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Celebrating Nursing Support Workers' Day with Louise Devlin, Senior Health Care Assistant

Louise Devlin, Senior Health Care Assistant at Aughnacloy Nursing Home, tells us what being a Nursing Support Worker means to her.

The student, the nursing support worker and the mysterious poly bag

Today is all about celebrating and recognising the contribution nursing support workers make across health and care services. I remember my first few weeks as a student nurse working in a medical ward.

The benefits of a roundtable discussion - and a care home provider success story

Why independent sector nursing staff should attend our roundtable discussions - and how one care home provider successfully negotiated funding for their health care support workers to study nursing with the Open University while continuing employment in their workplace.

Pushing for a cultural shift

IÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™ve always been an RCN member, but itÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s only as a staff member that IÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™ve realised the true extent of what we do for our members.

Raising the voice of independent health and social care staff in Wales

Lisa Kieh, our Independent Sector and Community Adviser for Wales, discusses the challenges faced by members in independent health and social care and the work sheÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s been doing to support them.

Using technology to improve pain management in care homes

Carol Dale, Lead Nurse for Independent Health and Social Care in Scotland, discusses how independent care nurses are exploring ways to improve pain management, including using digital technology.

Time to highlight the value of nursing in care homes

While the NHS is very much part of everyoneÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™s life, most of us donÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™t engage with care homes until later in life. This may be during a crisis when a friend, relative or indeed we are in need of support and subsequently make contact with social care services. 

"Seeing vulnerable people treated without dignity and respect made me determined to complete my nurse training"

Sam Preston, Lead Nurse for Independent Health and Social Care for the East Midlands, discusses how her career in nursing led her to the RCN and why improving patientsÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥™ experiences has always been at the heart of her work.

Bringing members together

As the 2021 film Help highlighted, people working in care homes felt isolated and unsupported during the peak of the pandemic, especially at the beginning when they lacked even basic PPE to protect themselves and their residents. 

I am thrilled to share with you the findings of our recent research study on advance care planning in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As a co-author of this study, I believe our findings hold great significance for your day-to-day practice, providing valuable insights into improving care and communication with care home residents and their families.