Practice educators in the United Kingdom: A national job description

Reducing variations in clinical nurse educator roles: a service improvement project standardising roles and career pathways

BACKGROUND

There is limited research evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of clinical nurse educator (CNE) roles in clinical practice. UK employers tend to use generic nursing job profiles, although the definition, expectations and implementation of nurse educator roles are interpreted differently between employers.

AIM

This project intended to reduce variation and standardise job titles, job descriptions and job plans for CNEs ranging from band 5 to band 7 and identify the academic requirements and professional experience required of each band.

METHODS

An evaluative service review of existing CNE roles was conducted across a large division of a major NHS hospital trust. Focus group interviews were conducted to identify CNEs' and matrons' perceptions of the role.

FINDINGS

Themes identified from the coding of narrative data included: the importance of the role; variations in expectations of the role, job titles, job descriptions and plans; and a lack of career progression pathways.

CONCLUSION

This service improvement project demonstrates that a standardised approach to the implementation of CNE roles can be achieved with the support of a unified senior nursing team. Clearer role definition and career progression pathways would improve job satisfaction and may help retain CNEs in post.

Role of clinical practice educators in an integrated community and mental health NHS foundation trust

Clinical practice educators (CPEs) aim to provide support and education to clinical staff and students to improve their professional practice. This article examines the work of a team of six CPEs, who were employed by one large integrated mental health and community health NHS foundation trust that incorporates both mental and physical health services. It explores how the role of the CPE can have positive effects on clinical settings, and can improve the provision of evidence-based care for clinical staff and students on placement in the trust. The article provides examples of the work undertaken by the CPE team and considers the plans for its future development.

The Connected Learning Model for disseminating evidence-based care practices in clinical settings

Clinical practice guidelines have been developed to improve patient care and outcomes. Guideline implementation is often stymied by the complexity of patients' conditions, complex care environments, and limited advanced clinical training of nursing staff. To translate key elements of heart failure guidelines into practice in a nursing home, the Connected Learning Model was developed based on the diffusion of innovations framework. An advanced practice nurse in geriatrics fostered greater interaction and collaboration among key administrative, medical, and nursing staff to promote awareness of heart failure guidelines and to translate key practices from those guidelines into the nursing home setting. Direct care staff skills for early recognition and reporting of signs and symptoms of acute heart failure were enhanced through a learner-centered educational program which included classroom and unit-based instruction and bedside clinical teaching. The Connected Learning Model is a promising method to mobilize advanced nursing expertise to bridge research/practice gaps through implementation of clinical practice guidelines that are systematically adapted to accommodate diverse health care contexts.