nd February 2008 Agenda Item 08/08 – 1.1 updates to keep the Committee up to date with new and evolving issues is be circulated in February. 7. The Committee agreed that future ways of working should be a key item on their next agenda. It also noted that work to review the terms of reference of the Council Committees had started and that first drafts would be presented to the May meetings. Annual Report and Accounts 8. The key areas of its work identified by the Committee for inclusion in the 2007/08 Annual Report were nutrition, alcohol, patient safety, clinical standards and regulation. Knowledge Management 9. The approach being taken to knowledge management was welcomed and it was agreed that Patient Safety should be used as a pilot for testing progress. Productivity and Community Nursing 10. The Committee noted with some concern that some PCTs in England had begun to focus on ways to measure the day to day activities of community nurses and asked to be kept informed of developments through the monthly update. National Clinical Audit 11. Plans for the RCN to be part of a consortium chosen by the Department of Health to manage the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcome Programme were welcomed. The Committee noted that the Finance and Corporate Services Committee would be looking at the business case later that week and it looked forward to receiving regular reports on the work of the consortium. Congress Items 12. The Committee noted the process and timeline for the future reporting of the Congress items. It also received the update on work that had been completed on the 2007 items. The Committee commended the work of staff who supported the Congress items. 2 Open Council 22nd February 2008 Agenda Item 08/08 – 1.1 Fellows Report 13. Jane Denton, Fellow and member of the Nursing Development Committee updated the Committee on the Fellow’s activities since the previous meeting. She urged members to attend the conference ‘Do you still care about care?’ on 7 June 2008. Educational Awards and Scholarships Update 14. The awards given in October, November and December were noted. Reports from 2005, 2006 and 2007 award winners were also received. Jenny Booth Chair of Nursing Development Committee Steve Jamieson Interim Head of Professional Nursing Geraldine Cunningham Head of Learning and Development Originator: Joanne Davies Committee Administrator Date: February 2008 MEMBERS: Jenny Booth (Chair) Naomi Baker, Jane Bovey, Gerry Bolger, Bobbie Chadwick, Anthony Daniels, Jane Denton, Cathy Geddes, Ann Griffiths, Christopher Piercy, Jan Rushford, Marcia Turnham, Alison Twycross, Les Storey. 3