National nursing leaders were heartened to find nursing united, not divided, on major issues at a recent consensus workshop.
The workshop, which attracted more than 50 nursing leaders, sought common ground on the future of the registered nurse scope and other major workforce issues.
And the leaders – from across the public, private, NGO and education sectors and professional organisations – were excited, affirmed and relieved that they could speak in a unified voice.
Late last year the Nursing Council called a halt to decision making on an RN scope review because of a lack of clear direction from the sector.
But nursing leaders said the workshop – attended by the council – made clear that it wasn’t the nursing sector that was divided on the issue but others in the wider health sector.
Acting chief nurse Christine Andrews said there was a “high degree of agreement” on important key messages including strong support for keeping the current RN scope.
Philippa Pringle of Dunedin’s private Mercy Hospital said the day was “excellent” with almost universal acceptance that the current scope allowed “extension” of practice.
EIT health faculty dean Susan Jacobs said there was “amazing consensus” across a range of topics and MIT nursing school head Debbie Penlington described the meeting as “brilliant”.
Helen Pocknall, director of nursing for the Wairarapa DHB, said the day was fruitful and effectively decided the current “enabling” scope already allowed nurses to expand their roles. As a Health Workforce New Zealand board member she added it was also important to resolve credentialing and specialty standards issues as quickly as possible, to ensure the profession itself would be in charge of monitoring new roles like prescribing diabetes nurse specialists.
Jenny Carryer and Susanne Trim were both heartened that the meeting gave strong support for the specialty standards work of the multi-organisation National Consortium.
Carryer, executive director of the College of Nurses, which is one of the four consortium partners, said the high level of consensus and cohesion should be celebrated and the day successfully countered the view, held by some in the health sector, that nursing was deeply divided.
Trim, professional nursing manager for another consortium partner NZNO, said it was a very positive meeting and there was “absolute consensus” around the current RN scope of practice.
Leanne Samuel, regional chief nursing officer for Otago and Southland DHBs, said one of the key messages was to ensure flexibility for nursing in a changing environment.
Angela Baldwin, Plunket chief operating officer, said it was one of the best meetings she had attended with “nursing leaders coming together with a common vision” of the potential of nursing.
Jane MacGeorge, Healthcare New Zealand director of nursing, said the day demonstrated that nursing leadership was “alive and well” and also the need for a “future proof” mechanism for enabling nursing to develop new roles.
Andrews added that nurses who attended the workshop were “keen to see a flexible and safe environment for nurses working in areas that expand their practice” like endoscopy and other areas of specialist nursing practice.
NENZ chair Gary Lees, the Lakes DHB director of nursing, said it was very pleased with the level of consensus and a further workshop was being penciled in for November
As Nursing Review went to press the workshop organisers, Nurse Executives of New Zealand (NENZ), were still finalising a consensus statement on the RN scope for the Nursing Council. Work was also continuing on further consensus advice to Health Workforce New Zealand and the new National Health Board.
